The presentation explains about the Mass Media scenario, its Social responsibility and the phenomena of commercialization in Mass Media.theory, Change, Entertainment

1. Media and
Social
Responsibility
BY: AMBIKA SANKAR MISHRA

2. Media draws its basic nutrients from the
society to produce its contents
To survive, media gets its audience from
society.
Society uses media for educating and
informing its individuals
Society uses media to bridge the
communication gap between different social
groups.
Both need a harmonious interrelation for
their co existence. A democratic society
considers media as the fourth pillar of the

3. Institution:
Media as a social institution should work
like the voice of voiceless
It should bridge the communication gap
between people of different sections of
society
It should bring the demands of down
trodden people to the mainstream of
society
It should play an active role in policy
formulation and their execution.
It should work like the watchdog of

4. Media’s Responsibilities Towards Society :
American Press Commission In its report
suggests following responsibilities of media
towards society
The content of media should reflect truth, accuracy,
objectivity and balance.
It should be self-regulating within the framework of law
and established institutions.
 It should avoid whatever might lead to crime, violence
or civil disorder or give offense to minority groups.
As a whole it should be pluralist and reflect the
diversity of its society and Journalists and media
professionals should be accountable to society as well as
to employers and the market.

5. Realities of Media as an Industry :
To satisfy the financial needs in a
competitive market media has started
promoting unethical contents.
It has started serving advertisers interest
more than the interest of common man.
It has started sticking to power corridor
Journalism
Page-3 Journalism and other inflammable
contents have started gaining prominence.
Ad-Manager’s role has become more
important than the role of News editor

6. Realities of News Room:
To explain the realities of News Room American
Thinkers like Edward Herman and Noam Chomsky
focuses on following five factors:
Size, Ownership, and Profit
Orientation
The Advertising License to Do
Business
 Sourcing Mass Media News
Flak and the Enforcers

7. The Need of Line of Control
Dominance of commercial exactions over
social expectations have created an alarming
situation
The word self regulation has started
becoming a joke.
Paid news and other evils have gone
widespread but are ignored
Misuse of Freedom of press has started
increasing and the watchdog has started
becoming greedy for bones
Media freedom means freedom with
responsibility.

8. Provocative and sensational headlines should be
avoided
Headings must reflect and justify the matter
under them
Headlines containing allegations made in
statements must identify the person making
allegations
Comments or valuable judgements should not be
motivated or guided by partisan feelings
Language employed in writing the news should
be temperate
Corrections should be promptly published with
due prominence and regrets expressed in serious
cases

9. Suggestions:
As a social Institution media should not
forget its responsibilities towards society
As an industry it also has certain social
obligations
As it is the watchdog of society It should
always try to keep the trust of people
Even as an industry people’s trust is the
basic requirement for its survival
There is a need of change in attitude.

10. THANK YOU