Media: Fourth Pillar or Killer of Democracy?
- ricrotaract
- Mar 13, 2022
- 3 min read
"All of us who professionally use the mass media are the shapers of society. We can vulgarize that society. We can brutalize it. Or we can help lift it onto a higher level."
-William Bernbach-
These words uttered by William Bernbach who was an American advertising creative director, shows the power of media and its immense influence on shaping the society. Nowadays, the world has changed to the point where it would be incomplete without media, be it print or electronic, because many people depend on them and their information. Media is not only a source of entertainment, but it also plays a major role in forming people’s opinions even on the matters which are of great importance. However, based on the way in which media portrays the matter, these opinions could be positive or negative, which would in turn possess the power to be either a blessing or a disaster on the society.
Therefore, free, skilled and objective media can be considered as an essential element of a democratic society. Apart from the three basic pillars of democracy i.e., legislature, executive and judiciary, due to this significance power that media possess to influence thought process of millions of people, it is often considered as the fourth pillar of democracy. Media function as a link between the government and people while supplementing these three branches by providing checks and balances. In addition, media also serve as a watchdog that monitors the errors, wrongdoings and corruptions of the government and public officials to hold them accountable for their actions.
As late American president Abraham Lincoln once said, a democratic government is a “government of the people, by the people, for the people”. For the will of the people to be the authority of the government, there should be freedom of opinion and expression. Without this freedom, people are unable to receive information to form their respective ideas, opinions, and political views in making appropriate political choices to establish a government of their own. Media plays a primary role in this regard.
However, for media to carry out their functions accordingly to uplift democracy, media independence needs be guaranteed. Where journalists are oppressed, and where media owners and state intervene with the functions of media stations, and where social media is subject to constant restrictions, media independence is clearly violated. Therefore, for them to air unbiased information, and to protect citizens’ rights of freedom of information and freedom of expression, media should be given the full autonomy it deserves without imposing unnecessary restrictions.
On the other hand, media also has a responsibility to maintain a neutral footing without favoring any political party, religious organization or non-state actor to bring forward truth before the public. Unfortunately, media bias can be seen and heard in every part of the world without people even recognizing it. The term ‘media bias’ refers to the tendency of media to portray certain events and people based on the views of their own, their sponsors, a party or a particular organization, rather than following a neutral ground.
Nowadays, due funding from corporate houses, government, political parties or other big organizations (state or non-state), media’s tendency to be more favorable to them, has become a common practice. This goes against the ethics and professionalism of journalism. Due to the media’s immense influencing power on society, it plays a huge role in making and unmaking governments. This could be a negative or a positive portrayal. Nevertheless, this inaccurate portrayal, aids the ignorance of individuals in society, which in turn could cause detrimental effects due to the wrong decisions taken by people. Therefore, when media become biased and hides the truth from the public, voters become less informed and are unable to make productive decisions. As a result, the country eventually loses its democracy.
Voters’ welfare would be maximized in an unbiased media environment. Therefore, as the bridge between the government and the people, it is their responsibility to uphold democracy. Paid news lowers ethical standard of journalism and eventually people lose their respect towards media due to their lack of credibility. Hence, media need to be influential, patriotic, and trustworthy in the socio, economic and political climate of a nation. Otherwise, rather than becoming the fourth pillar of democracy they could become the killer of democracy.
Sources
Content By: Rtr. Anuradhika Uduwana
Design By: Rtr. Nethmi Hasna Fernando
Edited By: Rtr. Dulithi Jagoda
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