The role of media in democracy

The importance of media

In a democracy, the media plays a very important role. A modern, democratic society cannot exist without mass media because:

1. It makes information widely available and accessible
2. It reflects the true, multi-faceted nature of society. Our country is full of people with varying opinions. It is the media’s job to bring different opinions in front of the public so that the public can make informed decisions and choices.

The role of media

1. The first role of the media is to make information widely available to the masses. This information should be balanced in nature and tell both sides of the story. For most part, the media acts as an interface between the common man and the Government. It is a very powerful tool with the ability to make and break the opinion of people. Hence it is the journalists’ or the writers’ responsibility to give a fair account of the story.
2. Media is also responsible for setting the course of the debate in society. What does this mean? Let me explain. Imagine in your classroom the teacher announces that exams for this year are cancelled. Then, the next day, they suddenly announce that actually exams are back on but they will be conducted next week itself. There will of course be a few kids in the class who will shout, bring this unfairness to everyone’s notice and motivate others to join them.
3. Similarly, media brings to our notice injustices in society and motivates us to unite our voices and action. This is called setting the agenda. This means the media decides what is actually in the news and what comes in front of us.