Has the media become far too powerful?

Media is not just one thing— it is comprised of many industries, including radio, TV, movies, the internet, social media, books, newspapers, etc. In every generation, people have complained about what used to be called “the press” They accused it of being unfair, biased, too devoted to scandal, etc. Sometimes, there were even calls for the press to be censored. So then I wonder, why every day, people still waited eagerly to see what their favorite newspaper or radio program or TV show had to say about the issues of the day?

In Asian Countries, media freedom is a controversial issue, on one side right to information and freedom of expression is provided, on the other side media regulations and press laws are ready to curb media freedom.

Media often gets involved in struggles for new freedoms. What’s different now is the 24/7 news cycle, with constant input from various media. And while the good news is that we can be kept up to date more quickly than in previous generations, the bad news is that myths and rumors, and conspiracy theories can spread just as quickly as facts and accurate information. So, yes I can understand why some people today believe “the media” is too powerful. It’s certainly hard to avoid or ignore it.

People have opinions and ideas of their own, which are reinforced by the media which agrees with them. If your ideas are different, you would be helped by the media of your choice. The media is not powerful, though, it may appear so. We are the ones who are powerful because we get to choose and decide what we absorb. Media is powerful and something to be feared about, is just a cowardly state of expression by those who have no discipline and no control over themselves.

As far as news reporting goes, if public opinion is generally in favor of certain ideas, the media is bound to report this trend. The idea could have come from someone on the street holding a poster highlighting an issue and some people might agree with it. This makes its way to the media and the media merely reports it, there is no reason why reports can force you into doing something which you do not believe in.

In many cases, the media has acted as a divining rod for the skeletons hiding in society’s closet. And, while these documentaries may or may not be entirely factual, there is one important, unembellished fact that they do expose: corruption and incompetence in our judiciary system have led to the wrongful conviction. Rather than avoiding or distancing ourselves from media, it would be wiser to embrace it as a tool to keep us better informed and keep societies more accountable.

Social media and propaganda are disguised as media – it’s not that they’re too powerful, it’s that a wave of deliberate ignorance has swept over much of the world. This allows propaganda, to become the truth.

At last, I want to end my words by just saying that

“Freedom of the press is not just important to democracy, it is democracy”
Thank You

By Aishwarya Gupta