What are the Responsibilities of the Media ?

This article contains some simple explanations about functions and responsibilities of the Media.

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Introduction

Communication is the important need of a society. Nowadays communication became easier and the media using to communicate increased. The term ‘mass communication’ got relevance when the new methods of communication introduced. Normally communication is the process of conveying information or ideas. Mass Communication involves sharing ideas across a large audience either at a given point or through an extended time frame and usually involves a professional communicator. Most people agree that mass media include newspapers, magazines, books, films, television, radio, internet and recordings.

Responsible Media

‘Media’ is the five senses of the society. Media senses each and every heartbeat of the state. Medias like newspaper, television, radio etc. are providing latest information to the public. That is the primary duty of a media. The underlying purpose of media was to discover truth, to assist in the process of resolving social and political problems by presenting all manner of evidence and opinion as the basis for taking decisions. But beyond this, media has more duties and responsibilities to the public or to the state.

First of all ‘Media’ should understand their freedom given by the authority. The constitution of India is giving Press Freedom to gather information, publish the story, criticize the authority or any other personality, ask for opinions etc. But one thing is to remember that to enjoy our freedom we should offer some duties and responsibilities to the people or nation. Media is not the common people. They have a unique position and concern in the society. If Media would not function properly it would affect the society. The idea that the Media are responsible to the general public made up of citizens is widely accepted, not the least among journalists.

Free and Responsible MEDIA

It is possible to have a media both free and responsible. It is not possible, however, to have a media that is totally free and accountable. The roots of responsibility lie in the fact that journalists are both individual and social beings whose decisions and actions inevitably affect others. A media man should not and should not be, primarily a self-serving endeavor. Journalists should be self aware, that they should think about their role, and should think about the consequences of their views as well.

Media has deserved to define their responsibilities. But also government can legally determine them. Individual journalists themselves can determine their responsibility to the people.

Media have responsibilities that,

1. are based on the function news media have in society.

2. follow from how specific news organizations define their role within communities they serve.

3. follow from the individual journalist’s own value system.

First two categories define universal principles and the third category of responsibilities reflects limits that can be set only by the individual media person. It follows from this addition of personal freedom of choice that there will be a plurality of morally permissible behaviours within the limitations set by the first two categories. Self-imposed responsibilities come from the fact that the person who has decided to “be a journalist” acknowledges a primary responsibility to the audience.

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