Explain significance of the Role of Press in 21st century.

Topic:  Explain significance of the Role of Press in 21^st century.

Name: Kinjal Patel

Paper Name: Mass Media and Communication

Paper No: 15

Roll No: 14

Semester: 4

Year: 2015

Submitted to: S.B.Gardi, Department of English Maharaja Krishnkumarsinhji, Bhavnagar University. Gujarat, India

Gmail Address: patelkinjal.u21@gmail.com

Introduction:

“A free press gives people access to the information they need to make critical decisions about their lives. It holds leaders accountable, exposes corruption and promotes transparency in decision making.  I raise awareness and offer an outlet for different voices, especially those that would otherwise go unheard.

         --- Ban Ki-moon (UN General Secretary)  

The press is a broad term now; it not only includes newspapers, new weeklies and magazines but also all the journalists working in the media orient and electronic. It plays great role in the iteration of public opinion. It also acts as a regulator and reflector of the same interacting, between the people and political parties in people. Hence, if the character of the press is healthy, the democratic system will be more transparent to what are the views and reactions of the people in respect thereof.

Beginning of Press:

Around 13B.C. in Rome there grew a practice of putting up two handwritten bulletins in the main public square. These bulletins were known as Acta Diurnaa’. It is believed that this was the first newspaper.

From 1720 onwards news and views was kept Separate. Industrial Revolution was beneficial to Press as it brought many profitable advertisements.

By the early 19thcentury, many cities in Europe, as well as North and South America, published newspaper-type publications though not all of them developed well content was vastly shaped by regional and cultural preferences. Advances in printing technology enabled newspapers to become an even more widely circulated means of communication.

In 17^th century hand written sheets were distributed, this helped in spread of Printing Press. In China, early government-produced news sheet, called Tipao circulated among court officials in 2^nd and 3^rd centuries.

Gazettes were a mid-16^th century Venice phenomenon. They were issued on single sheets, folded to form four pages, and issued every week. The first newspaper in France was published in 1631-La Gazette. The first newspaper in Portugal a Gazeta da Restauracao was published in 1641. The first Spanish newspaper, Gaceta de Madrial was published in 1661. The first newspaper in India was published by James Hicky in January 1780. It was called the Bengal Gazette and it was “weekly political and commercial paper opens to all parties but influenced by none.”

Since then many other newspapers were launched.

As more and more Indians started learning English, many became reporters, editors and even owners. The Anglo – Indian press began to lose ground except in Bombay and Calcutta. In 1927, in industrialist G.D Birla took over Hindustan Times and placed it on a sound financial footing. In the same year, S Sedan and started the Free Press Journal, a newspaper for the poor and the middle-class in Mumbai.

The First Newspapers:

Newspaper development can be seen in three phases (1) the sporadic forerunners, gradually  moving toward regular publication, (2) more or less regular journals but liable to suppression and subject to censorship and licensing and (3) a phase in which direct censorship was abandoned but attempts at control continued through taxation, bribery and prosecution. Thereafter, some degree of independence has followed. The First Amendment to the U.S. constitution specifically guaranteed “the freedom of speech of the press”. The right to criticize the government had been established as early as 1735. The basic formula for serious newspapers and commercially successful, if sensational, popular newspapers had been worked out by shrewd writers and editors- members of the new profession of journalism.

Parts of India also had an early service, with newsletters being circulated from the 16^th century. Under British rule, both English and vernacular – language papers flourished- the latter under government control- and enviable standards were set by The Times of India and The Hindu.

In the industrial era, technological advances were routinely appropriated by the newspaper industry to broaden the geographical reach.

After World War 2, radical changes in newspaper production in particular and mass communication in general occurred on a par with those brought by the Industrial Revolution. Electronic and communications technology have continued to revolutionize the ways in newspapers are written, edited and printed, while radio, TV, and the net have developed into serious competitors as sources of news official information, and entertainment- and as vehicles for ads.

Impact of Media:

 The impact of media is really noteworthy. Excessive coverage or type of sensitive news has led to communal riots at times. The illiterates are   prone to provocations than the literates. Constant repetition of the news especially sensational news breeds apathy and insensitivity. For instance, some actions on TV lead children to imitate and they suffer.

Commercialization of Press has created a stiff competition. In order to outdo each other print media has often gone one step in publishing negativity.

Importance of press in Democracy:

Freedom of the press refers to freedom of speech and expression which is and always should be fundamental right. Without this right the liberty of man is not complete. A country pledged to democracy must ensure that its citizens enjoy a free and daily press. Press keeps a constant vigil on the liberty of the people. To remove any government or to fight against dictatorship, anarchy and malpractices press serves the best. In the communist countries, press is under Government control. Even in democracies against any media may snatch freedom.

Media through its various means of newspapers, television and cinema is what rules the heart and minds of people. For instance, the ads by IDEA Cellular and the TATA group promoting education for all, democracy by voting through short Message Service- SMS, the ‘Jaago India’ slogans are perhaps not only charming the public but also have a huge impact on their minds.

The Press has helped to make our society a democracy by placing emphasis on issues that at one point in time would have been considered strictly private such as child birth, homosexuality, child care, domestic violence, and sexual harassment.

Coverage of exploitative malpractice by corrupted officials has helped in taking stringent actions against them by attracting the government’s attention. One of the most disturbing coverage was the story of Geetanjali Nagpal, a onetime booming model, who was found begging on the streets of Delhi. It was media, the first one to spot her and help her in recovery.

The most horrible explosion that is, the Mumbai terror attack, commonly abbreviated as 26/11 was an outrageous incident experienced by India. Media reported this incident every second.

Press Council of India:

In our country, press council of India (PCI) has the power to warn stop and censor any work that flouts the standards of press. The Press Council of India takes care of the press codes and press ethics, PCI is an institute consisting of 28 members representing owners of the newspapers, news agencies, journalists, educationalists, legal experts on various subjects.

Role of Press as a watch dog of democratic society:

Press has to perform an important role in guarding democracy of the country. Through press people come to know about the government’s working, through news, debates, panel discussion and reports.

Social Responsibility:

Press is responsible to society. Press aware people. In democratic countries we find press strengthening the democratic values. It brings out the issues of public. Through press social integration and harmony can be brought. It awakens people against social evils.

Investigation of Scams:

As we know corruption is one of the most sensitive problems throughout the world, the role of press becomes important. Reporters risk their lives in investigation the scams. In recent years many scams have been brought out because of the initials taken by media.

To propagate social reforms:

The modern society has many evils. Since the establishment of the Press, the press has been highlighting social reforms. In India, as there are many cases, creed, languages, customs and religions, press has been an important device reaching out for social reforms.

Passing Information:

Present Age is the age of information. Press plays an important role in passing the information. Now-a-days information reaches us within few seconds due to the quick functioning of press. In the time of natural and other calamities help reach faster due to the efforts of press. Still there are some countries where information doesn’t reach on time; this problem would be solved soon.

Sharing Information:

Press is linked through news agencies all over the world. This agencies share all the information among them. This way important news reaches us within no time. While sharing information Press has to obey the norms of particular country. For healthy environment in the world sharing information is necessary.

Motivating Power of the Society:

Press is the organ that plays multiple roles. Press criticizes malpractices of society but at the same time better things are praised. Innovative ideas and reformative work are highlighted in order to motivate the society.

Emphasizing education:

Press voluntarily plays vital role in stressing education. Through various ads and programmers it explains and emphasizes the importance of education. Press organizes competitions and scholarship programmers to spread the message of the significance of education.

Opinion Builder:

Press being widely popular, people believe in what it says. Press allows debates. Scholars from various fields are invited for debate. People get their opinions on various issues. This allow us to build our own opinion.

Generate Debate:

We watch and listen a lot on various issues in media. Political social, religious, pollution, communal, environmental, defense related issues sports related issues, issues related to the basic requirements of the people, price hike issues, health scams and scandals issues, education and many more are discussed and thus imports knowledge on various subjects.

Act as people’s mouth piece:

The Press gives opportunity to people to express their opinions. Through press we express our views to public. It raises our problems through various devices of Press. Your voice reaches to the mass through Press so one can say that it’s people’s mouth piece.

Social Reformer:

By covering the incidents of social malpractices and injustices in all the fields of the society, press exposes the hypocrisy in various fields. It raises voice against superstitions and orthodoxy. Guardian of the rights and liberty of people:

Press has a very vital responsibility to guard the rights and liberty of people. Press raises issues related to rights and liberty. It awakens the people who are victims of injustice in any case and helps them in getting justice.

Freedom of Press:

Freedom of press is essential in any democratic society for healthy development. It helps people at large to know about the undercurrents of the national scenario. Countries which curb the freedom of press suffer great losses in the long run. With freedom of press we cannot overlook the security of the individual being forgone, chaos in public life and disruption of harmony among social groups. Press is not given freedom at the cost of national security or integrity. To keep a check on the freedom of Press some rules and regulations are made. Press has to act in a responsible manner while dealing with the news. 

References:

 1. www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp

2. www.publishyourarticles.net/.../an-essay

3. https://in.answers.yahoo.com//ind.

4. www.important.india:com/.../...

5. study material