24

May

MEDIA MESS : CAN SOCIAL MEDIA RETRIEVE  THE SITUATION

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Today’s Edition

New Delhi, 24 May 2024

Prof Pradeep Mathur

A few years ago when private channels had not become part of the ruling establishment a media savvy friend  told me that some TV channels were showing stuff which was frivolous, cheap and objectionable.

 

I said I do not know.

 

"What you are a media teacher and you say you do not know this ? I cannot believe it,"  said my friend.

Article at a Glance

 

The author reflects on a conversation with a friend who criticized TV channels for showing frivolous content. The author argued that if audiences ignore such channels, they will eventually die out.

The author notes that media relies on its audience, and if people stop consuming low-quality content, it will cease to exist. However, many people who criticize the media lack media literacy and instead spread half-baked opinions on social media.

The author suggests that social media can be a powerful platform to demand better media, but it's currently plagued by frivolous posts. If just 10% of social media users engaged in intelligent debates about media, it could bring about significant change.

The author urges people to rise above petty concerns and demand good media that serves society's needs.

" I really do not know this but how come you know this "? , I asked him.

 

"Well it is there for all to see. I see it there ," he said still a little surprised that I do not know this.

 

" I do not know because I do not see this. Why do you see this bad stuff ? If you do not see you will have nothing to complain, " I told him. Our conversion ended on this note.

 

I was trying to convey a simple fact to my friend. The fact is that media survives on audience which is oxygen  to it. If audience ignores a particular channel, journal or brand of journalism it will die a natural death.

 

At present media is the favourite whipping boy of all educated and semi educated  people in our urban society. Media has more spin doctors than qualified doctors in our entire  health care system.. However, media literacy of these media lovers is unabashedly poor .

 

Many of these spin doctors and warriors for good media are on social media sites.They strive to seek limelight and besides projecting themselves and their families they also express their views which are  often half baked , ill informed and partisan on issues of polity and economy.

 

Though reasons are many the fact remains that our mainline media is in a total mess. Something has to be urgently done  to save it from a slow death in the interest of  democratic aspirations of our people in general and protection of constitutional norms in particular. What is needed is a massive campaign to rejuvenate media-- print, broadcast and digital. And for this campaign we need a a strong and enduring platform.

 

Can social media sites -- WhatsApp,  Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and others provide that platform ? They have massive reach, high networking ability, easy operational mobility and zero cost input.

 

 Unfortunately 90 + per cent posts on social media sites are plain bull shit -- marriage and birth anniversaries,  promotion of children from class 3 to class 4, expeession of thanks to some one , forwards of political propaganda and good morning mantras  A big majority of those who write/forward such posts are those who criticize mainline media day in and day out and rightly so.

Even if 10 per cent of those who write frivolous posts on social media sites involve thenselves in an intelligent debate on problems confronting mainline media it will make a sea change in the scenario.

 

 

Little do we realise that media is always in the hands of audience --- readers of newspapers and periodicals, viewers of TV channels and videos and listners of radio broadcasts . If even 10 per cent of  those who are on social media sites decide that they want good TV channels, good journals and good radio programmes those controlling these media  organs will have to fall in line.

 

The time has come to shun cynicism and rise above petty political concerns to demand a good media that caters to the need of our society. Social media no doubt has many shortcomings but still it can be used as a platform for an effective campaign to stop the decline in mainline media traditions, culture and standards.

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