Role of Media in Indian Democracy

Authors

  • Dr. Farzia Yashmeen Chaliha

Abstract

Media organizations are considered as the fourth estate in modern democracies because of its role in generating public awareness, shaping public opinion and forming popular perceptions. But how far they are successful in performing these functions of a ‘watchdog’ over the activities of various governmental and private institutions or acting as independent representatives of the public is still dubious. In India the role of media seems to score very low in terms of both these dimensions. However, this is not to say that there is a complete absence of responsible media in the country but compared to its role in the time when media was not a tool in the hands of corporate world or of the governmental interest its role as a bridge between the government and the citizens was more eloquent and empathetic. Therefore through this paper an attempt would be made to analyse the role of media in shaping public opinion and consolidating democracy in India and what are the factors that influences it from performing its functions independently.

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Published

2022-03-13