This article is written by Shyantika Khan studying at Amity University, Kolkata enrolled in BBA LLB (Hons.). In this article, the author explains the indispensable relationship between media and democracy in any country.

Introduction

The media is the most impressive object on the planet which can control human personalities. The foundation of the democratic framework working in India is press and media. In this article, we will comprehend the working of the majority rule government system in India through the eyes of Media. It is likewise talked about how the established rights and opportunity of press is connected with one another. The symbiotic relationship between media ad democracy is discussed briefly. The present situation of majority rule government and media is engaged in the article. The most pervasive method of media is long range informal communication where the data about the approaches of government and the working of popular government are featured significantly. Social Media and working of democratic system relating to case laws identifying with law and the privileges of press is briefly characterized.

Democracy is a framework wherein the sovereign force lives in the possession of the everyday citizens to run the nation through the chosen delegates.  Democracy runs on the policy of –“Of the people, by the people, for the people” Democracy functions in its true spirit and helps inclusion of ideas for making laws for the betterment of the country and gives civil liberties to the people. It needs every citizen to take part in forming a strong political background of the country and media is an instrument that plays a key role in enhancing the process of democracy. People must be given the total scope to participate in the policymaking process and introduce their ideas. Mass media is a perfect communication tool in society. Media and democracy have a very complex and variable relationship. Media includes Television, social networking site, newspapers etc. In a democratic society, media plays an important role where they enjoy a lot of powers with fewer regulations. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru termed media as the “watchdog of our democracy”. Media has significant tasks to carry out as in anticipating the issues of the individuals to the society, and securing the fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution. If Media would have not existed, then Government would rule as per their wish without being accountable to public for whatever they do. It may lead to failure of transparency and enhance a corrupted system. 

Without a free media, the genuine objectives of majority rules system are out of reach for a country. Media can advance the democratic objectives which incorporate teaching individuals, security of human rights and censuring government approaches. Indian media is quick disintegrating in light of the fact that it has been censured times countless. Developing of political predominance in the nation prompts debasement and decline of news quality for the watchers. In the contemporary world, media is the fourth pillar of democracy.

Concept of Media Democracy

Media assume a noteworthy job in giving majority elective system and individuals’ privilege a firm balance guaranteeing straightforwardness and responsibility in all circles of public undertakings. Media is bringing out the truth and revealing political hypocrisies in limelight which is helping the common people to decide which party could do them batter if they come in power. The state is associated with the individuals through the media where they attempt to impact the individuals. Media democracy system works with an objective to give straightforward fair framework by setting out standards to change the broad communications to give media and resident news coverage. The explanation for media vote-based system separating itself from private possession is the majority rule government beliefs present in it. It impacts certain thoughts of women’s liberation; communism and so forth.

Media majority rule government expands its relationship towards the open circle. It advocates things like dynamic investment of the residents and expanding resident news coverage. The methodology in the media popular government is that all the individuals from the general public must be very much educated to take an interest in certain significant issues and open conversation. The idea of democratic based media must be embraced which works on the guideline of transparency and comprehensiveness.

Essential of Media in Democratic system

Supreme Court held that press freedom is quintessential for a democratic system to work. The exponentiality of media has demonstrated unfortunate patterns of rivalry, prompting sensationalized announcing giving the entrenched principle of sub-judice a pass by. Some type of limitation on such media preliminaries has been proposed in order to save the organization of equity as likewise to secure protection of person. But there are several positive aspect of media in a democratic country. Media is an essential feature of a democratic system. They are mentioned below:

• Find out the faults in the working system of the governing system in the country.
• Promotion of ideals of democracy and information related thereof to secure no corruption policies.
• Acting chain between the government and the general public.
• Bring transparency to the democratic system.

Constitutional Provision relating to Media 

A nation without a free press can’t deal with democratic rule objectives. Before the appearance of LPG (Liberation, Privatization, Globalization) strategy, the media was completely constrained by the administration which implied that individuals saw what government needed them to see and media was not free in this issue. A basic and indivisible for democratic polity is the freedom of speech and expression which is enshrined in under Article 19 of the Constitution. In the post-Constitutional time, there have been sure changes in the connection among media and majority rule government. Subject to the sensible limitation of Article 19(2) of the Constitution of India gives the major right of the right to speak freely of discourse and articulation which is referenced in Part III of Constitution of India. The constraints communicated in Article 19(2) incorporate respectability, honesty, agreeable relations with outside states and open request. The opportunity of press is declining throughout the years which were found in World Freedom Press Index. India positioned 138 out of 2018 wherein 2017 India was in 137th position. Looking into the democratic features of India, the second press commission said press must not be the ruling party’s ally but a constructive critic. For a diverse country like India, there exist not any legislation for freedom of press but it is a fundamental right in itself.

Article 19(1)(a) of the Indian Constitution says:

All citizens have the right to,

1. Freedom of speech and expression

The first Press Commission in it reports said that:

“The freedom is stated in wide terms and not only included freedom of speech of oral utterances but also freedom expression, where expression is communicated by written words. There can be no doubt freedom of press is a fundamental right guaranteed by our Indian Constitution.”

Though freedom of press is provided as a fundamental right but the press in India faces a lot of harassment which is seen in several cases. In the Tehelka case, tehelka.com was ordered to shut down and the journalists were assaulted many times because they exposed the truth of the scam in the defense ministry. But instead of so many difficulties in front of them, due to media’s outcry several cases have been reopened in the courts and served justice. In the case, State v. Siddharth Vashisth & Manu Sharma, the facts were such that the son of Haryana minister, Manu Sharma who shot her dead in the bar where she was working because she refused to serve liquor.  The case was turned down because of lack of evidence. But due to public and the media, the case reopened, the Delhi High Court took over the case to the fast track court and trialed over a period of 25 days. Finally, Manu Sharma was held guilty and he was sentenced to life imprisonment.

Social Media and Democracy

India in the time of digitalization utilizes the most remarkable weapon – Social Media. In the current situation, a great many people come to think about news from web-based social networking more than some other type of media. The media administration has changed much after the rise of the online system. It makes an effect on social and social majority rules system. Web-based life is the primary focal point of the current occasions. It is an undeniable fact that the largest platform for democracy ideologies to be shown is social media. Social media makes it easier for the information to be transferred to the people to maintain the transparency of the government. Social Media makes it simpler for the data to be moved to the individuals to keep up the straightforwardness of the legislature. Certain NGOs and different associations educate about the strategies taken government for the nation’s improvement.

Individuals having various thoughts express it on the informal organizations for the policy centered issues that are concerning the country and help to discover arrangements. The sites or hash labels inside a fixed limit are utilized by the young people of our nation to add to the political choices in the nation. A few ideological groups have their pages in the online networking locales whereby they impart the normal mass where they examine about assignment surveys and spreads dissents around barely any issues. 

The fierce rape case that occurred in Delhi in 2012, called as the Damini Case got a huge reaction all through India and World through the assistance of Social media. The online life bunches went about as a voice of the thousands and individuals participated in the dissent to improve the wellbeing laws and work on the women rights. Recently, a case of objectional remarks and obscene pictures of girls were released over Instagram Thus, Bois Locker Room came into the public light soon with the help of Internet. Social media spread awareness regarding such issues that occur over the Internet.

Nonetheless, critics say that as social media has bright sides but it has dark sides as well. Some bogus and fake news spread out around about various issues and if individuals live inside the information cocoon they at last will in general trust it. The disdain that goes through online networking sites like Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp may disinfect the psyches of thousands and remain as a danger to the thoughts of majority rules system. The significant issue individuals face in the internet-based life is that while setting up their political audits or any analysis against the administration, they face issues of provocation.

Conclusion

Media’s job in a majority rule framework isn’t just restricted to data dispatching and diversion purposes yet, in addition, to deal with the equitable system. The most powerful web-based social networking assists with accomplishing the objectives to a specific cutoff however the inquiry emerges is media truly allowed to work or is it affected some exceptionally compelling specialists. Despite the fact that media’s work is to address ideological groups and bring straightforwardness, however they wind up going about as faithful paid hirelings of the legislature. The response to this lies in the way that instances of media provocation on the off chance that they attempt to hold out reality of the debasement of the ideological groups to the ordinary citizens. Opportunity of press is very essential to democratic system. A democratic framework to run possibly needs the assistance of the common people which is feasible by means of help of the media. The media discovers provisos in fair framework which helps the legislature thus to turn out to be progressively responsible to the resident and improve their approaches. The media framework needs improvement in order to have no controlled news and become a genuine channel to arrive at the brains of the individuals. Rule of law must go with a free press in the country and in order to maintain democracy with free press, media must be neutral not advocating towards private ownership or belong to the government.

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