Media should, not only inform and educate people, but also empower individuals, foster social change and ensure political stability

Media moulds behavioural dynamics and change to generate positive momentum or negative torque. Be it news media, visual media or social media, it has become an instrument for reform and transformation to create awareness in people to cause the paradigm shift and restore the trajectory of growth in a positive direction.

Journalism as per its traditional lexiconic delineation includes aggregating, writing and presenting news or news articles for widespread distribution to inform the audience. The new connotation attached to media reflects its metamorphosis from the broadcasting of news to that of an agent of socio-economic change. Tom Stoppard a Czech-born British playwright expressed that ‘I still believe that if your aim is to change the world, journalism is a more immediate short-term solution’. Even Oscar Wilde went a step forward to state ‘in America president reigns for four years and journalism governs forever and ever’.

Media renders voice for and voiceless, says for the unsayable (ineffable), reflects the predicaments of the impecunious and vulnerable groups and projects the path for progress. It has proved to be a crucial factor in connecting, informing and inspiring a society/nation to induce it to traverse the right path for inclusive and holistic development, information engineering for impressive growth has become a synonym for positive media dynamics.

Presentation of unbiased pictures with truthful candour sans fear and favour should be the motto of the media. Though difficult in the age of mundanity and profanity, and media being no exception to the lures, but still media maintains and takes a positive role for the betterment of the nation barring exceptions.

Five golden rules have evolved to form the guidelines for media including social media. Those are to create content value for the audience, focus on the content not on the platform, presentation of news contributions (positive) to the society/nation, the presentation and content with creative favour and guide the people with a positive mode.

 In short, it can be stated that these key roles can be played by mass communication to herald a new beginning. The first one is the dissemination of vital information to the public which is essential for decision-making and awareness. The second one is serving as a crucial tool for education and raising awareness about social and health issues promoting positive behaviour and practices. In a developing country, the media plays a very important role not only by promoting democracy but by providing a platform for political discourse.

Media promotes economic development by flowing information, promoting business, directing growth and vectoring cultural exchanges to make things lively (to pave the way for social change). The social changes are effected by mass communication by highlighting social injustices, gender inequality and human rights violation cases. By mobilizing public opinion, the media can set steps for the cultural renaissance.

Social cohesion can be affected by mass media providing platforms for people to connect and share ideas – to promote national identity and unity. The important role of media in health promotion and disease prevention cannot be undermined. Media projects the requirements of the people to attract the attention of the government to take up development in a planned way. And most important thing is that mass media can shape the image of the nation on the global stage, promoting foreign investment and tourism.

It is discernible that media has an all-pervasive influence on people in the modern age (social media included) to foster any change. Media can also play a destructive role in all these spheres mentioned above if it becomes biased, partisan and prejudiced. Hence positive, constructive and truthful media is the requirement of the time to project the nation on the path of inclusive, holistic development and affirmative growth.