INTRODUCTION

The term media refers to several different forms of communication required to educate and make a socially aware nation. The communication forms can be radio, television, cinema, magazines, newspapers, and/or Internet-based web sites. These forms often play a varied and vital role in our society. With the evolution in the field of economic reforms, India has witnessed a major advancement in the role played by the media. Media has impacted our society in many ways. It has always played a very crucial role as a source of information, education and entertainment. During the early days of advancement, media was not only informative but also catered to the development of a civilized society. These days, we find that the television channels and newspapers are racing and competing with each other to make fast money. In order to do so, the channels and news distributors are cashing on the news in an unethical way. The condition is bad to such an extent that to become more popular and make more money, the communication medium have surpassed all the limits in misguiding the society. The fact that media is a critical resource in building a healthy and progressive society is nowhere observed within our communication forms. Moreover, at times, the media also hurt the sentiments of the people. The information that people get to know from the media has a great power associated with it. It influences the masses in many ways. Further, the impact of an unethical and unprofessional information shared through the various communication forms leads to an avoidable aggression within our society. Media is often considered as a mirror of the society. The main objective should be to inform, educate and entertain the people. These days, media has solely become the voice of some political parties. It presents the information in a more sensationalized form than ever before. The only motive is to attract the society and increase the TRP ratings.

We must not forget the fact that there are some honest communication forms also. These forms often put their lives at risk to inform us about an event or activity. These events/activities may be in the form of a terrorist attack, natural disaster and sting operation to eradicate the social evil, viz. corruption and/or other crime related news. Thus, these forms result in creating awareness amongst the society. The communication form(s) should be such that it provides a good atmosphere to enhance the process of binding the society and not breaking the unity amongst the society. We should never forget that if the various communication forms play their respective roles honestly and cohesively, no one can either weaken the strength of our society or stop the development of our nation.

WORKING WITH THE MEDIA

The Different Types of Media Daily newspapers

The 1600-plus daily newspapers - "dailies" - in the United States provide an estimated 113 million individuals with their primary source of news every day. Dailies appear in morning and/or evening editions seven days a week. Daily newspapers cover national, state, and local education initiatives; elementary and secondary school education; and other related topics from many different angles - from writing a profile on a state education leader to covering a local school board meeting. The better you understand the various ways dailies can cover a story, the more successful you will be as a spokesperson and the more likely you will be to generate solid media and community attention to your program. To take full advantage of the print medium, it is important to identify the right person to contact on any given story and know when and how to approach him or her. Newspaper Deadlines General News Morning Papers Evening Papers Sunday Papers

4:00 p.m. the day 5:30 p.m. the day 12:00 p.m. the day before publication before publication before publication p.m. the 9:00 p.m. the day

Late-Breaking News 8:00

day of publication

of publication

Major Late- 4:00 p.m. the day 5:30 p.m. the day Breaking News of publication of publication Features 5:00 p.m. the Wed. before publications (preprinted)

Who to Contact: The editorial board determines and writes the paper's official position on various issues. Each weekday, these commentaries are found on the editorial page. In major papers, a special section of the Sunday paper is often devoted entirely to editorial commentary. Op-ed/opinion page editors determine which opinion editorials will be published in the paper. Op-eds usually run on the page opposite the editorials. They are approximately 400-800 words long. Some smaller dailies have one person who serves as both op-ed and editorial page editor. Weekly newspapers

Weekly newspapers (or "weeklies") are usually either suburban papers found in close proximity to large cities or rural papers that provide isolated areas with a link to the nearest town or county seat. They may be offered for sale at newsstands, by subscription, or distributed free of charge. Weeklies primarily focus on events and issues that are directly tied to the communities they serve. Most weeklies also offer a calendar of area events. Contact the calendar editor about upcoming community meetings or other events.

Many weeklies are understaffed and have a limited ability to leave the news room to cover events, so often the reporters will write stories from press releases or interviews. Who to Contact: Although the larger weeklies may have a reporter assigned to cover education issues, most assignments are made by the paper's editor or publisher. Weekly Newspaper Deadlines: Deadlines vary depending on the size of the paper. Most are two to three days (or more) before publication. Wire services

Wire services, such as the Associated Press (AP) or Reuters, are national or international news organizations that provide print and broadcast media around the country with up-to-the-minute news. The information is transmitted directly into the news room through telephone lines, microwave signals, or other electronic means of delivery. Wire stories, especially those concerning out-of-town news, are frequently picked up and run verbatim by print and broadcast outlets. Mid-size and smaller news organizations rely heavily on the wires for coverage outside of their areas. Every large news organization subscribes to at least one wire service to keep abreast of news and to back up its own operations. For that reason, it is critical to be included in wire story coverage. In addition to breaking news, wires also run general news articles, special features on human interest stories, and columns by well-known reporters. Here are some tips on how wire services work:

Wire service bureaus are typically located in larger cities, but they frequently use "stringers" (local reporters) to cover news in other areas. All publicity materials should go to the nearest wire service bureaus and/or their local "stringer." Associated Press has radio bureaus that transmit stories to stations regionally and nationally. Many states have radio networks, too. Consult a local media directory to determine the names of local news services and the issues they cover. Wire services, like other types of media, work under deadlines. Larger bureaus are staffed 24 hours a day and have continual deadlines. Week-days during regular business hours, however, are best for reaching reporters who cover specific beats.

Magazines

Magazines generally offer more comprehensive, in-depth coverage of a subject than newspapers. Consequently, they also demand longer lead-times. Getting covered in a magazine usually requires advance planning and a proactive media strategy. Many magazines have editorial calendars, which provide information about special issues or features planned for the year. To find out what a magazine has planned, request an editorial calendar from the magazine's advertising department at the beginning of each year. Become familiar with the regular features that appear in every issue and think about where and how a story about your community college's efforts to provide a

quality education for all students might fit into their format. The editors are always looking for information that will be newsworthy when the magazine is published. Who to Contact: At smaller magazines, the editor-in-chief makes most of the assignment decisions. Larger magazines usually have different reporters assigned to cover specific beats (e.g., politics, national news, education, business). Be sure to include in your list of magazines those local and regional publications most often read by tourists and residents. Magazine Deadlines: News magazines (Time, Newsweek, etc.) usually have deadlines a week in advance for weeklies and a month in advance for monthlies. Other magazines (consumer, fashion, trade, etc.) have longer deadlines, approximately three to six weeks in advance for weeklies and two to three months in advance for monthlies. Television

Think "pictures" when you think of television news. Television is different from all other media in that it demands visual presentation of your message. To succeed in generating TV coverage for stories related to the Centennial and community colleges at large, you must be able to differentiate between print and TV stories. For example, the image of parents and teachers staging a demonstration in a classroom or students working with innovative technology is more likely to attract a TV crew than "talking heads" announcing the Centennial at a news conference.

Beyond simply identifying which of your events will be appropriate for TV coverage, try to devise creative ways to enrich the visual aspects of the story you are trying to tell. Stage visually appealing events and highlight opportunities for television reporters to show people in action - teachers and students engaged in creative and engaging lessons, students volunteering in the community or business leaders mentoring students on your campus. To maximize your use of television, remember that this medium provides a dual route for conveying your message - through the spoken word and through images. Consider the backdrop at a news conference. Encourage participants at your events to wear your college t-shirts and buttons or carry banners or signs to increase visibility and recognition. Although air time on TV newscasts is limited, local stations usually have at least three scheduled news broadcasts a day where you can seek coverage - one at noon, another in the late afternoon or early evening (between 4:00-6:00 p.m.), and a final report around 10:00-11:00 p.m. Generally, noon and late afternoon broadcasts report "lighter" news - special segments and human interest stories while the early evening broadcasts serve as the station's primary newscasts. The late news is usually a final update of the day's events. Who to Contact: Typically, you will want to deal with the station's assignment editor or news desk. Larger stations usually have three assignment editors - one for the noon newscasts, one for both evening newscasts, and a weekend assignment editor. While few stations have a specialized education reporter, there are generally several correspondents who cover human-interest and feature news stories. Television Deadlines: It is best to give TV stations several days to put together an education story. Do not call during or immediately before a broadcast unless you have major breaking news. And remember that TV reporters are busiest in the late afternoon before the evening newscasts. Because the news is constantly changing and television newscasts cover a limited number of stories in their half-hour or hour time block, you will find that TV assignment editors are extremely selective. Breaking news often forces TV stations to change their schedule of news segments at the last minute.

A SPECIAL NOTE ABOUT CABLE TELEVISION Local cable television stations are an often overlooked but extremely effective means of reaching large audiences. Include cable TV in your media efforts whenever possible. And remember, public access stations have a legal obligation to carry a certain amount of locally originated programming. In addition to their regularly scheduled public affairs and discussion programs, many local cable operators will provide their facilities to help you produce news and entertainment programs on topics of community interest. Because local cable television stations face a highly competitive market, the size of their audience is typically smaller. Be sure to publicize appearances with fliers, in newsletters, and by word of mouth. Tips for television interviews Television news often utilizes interviews. Interviews can take a number of forms. You can be interviewed on a television program, be part of a call in talk show, or be caught by cameras as you step outside your office. In any case, the key to successfully getting your point across is to be prepared. By knowing the issue about which you are being interviewed, concentrating on two or three points and by refining your responses and having a concise, quotable statement ready in advance, you can control the process. There are a few simple rules to follow when being interviewed on television by a reporter.

Anticipate questions that will be asked, and practice brief, succinct responses. If you panic while on the air, pause to gather your thoughts. If you happen to make an erroneous statement, refute it immediately, and restate your case. Where possible, simplify the questions being posed and avoid complicated, confusing explanations. Do this by concentrating on two or three points about the topic you are discussing. Reinforce and repeat your side of the story. If you are stuck for a response, stall for time by answering a question with a question or ask the interviewer to rephrase the question. A simple, short answer can throw the interviewer off base.

Be wary of certain deadly questions. Often, they start with such phrases as , "Isn't it true that...," or, "How do you justify...," or, "So what you're really saying is..." When you hear reporters frame questions in this way, they may be trying to put quotes in your mouth. Learn when a reporter is honestly seeking information and when he or she is trying to bait you. In the former instance, use the opportunity to educate the reporter; in the latter instance, stay calm and rephrase the question before answering. Some reporters will try to ask a series of questions at the same time. Don't panic, and don't try to deal with all of the questions at once. Focus your answer on the question you wish to address. Often reporters will state an opinion or value judgment as a self-evident fact, and then ask a question on that "fact." If you answer entrapping questions, you may give credibility to the charge or premise on which the question was based. Rephrase the trap question and use it to lead to the points you want to emphasize. "Off the record" comments can be dangerous. Never say anything to a reporter you do not want repeated. When you appear on television, avoid white clothing that can cause a glare and also glasses, jewelry, and vibrating prints that are distracting. Radio

The influence of radio broadcasters in the daily lives of Americans is often grossly underestimated and occasionally altogether overlooked by even the most experienced media strategists. Radio is often described as the "captive electronic

medium" because it reaches people while they are doing other things - in their cars, on the way to and from work, in their homes and offices, even while they exercise with a Walkman. Radio programming offers a variety of formats for communicating to a number of distinct audiences. The most common radio-station formats and their primary/target audiences are:

All-News: adults, heaviest listening during morning and afternoon rush hours; All-Talk: adults (over 40), heaviest listening mid-day and evening; Easy Listening: adults (over 30); Middle of the Road (MOR): adults (over 30; slightly younger than easy listening); Classical: adults (usually higher-income bracket); Country-Western: adults (over 30); Religious: adults (slightly older than MOR audience); Black: black adults (age varies depending on format within category); Top 40 Rock: youth (18-35); Soul: black youth (teens to mid-30's); and Urban: young adults (20+), contemporary music.

Each radio station offers regular and special programming combinations.

News programs provide a vehicle for releasing important and breaking news. Radio newscasts usually air at least twice every hour, allowing your statement to be edited into many sound bites for repeated use throughout the day. Regularly scheduled programs (interviews, talkshows, etc.) provide a public platform to discuss education reform and your community's efforts to achieve education goals in greater length and detail than in normal radio newscasts - which are generally very brief. Call-in shows often serve as the modern equivalent of the town meeting. The most common tend to focus on issues of controversy and community concern. Although call-in programs can be unpredictable, they are very popular with the general public in large and small markets, and extremely influential in determining public opinion.

ROLE OF MEDIA IN THE NEW AGE

The following is the speech given by Shri Kapil Sibal, Minister of HRD and C & IT, on the topic: "Role of Indian Media in the New Ag", presiding as the Chief Guest for the 'Press Club Awards for Excellence in Journalism' , on 5th May, 2012 at The NSCI, Worli, Mumbai. I am privileged to be here with you on a day the media celebrates its exceptional performers. I congratulate all those who have received awards and wish them continued success in their profession. The media has emerged as a pillar of the modern State.  The foundation of a modern democratic State lies in its ability to secure fundamental rights promised to its people, to deliver justice and lead its people to economic and social progress. Democracy is defined by freedom of speech and expression. Media is an embodiment of these rights that define democracy. If we look back into history, the emergence of the modern nation-state where the sovereignty vested in its people is closely related to the spread of the printing press. Guttenbergs Bible (the first printed book) was a precursor to the spread of democracy and republican thought across the world. Rousseau was mild mannered, but his thoughts disseminated by the newspapers in the coffee houses of Paris resulted in the French Revolution. Liberty, Equality and Fraternity as the slogan for the Revolution owes much to the media of the day. The Indian media has been truly a pillar of the Indian State. Eternal vigilance is the price of freedom. The Indian media has indeed been vigilant and persuasive in protection of freedoms and awakening thought. If we have preserved our democracy in the midst of periodic lapses into dictatorships in our neighbourhood, the credit should go to our founding fathers who created robust institutions and to the media who kept a vigilant watch at preserving these institutions. However, the nature of media has also been changing over the last two decades. The emergence of the electronic media in India over two decades ago since the first war to be witnessed live by millions in the cosy comforts of their homes, brought the power of imagery to the forefront. The growing dominance of imagery over substance in an era where time is of the essence and competition is

intense, has brought about the need for stoking fires, beaming controversies and heated debates in the media. The divergence of approach between the print and the electronic media has been amply demonstrated in the events of the last year. Todays media does not provide much space for settling differences, it prefers to dog the protagonists forever reminding them of the past. There is a problem with this approach. We do not sufficiently celebrate our achievements, we do not appreciate the progress that we make. The spread of negative sentiment leads to despondency and inaction. Infact, todays headline in a prominent newspaper speaks of the fear that stalks the corridors of bureaucracy. Despite the exhortation of the Prime Minister, the civil services today is afraid of action, for any action can be questioned. Faith and trust in all institutions are being eroded. Rampant mistrust, I believe, has slowed governance and if not corrected, can imperil the foundations of democracy. We have much to correct, but it is necessary for room for correction to be available. When there is a dispute in a family, the members retire to a place of seclusion to settle their differences. Today, there is no such place available due to the omnipotence of media. Competition spurs innovation, but unhealthy competition can lead to pandering. The rush for eyeballs in a crush of problems leads to extremes being aired rather than the moderate being heard. In such a situation, the responsibility of the media to the larger society gets diluted.  At the same time, I would for one strongly oppose attempts to impose responsibility through regulatory action. It is for the media to ponder and find solutions for itself. If the media fails to do so, just as we are witnessing a clamour for judicial accountability because the judiciary has not succeeded in inculcating responsibility within itself, a similar clamour for media accountability would grow. Another trend that has emerged in the recent years is the growth of the social media riding in the ICT revolution. Social interactions have exploded as never before, aided by the connecting power of the internet. The ability of thoughts to converge and congregate have multiplied manifold. These interactions have led to questioning of the present order and the search for a better world through the social media. The outpourings of protests all over the world from Occupy Wall Street to the Arab Spring, from the Lokpal agitation to the million mutinies erupting across the globe - made 2011, the Year of the Protestor. Street dissent in Democracies has become prevalent. Simultaneously, we are witnessing the overthrow of Dictatorships. Thoughts and deeds, actions and reactions jump across the globe to reach the mind-space of people in the

twinkling of an eye. The internet today is the public square of the Grecian citystate democracies. And media is slowly ceding space to the internet as the harbinger of news and views. Our country is a nation of vast diversity and complexity. We were fortunate that our founding fathers bequeathed us an edifice that we could be proud of. A free media is a pillar of this edifice. It holds up the State and seeks accountability from it. The events of the recent past have led us to introspect on the basic elements of our State. Let the media not stay away from this introspection. Thank you.
Author: Kapil Sibal, Minister of HRD and C & IT

TARGET OF MEDIA
The media in India is one of the most powerful tools used by the major powers to control and change the Indian public perception about them selves and about the world. This pattern is also followed in the international scene with negation of Indic culture and bias against any revival of civilization ethos. The creeping news about any event in the world including jihad/terrorism information is presented in such a way that the process of evolution and force of history is inevitable and forgone conclusion in favor of the Islamic parties.

Indian populations are like an experimental subject to be fed with new perception and information away from reality and in favor of the Islamic and major powers. Over several decades the general population could be made less hostile and more favorable to the designs of the major power. In the movie The Truman Show (1998) a boy grows up in a make believe world thinking that his neighbors and friends are the actual reality and totally oblivious of the reality of the world. Indian population is considered by major powers to be similar with low knowledge about the world reality and threats in the world. Truman Burbank lives a happy life. However, what he doesn't know is that his life is actually the focus of a reality TV show aired since his birth that he's the star, his hometown is a giant set piece, and everyone around him is an actor going by a script. In this movie, Truman is a man whose life is a fake one... The place he lives

is in fact a big studio with hidden cameras everywhere, and all his friends and people around him, are actors who play their roles in the most popular TV-series in the world: The Truman Show. Truman thinks that he is an ordinary man with an ordinary life and has no idea about how he is exploited. Until one day... he finds out everything. Will he react? How long have the west been experimenting with Indian population with news and indoctrination? It could be even before the independence for more than 60 years. Deception and brainwashing have been used for a long time by the west and India is one of the largest targets of deception. The current campaign to demonize Hindutva is to defame and remove the new indigenous political party, which is not under the control of the major powers and whose ideology is fully rooted in Indic civilization. The attack on Christians and minorities are overblown with the logic that the majority community must be checked with aggressive reporting even to the point of falsehood. Romila Thapar eminent historian is quoted as saying that the notion of nonviolent Hindu is misnomer. Distorted or even totally false reporting on communally sensitive issues is a well-entrenched feature of Indian journalism. There is no self-corrective mechanism in place to remedy this endemic culture of disinformation. No reporter or columnist or editor ever gets fired or formally reprimanded or even just criticized by his peers for smearing Hindu nationalists. This way, a partisan economy with the truth has become a habit hard to relinquish. This logic of news reporting is considered some form of social engineering. The sense of chaos and insecurity is conveyed by media reports so that stable environment and harmony is never achieved in the minds of the larger society. This is one form of psychology operation done inside India for the last three decades. The news creates a notion of change, which reinforces the decay of the Hindu culture and brings out more of the light Islamic/Urdu culture. By being very anti-Hindu the media and social scientists hopes to reduce aggression of the so called majority community over the minority community and bring balance even at the expense of the truth. This logic was pursued even when the Muslim terrorists in Kashmir were killing the minorities Hindus and the news is usually kept low key.

Control of media by the foreign governments is done in a subtle way. Some of the ways are by indoctrinating the editorial teams and the journalists over time. The Indian leftists have been used for a long time by the external powers and since they control the media they are better able to influence the bias in the media. Some question put by them are 'why dont you talk to your very reasonable nuclear rival Pakistan' or 'why do you have a Hindu nationalist party in power' game.

IDEAL AND REALITY: MEDIAS ROLE IN INDIA

Having discussed, in a previous article, the role of art and literature in a country such as India as it stands today, we should consider the role of the media in such a context. What do we see on television these days? Some channels show film stars, pop music, disco and fashion parades (often with scantily clad young women), astrology or cricket. Is it not a cruel irony and an affront to our poor people that so much time and money are being spent on showing cricket, film stars, discodancing, and pop music? What have the Indian masses to do with cricket, film stars, fashion parades, disco and pop? The Indian media today are largely acting irresponsibly and not serving the people in their struggle against poverty, unemployment, and other social evils, as they ought to be doing. Historically, the media were born as organs of the people against feudal oppression. In Europe, they played a major role in transforming a feudal society into a modern one. Everyone is aware of the role the print media played in preparing the people for, and during, the American and French Revolutions, as also in Britain. The only medium at that time was print, and writers such as Rousseau, Voltaire, Thomas Paine, Junius, and John Wilkes used it in the fight against feudalism and despotism. We know about the stir created by Thomas Paines pamphlet Common Sense during the American Revolution, and by Junius letters during the reign of the despotic George III in England. The media became powerful tools in the hands of the people at that time. They could not express themselves through the established organs of power, which were in the hands of feudal and despotic rulers. Hence the people had to create organs that would serve them. In Europe and the U.S., the media represented the voice of the future, as against the feudal or despotic organs that wanted to preserve the status quo in society. In the 20th century, other types of media have emerged.

What should be the role of the media? This is a question of great importance to India today. Big responsibility To my mind, in underdeveloped countries such as India the media have a great responsibility to fight backward ideas such as casteism and communalism, and help the people in their struggle against poverty and other social evils. Since a large section of the people is backward and ignorant, it is all the more necessary that modern ideas be brought to them and their backwardness removed so that they become part of enlightened India. The media have a great responsibility in this. Underdeveloped countries like India are passing through a transitional age, between a feudal society and a modern, industrial society. This is a painful and agonising period. A study of the history of England in the 17th and 18th centuries, and of France in the 18th and 19th centuries, shows that such transitional periods were full of turbulence, turmoil, revolutions, intellectual ferment, and so on. It was after going through this fire that modern society emerged in Europe. India is now going through this fire. The barbaric honour killings in western Uttar Pradesh districts such as Meerut and Muzaffarnagar of young men and women from different castes who get married or wish to get married show how backward we still are, full of casteism and communalism. Our national aim must be to get over this transitional period as quickly as possible, reducing the inevitable agony. Our aim must be to make India a modern, powerful, industrial state. Only then will we be able to provide for the welfare of our people and get respect in the world community. Need for cultural struggle Today the real world is cruel and harsh. It respects power, not poverty or weakness. When China and Japan were poor nations, western nations referred to their people derisively as yellow races. Today nobody dares to call them that as they are strong industrial nations. Similarly, if we want our country to get respect in the comity of nations, we must make it highly industrialised and prosperous. For this purpose, our patriotic, modern-minded intelligentsia should wage a powerful cultural struggle, a struggle in the realm of ideas. This cultural struggle

must be waged by combating feudal and backward ideas such as casteism and communalism, and replacing them with modern, scientific ideas among the masses. Art, literature, and the media all have an important role in this cultural struggle. But are they performing this role? Today in India there is a total disconnect between the media and the mass reality. A speech delivered by P. Sainath, Rural Affairs Editor of The Hinduand Magsaysay award winner, on September 6, 2007 in Parliament House in the Speakers Lecture Series, had some revealing facts. The mass reality in India, which has over 70 per cent of the people living in the rural areas, is that rural India is in the midst of the worst agrarian crisis in four decades. Millions of livelihoods in the rural areas have been damaged or destroyed in the last 15 years as a result of this crisis, because of the predatory commercialisation of the countryside and the reduction of all human values to the exchange value. As a result, lakhs of farmers have committed suicide and millions of people have migrated from the rural areas to cities and towns in search of jobs that are not there. They have moved towards a status that is neither worker nor farmer: many of them end up as domestic labourers, even criminals. We have been pushed towards corporate farming, a process by which farming is taken out of the hands of the farmers and put in the hands of corporates. This process is sought to be effected not through guns, tanks, bulldozers, and lathis. It is done by making farming unviable for the millions of small family farm-holders due to the high cost of inputs such as seed, fertilizer, and power, and uneconomical prices. India ranked fourth in the list of dollar billionaires but 126th in human development terms. This means it is better to be a poor person in Bolivia (the poorest nation in South America) or Guatemala or Gabon rather than in India. Some 836 million people (of the total of between 1.10 billion to 1.20 billion) in India exist on less than Rs.20 a day. Life expectancy here is lower than in Bolivia, Kazakhstan, and Mongolia. According to the National Sample Survey, the average monthly per capita expenditure of the Indian farm household is Rs.503. Out of that amount, 55 per cent is spent on food, and 18 per cent on fuel, clothing and footwear leaving precious little for education or health.

Hungry milions A report of the Food and Agriculture Organisation shows that between the period from 1995-97 to 1999-2001, India added more newly hungry millions than the rest of the world taken together. The average rural family now consumes significantly less than what it was consuming earlier. Indebtedness has doubled over the past decade. Cultivation costs have increased exorbitantly and farming incomes have collapsed, leading to suicides by farmers. While there were 512 accredited journalists covering the Lakme India Fashion Week, there were only six journalists to cover the suicides in Vidharbha. In that Fashion Week programme, the models were displaying cotton garments while the men and women who grew the cotton were killing themselves an hour away by flight from Nagpur, in the Vidharbha region. Nobody told that story except one or two journalists locally. Is this a responsible way for the media to function? Can the media turn a Nelsons eye to the harsh economic realities that over 75 per cent of our people face, and concentrate on some Potempkin villages where all is glamour and show biz? Are not the Indian media behaving like Queen Marie Antoinette who, when told that the people did not have bread, said they could eat cake? No doubt sometimes the media mentions farmers suicides in Maharashtra, the rise in the prices of essential commodities, and so on. But such coverage at the most constitutes 5 to 10 per cent of the total coverage. The bulk of it goes to cricket, film stars, pop music, fashion parades, astrology, and so on. Is this not really trying to divert the attention of the people from the real issues, which are basically economic, to non-issues? Opium of the masses Some TV channels show cricket day in and day out. In India, cricket is really the opium of the masses. The Roman emperors used to say: if you cannot give the people bread, give them circuses. This is precisely the approach of the Indian establishment. Keep the people involved in cricket so that they forget their economic and social plight. What is important is not the price rise or unemployment or poverty or lack of housing or medicines. What is important is whether India has beaten New Zealand (or better still, Pakistan) in a cricket

match, or whether Tendulkar or Ganguly has scored a century. Is this not sheer escapism? To my mind, the role of art, literature, and the media in our country today must be to help the people in their struggle against poverty, unemployment, and other social evils and to make India a modern, powerful, industrial state. For this purpose, scientific thinking should be promoted, as science alone is the means to solve our countrys problems not physics, chemistry, and biology alone but a whole scientific outlook, which must spread widely among the people. Our people must develop rational, logical and questioning minds, and abandon superstition and escapism. For this, the media can, and must, play a powerful role. Many TV channels today show programmes on astrology frequently. Astrology is but superstition. Elementary common sense can tell us that the movement of the stars and planets can have no rational connection with our lives and cannot determine whether one will become a lawyer or a doctor or an engineer, or whether one will die at the age of 40, 50 or 60. Astrology is totally unscientific, but many TV channels propagate it, which is in my opinion is against the national interest. The nation faces a socio-economic crisis. Artists, writers, and mediapersons must act responsibly and help the people solve their problems. This they can do by focussing on the real issues, which are basically economic, and not by trying to divert the attention of the people from the real issues to non-issues.

WHERE IS THE MEDIA'S MANDATE?

The question therefore arises as to what affords the media such a sweeping authority that can override legitimately elected and appointed bodies? What sort of mandate has the media been given to justify its actions? Clearly the media has never been elected to any political post and does not undergo any scrutiny like that of candidates in an election. It does not represent any appointed post in the government. It has no accountability to any outside agency. The media's authority is largely self-appointed and, not surprisingly, self-serving. Hence media has become a tool of foreign powers who would like a particular outcome of an election or policy making inside India or image creation. The sources behind the media's operation and where they get their money is also not revealed. We are not informed as to how prominent reporters and editorial writers derive their income, including how much may come from outside sources. But clearly they are getting a lot of money from somewhere that they are not in any hurry to disclose. Though the media likes to expose the improprieties, financial, sexual and otherwise, of those its dislikes, which it often exaggerates, if not invents, if you examine how the media people live, you certainly wouldn't want them as., role models for your children! Nor are we certain who the media really represents. Certain groups, not only inside but also outside India, are using this English media as a vested interest to promote their own agenda, which is generally anti-Hindu and often appears to be anti-India as well. Negative news is portrayed more than positive news. President APJ Abdul Kalam asks: Why is the media here so negative? Why are we in India so embarrassed to recognize our own strengths, our achievements? We have so many amazing success stories but we refuse to acknowledge them. Why? Is there an agenda to reduce the achievements of India? The only reason for the negative news is to reduce the self confidence of Hindus and their place in the world.

EFFECTS OF MEDIA ON OUR SOCIETY

Every coin has two sides. There are both positives and negatives of one single given notion. The media, known as the fourth pillar of democracy, has a huge impact on the society. The effects are of course, positive as well as negative. It is upto the people to decide which effect they want to bask in. Media is such a powerful tool that it literally governs the direction of our society today. It is the propeller as well as the direction provider of the society. Opinions can change overnight and celebrities can become infamous with just one wave by the media. Read how media affects the society today by reading its effects. The Bright Side Information on the latest happenings reaches people in just a matter of minutes. The vision of media reaches even the remotest corners of the country and makes sure that everyone is aware of what is going on in the country. The easy and swift availability of any given information makes media one of the most reliable sources for forming public opinion. It bridges the gap between the leaders and the masses by becoming their channel of communication. It brings into open the innumerable achievements that are going on in the country. Media gives ordinary people the power to reach out to the society as a whole. It can make heroes out of ordinary men. The media acts as a deterrent on corrupt practices and keeps a check on the working of the government. Media has significantly promoted social causes like literacy, health management, anti-dowry practices, discouraging female feticide, AIDS awareness, etc. On the Contrary Media can adversely affect the thinking capability of individuals and instill negative or destructive thinking patterns in the society as a whole. As already said before, media has the power to form and alter opinions. This means media can portray an ordinary thing so negatively that it may force people to think or act in quite the opposite way. Media glorifies violence and contains graphic descriptions

or images. When viewed by the vulnerable portion of the society, i.e., the children, it can have grave effects on their upcoming and thinking patterns. The media can sometimes go out of the way in advertising or glorifying certain issues. Usually, a bad or detrimental message is packaged in a glorious way and is made accessible to the public. Movies that depict filthy rich thieves who dont bat an eyelid before killing someone or extorting someone and the getting away with it, sure give entertainment to people. At the same time, it encourages them to act in a way that promises adventure and thrill in life. This way, media glorifies the bad aspects of people and encourages them to act in forbidden ways.

ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA IN INDIA

After tech savvy it is the social media savvy that has become synonymous with todays generation. About 2/3rd of Indians online spend time on different social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest, etc. Even the trend of sending personal emails seems to have become obsolete as compared to social media. But why is this media becoming so popular in India? Interaction, live chat, status updates, image- as well as video-sharing are few of the major aspects that play a role in the popularity of social media. On the other hand, customers responses, interaction and brand awareness is why the companies are using social media in India and across the globe. Thereby, multiple roles played by social media beyond its core role of mere communicating information are leading to its popularity. By December 2012, the number of social media users in urban India had reached 62 million. A sudden availability of smartphones and mobile Internet has led to a spurt in the use of social media. All the business ventures in India rely on social media to understand their consumer base, for brand awareness and interaction. Indian netizens use social media to build virtual communities, groups and to interact and chat. So, there is no doubt that Information and Technology, in particular rapidly increasing social media plays an important role in shaping the mind of customers towards certain products and brands. At the same time, it is used for entertainment and leisure by most of the Indians online. Each day, about 100 million Indians are engaged in social media, more than the population of Germany.

Social Media Brief Introduction

In 2004, a Harvard student Mark Zuckerberg created Facebook to connect with fellow students. But, at present, it is the most promising of all social media. At present there are 51 million Facebook users in India. Twitter, a micro blogging site where you can express yourself in 140 characters or less, is also a very prominent social media platform. YouTube was created in 2005 by Steve Chen and Chad Hurley that provides a provision of sharing videos. For all the professionals out there, LinkedIn is the best social media platform. Google has recently launched Google+ that is more or less like Facebook. The Role of Social Media Indian Politics and Social Media

Social media is not only confined to you and me but to politicians as well. Through different activities politics and politicians in India have brought social media into the limelight. It is expected that social media will play a huge role and influence the coming general elections to a great extent. The study by IRIS Knowledge Foundation and supported by the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) has indicated this fact. Social media will be real game changer with

political leaders having millions of fans on Twitter and supporters on Facebook as well as Google+. In order to build a certain image, most of the politicians also have their own websites. A few examples: All the recent lectures by Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi got huge social media attention. He even hosted a political conference on Google+ hangouts and this makes him the third politician across the globe to do this after Obama and Australian PM Julia Gillard. Ajay Degan hosted his Google+ Hangout in which the common man was free to ask live questions from him. He has a strong presence on YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. Shashi Tharoor is very active on Twitter and his tweets are quoted in mainstream media. Few months back, you must have seen a page on Facebook seeking Dr. Abdul Kalam as president of India. Then there is Anna Hazares Social Media Campaign against corruption in India. Many researchers have indicated that social media would be stronger and more persuasive than television in influencing people. Social Media and Business

Role of social media in business and consumer market in India cannot be undermined. It is the change in consumers behavior that is changing the role of social media in India. With time, use of social media has seen a drastic change from just used for fun to fun plus knowledge and marketing. For business purposes, Facebook is the most important social media platform as there is customers engagement, followed by Twitter, YouTube and blogging. Social media is used by brands to build communities for interaction and spreading news. So not only individuals but every organization, be it big or small, has an online presence on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube channels and other related social media platforms. 95.7% of organizations in India use social media to build

communities, 76.1% for highlighting brand news, platform specific parameters such as number of likes, share, comments, people taking about the company are considered by 81% of the organizations to measure their success. As far as the budget is concerned, most of the organizations set budget below INR 10 million on their social media spending that makes 1-5% of their total marketing budget. Social media interaction provides useful information about the behavior of the customers to the organization on regular basis. Social Media and Recruitment in India

Social media and recruitment go hand in hand with social media becoming an integral part of recruiting firms. These firms are using LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter to find new employees and skills. So, gone are the days when for employment recruiters as well as employees used to rely on employment exchange and classified ads in the newspaper. Hiring through traditional media was based on gut feeling whereas through social media, it is based on interaction, communication and direct response. Most of the organizations have well planned strategies for talent acquisition through social media.

Social Media and IPL

Social media is also playing an active role in the Indian Premier League (IPL) by providing up to date and live information on sites like Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Youtube. Teams are in constant touch with their fans through social media and there is great interaction. For IPL sponsors and brands, such an interaction and reach of social media is a boon. Thus there is no way to ignore social media for business and entertainment purposes.

ROLE OF MEDIA AND ENTERTAINMENT IN SOCIAL ISSUES

The media and entertainment panel at the 2011 Kellogg India Business Conference was the first panel of the day. At the conclusion of the panel, one of the panelists, Shivnath Thukral, Group President, Corporate Branding and Strategic Initiatives, Essar Group, tweeted that the, hunger to know about Indian Media was immense. There are no better words to describe the mood in the room during the most exciting panel of the day. The featured panelists, with impressive resumes, approached the panel in a candid manner and did not hold back to voice their opinions. Moderated by Professor Sree Srinivasan, Dean of Journalism at Columbia University, the panels key element was the use of new media such as Twitter and Facebook that he updated constantly with questions and inputs from the attendees and a global twitter audience. This tactic generated enthusiasm, excitement, and kicked up the level of interest and audience engagement in the panel a couple of notches. Role of Media and Entertainment in Social Issues The state of media and entertainment in India was debated during the panel. Bobby Ghosh, Time Magazine, Deputy International Editor, suggested a mixed picture of the state of media and entertainment. He spoke of the flourishing Indian entertainment industry that was successful in addressing themes of social and political importance that other media has not been able to achieve as successfully. Social media is also gaining relevance and has been able to force main media to bring topics to national debates. The confluence of mainstream movies and social issues has resulted in a positive movement for critical issues like education in India. However, it is unfortunate that journalists are not as active as commercial cinema in bringing similar social issues to the forefront. Infotainment and Bollywood No discussion on Indian media and entertainment is complete without a discussion of Bollywood, the worlds largest film industry. The panel lamented

the devolution of news into Infotainment and highlighted that the distinction between news and opinions had blurred only because the audience wanted it that way. No profit-driven media firm in India or even the US had found a way to drive revenues through a balanced reporting of facts. Despite vigorous debate on other issues, all panelists were in agreement that serious news doesnt command much viewership and that Bollywood and Entertainment tend to dominate the headlines. Afsar Zaidi, CEO of Carving Dreams (the top talent management company in India) brought some Bollywood sparkle to the conference, and talked about the evolution of a professional talent management sphere in India. Introduced as the Jerry Maguire of Indian entertainment, Afsar stated that in this industry one is successful by, creating value, providing value and delivering value to all stakeholders. Carving Dreams creates value in the entertainment and media space by enabling its talent to reach and stay at his/her peak as there is a small window of opportunity to touch a chord with the public. These services become increasingly important as billions of rupees are at stake in the Indian entertainment industry. Competition and professionalism in Indian Journalism Mitra Kalita, Senior Writer (Housing), Wall Street Journal led the launch of a start up online publication, Mint, in India. The competitive nature of the business was apparent to her when 7 different newspapers were deposited at her doorstep each morning. She knew that the pace of delivering news in India was much faster than she had been used to in the past. Here, before you had the time to think about the concept, somebody else was already doing it. However, it was not all doom and gloom for the crowded newspaper industry. Mitra shed light on the fact that while competition in journalism was severe in the metros, there is immense opportunity in the 2nd and 3rd tier cities that are hungry for legit and unbiased journalism. The panelists expressed their dissatisfaction on the inadequacy of professionalism in journalism in India. Mitra worked on transforming journalism professionalism at Mint by establishing a code of conduct centered on ethical fairness and accuracy of information. Bobby Ghosh voiced his disappointment on the aggressive nature and narrow focus on the issues being written and the lack of efforts to take steps outside of the mainstream issues by journalists in India. The panel concluded that sheer scale and competition was making professional representation in media a necessity.

Business of Media and Entertainment The panel successfully balanced opportunities with realism. Shivnath Thukral, voiced his concern of an impending industry crisis if the media channels end up in a me too race and avoided differentiating themselves. The ingredient that made this panel very intriguing was the contrast in the highs and lows in this industry. For every stride this industry has taken to prove its mettle, a statistic and opinion was provided for the lack of impact of the same industry. For instance, there are as many as 6 business specific news channels in India, however the average household savings in India has not increased. Overall, the panel ended on a high note by calling attention to the colossal business opportunity that is Indian media and entertainment. Shivnath Thukral stated, India has 600 TV channels. Of these, 260 are news channels, a statistic unmatched by any other nation in the world. This sheer number underscores the vast extent of medias power in India. The question that played on everyones mind was, how will this business focused audience harness the power and opportunity presented by the media and entertainment industry in India?

THE REGULATION, DEREGULATION AND OWNERSHIP OF MEDIA

Society understands, and therefore seeks to check, the medias collective power. But each member of society will have different opinions about the methods by which, and the extent to which, the media is controlled. Therefore, there will always be ongoing debates about regulation and deregulation. Regulators have typically approached media from a segmented perspective, with separate regulatory entities for separate producerssuch as content providers or technological services. In the United States, the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) is a voluntary and widely-used system that rates films released by distributors. Films shown on television, however, use the TV Parental Guidelines system, a voluntary system backed by the Federal Communications Commission. Recently, however, the media industry is seeing a trend toward convergence multiple or bundled packages of services, such as telephone, Internet and television, provided to a market using shared infrastructure, such as fiber optics (Locksley, 2009). One such service is that of Google Fiber, which uses fiber optic cables to deliver Internet at speeds up to 100 times faster than a broadband connection. While it is currently only available in Kansas City, its market will increase incrementally in the coming years (Balke, 2013). What do you think this will mean for separate regulatory agencies? Should they come together or remain separate? As a result of convergence, content that would normally be broadcast can now be sent through a plethora of systemssuch as the Internet or mobile phones

instead of just airwaves. For instance, while a show would be expected to follow certain decency guidelines, broadcast regulators only had authority to manage broadcastsas opposed to say DVDsof that show. So although the motivations behind regulation might not have changed, it may now be more difficult to achieve the corresponding goals. Court Tosses FCC wardrobe Malfunction fine During Super Bowl XXXVIIIs halftime show, Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake performed together. As an end to the duet, Timberlake, on live television, ripped part of Jacksons bustier, exposing her right breast. Jacksons nipple was covered by a gold, star-shaped covering, but the FCC deemed it indecent and attempted to levy a fine. The US Third Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia tossed out the fine, although the Supreme Court has recently remanded (Stout, 2009) the case back to the Third Circuit for reconsideration. In 2011 the Third Circuit found that the broadcast was legal under the ability to show fleeting indecency and that its earlier decision had been correct (Lee, 2011). On June 29, 2012 the Supreme Court denied an appeal by the FCC.

REGULATION
Nations vary in the degree and scope to which they regulate the media. In Europe, regulation is centered around media ownership, less so around content. In the Peoples Republic of China, content deemed inappropriate by the government is regulated by a slew of agencies. Some regions of the world are already or are becoming more regulated: In the European Union in 2009, lawmakers created a telecommunications regulator called the Body of European Regulators of Electronic Communications (BEREC). Until this time, some European states could ignore or defy EU telecommunications law if doing so would harm their national telephone monopolies. For example, Germany allowed Deutsche Telekom32 percent of

which is still owned by the national governmentto bar competitors from using its super-high-speed VDSL broadband network (OBrien, 2009). BEREC is currently investigating business malpractices of large communication companies while it seeks to establish itself. This is pursuant to its stated mission of being committed to independent, consistent, high-quality regulation of electronic communications markets for the benefit of Europe and its citizens (BEREC, 2013). In the Peoples Republic of China, policy changes by the government in the late 1970s had a widespread and profound effect on most aspects of Chinese society, including the media. The period of 1980-1999 saw the deregulation of media content and a decrease in subsidies of media industries (Donald, 2002). Before deregulation and the ending of subsidies, the government issued content guidelines which media agencies would follow. After deregulation and the ending of subsidies, media agencies have greater freedoms in creating content, although subjects deemed taboo by the government are still heavily regulated and sometimes even censored. In 2012 a watchdog group ranked China 174 out of 179 for freedom of press. Journalists are often imprisoned for violating rules. Websites that it deems dangerous, such as Wikipedia, are often blocked (Bennett, 2013). Most recently, the government censored a liberal leaning newspaper based in Guangzhou, resulting in a week-long confrontation between the government and the newspaper (Bennett, 2013).

DEREGULATION
Other areas of the world are seeing a decrease in regulation. In the United States, Congress significantly altered the regulation of media with the Telecommunications Reform Act of 1996 (FCC, 2006). Previously, various telecommunications agents had defined realmstelephony, radio, et. al. Local and long distance companies were not allowed to compete against each other while cable companies had monopoly (an economic situation in which one firm supplies the entire market) status (Wasserstein, 2001). Conversely, the 1996

statute allowed local and long distance providers to compete with each other. It also allowed cable companies to offer local service while allowing television and radio broadcasters to own more stations (Wasserstein, 2001). Further deregulation was attempted in June 2003 when the FCC approved new rules (Finberg, 2003) that would have removed or loosened limits on ownership of media within a given market. However, that decision was overturned and stands (Ahrens, 2005)(Labaton, 2005). The Minority Media and Telecommunications Council (MMTC) is working with former regulators, scholars, and economists to develop a plan, Telecom Act for the Digital Age. MMTC believes that the Telecommunications Act of 1996 is outof-date. In order to accomplish this MMTC has developed a Telecom Act Taskforce that would consider all avenues for passage of the act. MMTC highlights six goals for a new act:

1. Make the U.S. a leader in broadband infrastructure, adoption, informed use and consumer protection 2. Empower the FCC to protect consumer when the market has failed to do so and make the FCC more flexible when addressing disruptive technologies 3. Harmonize regulation across industries to ensure technology neutrality 4. Enable the FCC to rapidly resolve complex issues 5. Enable the U.S. to achieve universal broadband adoption, access, and affordability 6. Ensure all Americans participate fully as owners and managers of media, telecom, and high tech industries (Politics, 2012).

OWNERSHIP
Private media ownership has both positive and negative qualities. Private media ownership can result in better quality products due to competition. The threat of losing market share to a competitor forces firms to put forth their best products. Furthermore, large media firms achieve efficiencies due to economies of scale. (In microeconomics, a situation in which a producers cost per unit of a product falls as more of that product is produced.) Lastly, the very fact that these firms are not owned by governments allows perspectives that dissent from official sources to be shared. On the other hand, private ownership leads to media firms placing profit above public interest. It can also lead to cultural decay in that popular media can become homogenized: In Kellner we observe a claim for the spread of a global culture, usually American in origin underpinned by a notion of a media powerful enough to shape our selfidentities and our views of the world. According to a number of media and cultural critics, this global culturewith the hallmarks of homogenization and convergenceis obliterating local cultures, creating in its wake mirrors of American consumer society. Thus media theorist Cees Hamelink believes that the impressive variety of the worlds cultural systems is waning due to a process of cultural synchronization that is without historic precedent. Furthermore, private ownership often results in industry concentration especially if there is a dearth of regulationwhich in turn leads to the stifling of alternative points of view. For instance, in 2002 the Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ) and the Quebec Federation of Professional Journalists accused CanWest Global Communications, Canadas largest media firm, of a disturbing pattern of censorship and repression of dissenting views CAJ vice president called for the elected officials of this country to be looking at what the repercussions [of media concentration] are for the general public

CONFLICTS OF INTEREST
Another one of the most ominous problems is that owners of media firms can experience conflicts of interest. Major American news firms regularly experience political conflicts of interest. According to FAIR, an American media watch group: Top news executives and celebrity reporters frequently socialize with government officials. The most powerful media companies routinely make large contributions to both major political parties, while receiving millions of dollars in return in the form of payments for running political ads In this incestuous culture, news is defined chiefly as the actions and statements of people in power. Reporters, dependent on access and leaks provided by official sources, are too often unwilling to risk alienating these sources with truly critical coverage. Nor are corporate media outlets interested in angering the elected and bureaucratic officials who have the power to regulate their businesses (Issue Area: Official Agendas). Major media firms also experience conflicts of interest with respect to business: Media corporations share members of the board of directors with a variety of other large corporations, including banks, investment companies, oil companies, health care and pharmaceutical companies and technology companies (Interlocking Directorates). Also, media firms can experience conflicts of interest with respect to ideology: *The+ Brownsville, Texas PBS affiliate KMBH, owned by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brownsville, claimed that they didnt air the Frontline documentary Hand of God because PBS failed to provide the video feed in time (Valley Morning Star, 1/18/07). Critics suspected the stations actual reason had to do with the documentarys subject matter: Catholic priest molestation scandals (Jackson, 2007).

ALTERNATIVE MEDIA
The mainstream media is more concentrated than ever. This scenario allows for the juxtaposing of otheror alternativeinformation sources outside the mainstream medias purview. So at the most basic level, alternative media is any source of information that is neither widely produced nor consumed. In societies where media products freely flow, media that provides perspectives different from those usually expressed, serves communities not catered to by mass media or explicitly advocates social change meet this definition.

A Historical Overview of Alternative Media

The history of alternative media is as old as the media itself. For every official or popular account of something, there almost always was a dissenting view. In the West, Johann Gutenbergs printing press was seen to challenge the established system in that it provided the common person access to informationthe Biblepreviously only available to the clergy. The first newspapers in Europe empowered new business classes with information previously only available to the hereditary aristocracy. In response to the often radical nature of alternative media, those already in power reacted by curbing the other information sources power in some way. In the early to mid-nineteenth century, English radical papers challenged the status quo on topics as diverse as religion to human rights. The government reacted via a variety of methods from taxing paper to requiring licenses to publish. However this hurt all papersincluding those written for elite audiencesand led to a counter-reaction pushing for freedom of the press. Eventually, this right

was achievedlowering operating costswhile advertisers who sought respectability and more affluent audiences thronged to elite papersincreasing revenue; coupled with tactics to appeal to a wider audiencesuch as gossip columns and crime reportsthe previously elite papers essentially put the radical ones out of business. This new type of press led to the codification of news production in that it was completely done by professionals, as opposed to mostly amateurs with a few politically motivated professionals.

ALTERNATIVE MEDIA IN THE PRESENT DAY

The present-day alternative media is generally defined by its opposition to the mainstream media. Some proponents of alternative media argue that governments and/or large corporations so heavily control the mainstream media, that the mainstream media is often used as a propaganda machine. Therefore, alternative forms of media view themselves as necessary to present viewpoints other than those from media sources controlled by governments or corporations. The Internet is at the forefront of todays alternative media. It is easy and affordable to produce something over the Internet; combined with its relatively uncontrolled natureeven the most stringent government and/or corporate Internet controls can be worked around by those with computer expertiseand its ability to reach large groups of people simultaneously and easily, this makes online sources of alternative media extremely popular. Furthermore, the multimedia nature of the Internet allows for other forms of alternative media, such as the underground press, radio and television, to transmit via online sources, such as text documents, podcasts and videos, respectively.

EXPANSION OR ISOLATION?
The proliferation of alternative media is correlated with increasingly personalized content, or content that is designed specifically for a user or a certain type of user. While this has expanded the accessibility of the media as a whole, it has also led to greater individual isolation. While television services offer hundreds of channels and the Internet offers billions of websites, they also allow individuals to filter out content that does not coincide with their own views. So rather than increasing communication between broad sections of society, alternative media could actually lead to social polarization instead.

THE BUSINESS OF MEDIA IN INDIA

The business models of media are unique and diverse. The media industry is one of few that deals with intangibleor conceptual, non-materialgoods. As such, there is no single method of operating in the media industry; each firm can operate on its own business model. In the United States, the media is the only industry expressly protected by the nations Constitution (First Amendment), due to its public interest role as a purveyor of free and creative expression, independent thought and diverse perspectives (Croteau, 2005). On the other hand, nearly all major media companies are commercial firms whose investors care about revenues, costs and profits

EVALUATING THE BUSINESS OF MEDIA

There are many different ways to evaluate the media. Two of these perspectives are the market model and the public sphere model.

MARKET MODEL The market model is the dominant perspective within the media industry (Croteau, 2005). Its similar to most economic measures of firm, namely in its emphasis of profit analysis. Its useful as media firms often act as typical companies, raising capital, competing with other media firms for market share and developing new products, with the results affecting investors, employees and audiences.

As such, the market model can explain why certain firms behave in certain ways at certain times and places. A firm that offers a product exactly identical to those of other firms within a given market cannot charge higher prices for that product than do the other firms, lest they repel customers within that market. For example, in the New York City metropolitan area, the telecom company Verizon is gaining customers from other companies by offering almost exactly the same channels as those other companies but at lower prices. There are advantages to society if media firms operate as businesses, namely efficiency, responsiveness, flexibility, and innovation (Croteau, 2005). One such example is CNN, which became the model for many other news networks. However, the market model can be limited. Society as a whole has an interest which transcends profits. Therefore, the market model can be complemented by the public sphere model.

PUBLIC SPHERE MODEL Since the market is based on consumer purchasing power, the market view can deviate from the democratic ideal of equal opportunity per person (Croteau, 2005) ; markets are undemocratic since those with wealth can have more influence within the model. Private media can also, at best, not hurt or, at worst, harm democracies as it makes more business sense to sometimes grab hold of consumers attention by pandering or shocking them; with respect to social morality, markets simply meet demands, and usually have no concern for public welfare. Therefore, profits cannot be the sole sign of a healthy media industry, and a slew of other public interest criteria, like diversity and substance, need to be used to assess its health. The limitations of the market model can be rectified by the public sphere model. In the public sphere model, the media is evaluated by the extent to which the public interest is served. This model is very conceptual in that it is difficult to concretely analyze. But generally, the media is a public force: it is both vital to

dynamic democracies and authoritarian control within totalitarian systems. The public sphere then meets social needs by providing a valuable resource to all regardless of the ability to pay. One such example is the United Kingdoms BBC, a publicly-supported broadcasting company.

ADVERTISING
The media offers a service to consumers, such as entertainment or education. But it doesnt do this for nothing; so-called free media often causes consumers to incur a cost in the form of advertising. By showing advertisements, media sources grab consumers attention for purposes such as increasing awareness about a product and/or providing producers access to consumers, while extracting fees from those product-makers and producers. The media industry is then unique in that it can act more as a broker than a supplier, bringing together advertisers and consumers. For about the past 50 years, advertising has supported free media services, such as television and radio. Despite previous declines it was reported that in 2012 U.S. media ad spending increased by 3 percent in 2012 to reach $139.5 billion, this was due in part to the 2012 presidential elections and the Summer Olympics in London. This marked the third consecutive year that the advertising market has grown. The following graph shows the change in spending between 2011 and 2012.

TRENDS IN THE MEDIA INDUSTRY

The media industry as a whole has seen four broad developments (Croteau, 2001): 1) Growth. Due to mergers and acquisitions, individual media firms are larger than ever. Some of Viacoms brandssuch as BET, MTV and Shockwaveare a good example of how media firms have become larger than ever.70 2) Integration. The new media firms have integrated horizontally (by working in multiple forms of media), vertically (by working in multiple stages of production and distribution, or both) Googles AdWords created a new model by combining a media company Googles search results and its network of AdSense affiliate websiteswith an advertising agency, i.e. advertisers buy ads directly from Google through its AdWords platform Time Warners operations in multiple forms of mediasuch as AOL Internet, HBO broadcasting and Time publishingare examples of horizontal integration (Time Warner Cable). 3) Globalization. Major media firms have become increasingly global in scope. The Tokyo-based firm, Sony, has a motion picture production and development division, Sony Pictures Entertainment, which operates throughout the world (Sony). 4) Concentration. The ownership of mainstream media has become increasingly concentrated.

TIMELINE OF MEDIA MEGA MERGERS (1986-2004)

Below is a summary of major media mergers and acquisitions that took place from the 1980s through 2004 (Common Cause, 2004).

January 1986

buys Cities/ABC Inc. is created.

for $3.5 billion. Capital

purchases June 1986

, parent

company

of and NBC television network for $6.4 billion. At this time, it was the largest non-oil acquisition in U.S. history. November 1989 buys for $3.4 billion.

January 1990

merges

with

creating ,worlds biggest media conglomerate ($14.1 billion merger). January 1991 Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. of Japan purchase

for $6.9 billion.

September 1993

buys

parent

company

of for $1.1 billion. This was the biggest takeover in U.S. newspaper history. March 1994

purchases

for $8.4 billion

After winning a bidding war against QVC Inc,, July 1994 acquires for $10 billion.

June 1995

purchases from Matsushita (Japanese corporation) for $5.7 billion. The new entity is called .

November 1995

acquires

for $5.4 billion.

February 1996

buys Capital Cities/ABC for $19 billion. A new media conglomerate in movies, television and publishing is created.

October 1996 merger).

merges

with

(a

$7.6

billion

Two of the biggest radio station operators combine: December Westinghouse Electric Corp.s CBS unit buys Infinity 1996 Broadcasting Co. for $4.7 billion

December Westinghouse Electric Corp. changes its name to . 1997 after selling its traditional businesses, including powergenerated equipment and light bulbs. The largest initial public offering (IPO) in the media industry: December 1998 sells 17 percent of Infinity Broadcasting Corp., raising $2.9 billion dollars.

December 1998

purchases

for $10.4 billion.

August 1999

agrees to buy , the leading syndicator of television programs, for $2.5 billion.

September 1999

announces deal to purchase for $81.5 billion. This is one of the largest media deals in U.S. history.

October 1999

announces a $23 billion dollar takeover of the number two radio chain, AMFM.

January 2000

merger with . This is the largestever combination in the media industry ($135 billion merger) (publishes Chicago Tribune) buys Times Mirror Co., (publisher of the Los Angeles Times) for $6.5 billion.

March 2000

June 2000

, and merge. A fully integrated global media and communications company for the wired and wireless world is created.

November 2000

buys

for $3 billion.

October 2001

provider

tries to become the dominant satellite television in the United States through a merger

with (a $25.8 billion deal). In 2002, the U.S. Justice Department thwarted the merger. December French Media firm, 2001 billion.

buys

for $10.3

December 2001

merges with broadband unit. This $52 billion dollar merger will lead to a subscriber base of 22.3 million subscribers.

April 2003 acquires control of company of DirecTV.) for a $6.6 billion. (parent

July 2003

acquires AltaVista and AlltheWeb US regulators approve

and

its

subsidiaries

the

$3.2

billion

September 2003 purchase by . The new company is the biggest U.S. Spanish-language television and

radio networks provider.

is October 2003

created

through

the

combination

of and cable channels and GEs . This $43 billion entertainment powerhouse was created to compete leading entertainment companies, such as Walt Disney Co. and Viacom Inc.

February 2004

buys Wireless Services Inc. for $41 billion. This created the U.S.s largest mobile phone company.

August 2004

is created by the merger of and . The new entity is jointly owned by the two companies (50/50).

November 2004

buys , a top provider of business news and financial information, for $519 million.

TIMELINE OF MEDIA MEGA MERGERS (2005 )

Below is a summary of major media mergers and acquisitions that took place from 2005 onward.

January 2005

, a leader in local exchange, broadband and

wireless communications, announces plans to buy $16 billion. February 2005 February 2005

for

announces an agreement to buy About, Inc., from PRIMEDIA Inc. for $410 million.

agrees to buy

for $6.7 billion

splits into two public companies. One company led

by would include the cable networks MTV, March 2005 Nickelodeon, Comedy Central and Showtime, and entertainment properties. The second company would control the older assets, including , the Infinity Radio unit and the firms billboard business.

April 2005

and reach agreement to buy bankrupt cable operator Adelphia Communications Corp. for $17.6 billion. To extend its market for creating and distributing digital

April 2005 documents ., graphic software developer, purchases Macromedia Inc., multimedia software firm, for $3.4 billion.

July 2005

agrees to buy Intermix Media, Inc., owner

of

, for $580 million

August 2005 service.

and

launch and integrated DSL

September 2005

acquires , a digital entertainment and video game company, for $650 million

December 2005

agrees to purchase , an independent film studio, for $1.6 billion. DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc is not included.

January 2006

announces that it will purchase , a successful animation studio whose majority stocks are owned by Apples Steve Jobs, for $7.4 billion.

is created through the merger of January 2006 s and 50% interest in new network . Each company will hold

February 2006 Networks from

buys 22 radio statiions and

Radio

for $2.7 billion.

March 2006

buys BellSouth Corp. for $67 billion and has total control of the joint venture, .

March 2006 buy

The

McClatchy

Co.

announces

plans

to

for $600 million deal.

March 2006

agrees to purchase 32 Knight Ridder Inc. newspapers for $4.5 billion.

April 2006

announces plans to buy an online games technology company, , for $102 million.

September 2006

Music agrees to buy for $2 billion. Universals music publishing holdings are now the largest in the world.

October 2006

buys

for $1.65 billion.

December 2007

signs a $500 million contract with that allows Microsoft to license Viacom-owned shows on Xbox Live and MSN.

May 2009 that would become a separate

independent company. November 2009

NBC Universal and are in advanced stages of merger to create a new $30 million conglomerate.

December 2009

buys Comics) for $4.24 billion

(parent company for Marvel

January 2010 May 2010

Apple acquires Quattro Wireless for $275 million Google acquires Admob for $750 million

July 2010 Disney for $563.2 million acquires Playdom

Monster.com August 2010 buys $225 million November 2010 News Corp. acquired 90% Hotjobs.com from Yahoo for

of $360 million

wireless

generation

for

December 2010

Disney Corp. sells Films to Filmyard Holdings for $663 million

Miramax

January 2011

Comcast Corp takes over NBC Universal from General Electric Co. by acquiring a 51 percent stake in NBC.

February 2011 AOL buys Huffington Post for $315 million.

March 2011 billion

AT&T agrees to buy

T-Mobile for $39

April 2011 Blockbuster is bought by Network in a bankruptcy auction for $320 million May 2011 Microsoft buys Skype for $8.5 billion, the largest Dish

acquisition thus far in Microsofts history.

June 2011

Specific Media buys $35 million

Myspace for

April 2012 billion

Facebook

acquires Instagram

for

$1

October 2012

Disney Corp. Lucasfilm for $4.05 billion

buys

June 2013 Google buys for $1 million

CONCLUSION
The media allows access to incredible amounts of information and continues to become very integral to the lives of many people. Thats why as the world becomes more globalized, it is more necessary than ever to pay attention to the media itself. Its important that media consumers not be passive; rather, they need to be constantly active. Instead of just absorbing media content like sponges, consumers should be constantly asking themselves and others questions about the media. Some examples are:

Who, if anyone, controls the media services I use? When I read the news, do the reporters have any underlying agendas or biases? When I watch the news, is the information I receive accurate and complete? When I hear the news, are opposing perspectives honestly presented? Is there too much mixing between information and entertainment? Is it a waste of time to pay attention to some media sources?

Also, new technologiesespecially Internet-based onesallow more and more people to become producers of media themselves. A few examples are videos, blogs, social networking sites, Internet forums and mobile phones. Its important that these and other media-producing services are used. Expressing ones opinion is not only important for oneself, but important to others as well since they can gain new perspectives