Media is a mixed blessing.

How ethical is media?

BY:

SAUGATA PALIT – 55NIKHIL SHARMA – 51

SECTION - C

Media

• Media is referred to as tools used to store and deliver information or data.• They are the storage and transmission channels.• They refer to any means of communication.

Types of media

• Advertising media , broadcast media , Digital media, electronic media, mass media, news media, print media, social media etc.

• Media refers to all media technologies including 1. Internet 2. Newspaper

3. Radio 4. television These 4 media technologies are generally used for mass communication.

Purpose of Media

• Media is about all the ways you can get information — books, e-media, magazines, newspapers, radio, and television.• In present generation media is playing a very important role.

E.g – 16th December Rape case• Media is a freedom of speech especially in democratic countries

• The main purpose of social media is to find ways for individual people/ groups of people / organisations / businesses to connect with and network with each other.

Media is a mixed blessing.

• Nowadays media plays a very deep and integral role in our day to day lives. We are 24*7 connected with media in one form or the other. Media has various positive impacts as well as comes with negative impacts too.

Positive side of media

• It creates awareness & updates the people. It is through media, we can know the latest & new happenings around us.• Media has given each of us a platform to voice our opinions on all

sorts of social and political issues and share information with one another. It helps people to realize their duties.• It helps to nab & punish the criminals.• Media is reducing corruption by creating fear to take bribe as it is

showing the pictures of the people who are taking bribe.• They fight for the right to information.

Positive effects of social media

• It is the fastest means of communication available to mankind.• Social networking sites such as Facebook, allows people to

communicate with each other, comment on people’s statuses, join different organizations, play games• people now spend 23% of internet time on social media., and even

instant message.• Social media helps in Sharing our thoughts freely

Negative effects of media

• Media creates a hype of everything.• Through media rumors are spreading on celebrities. Most of the times

their allegations are not true. This puts lives of many people and their career at stake.• News channels want to create a sensation in order to gain audience

attention instead of giving the actual information to the people.• Nowadays , the media is allowing politicians to buy airtime. In

exchange for cash. • some media houses are owned by people who have terrorist links .

• Sometimes, the hyperactive media end up harming people . • Example - recently a boy was kidnapped. The news was immediately

broadcasted as "breaking news" . The kidnappers saw it, panicked, and killed the boy .• Also, during the Mumbai attacks, t.v channels were at the crime

scene and were stupidly broadcasting most policemen's positions . That was indeed helping the terrorists & ensuring that more lives were on stake.• Most of the times, it wastes its time in silly matters like domestic

issues rather than digging into the cause behind them.

Negative effects of social media

• According to a research , social media sites can make it make it more difficult for us to distinguish between the meaningful relationships we foster in the real world, and the numerous casual relationships formed through social media.• Adults , kids are more vulnerable to cyber bullying. The devastation of

these online attacks can leave deep mental scars. In several well-publicized cases, victims have even been driven to suicide.• Decreased Productivity• Privacy

How ethical is media ?

With so many positive and negative effects of media, It becomes very difficult to determines how ethical media is.

We need to understand that media is driven with advertising money and sensationalism to keep our attention. They most times do an exceptional job being non bias. But most times also exploit the information so that it best suits there pockets.

To be ethical media should :-• Avoid Accepting Pays• Beware the Pitfalls of Political Connections• Stay Away from Business Conflicts of Interest• Set a Personal Code of Conduct

Conclusion

• Govt. should limit the no. of news channels and must regulate the channels which are already present. Media must be ethical enough to preserve our traditions and culture and Indian values. We can accept Media until it doesn't cross it's limits.

• Media has to understand that it is a boon as well as a bane .