HOW INDIAN MEDIA HAS INFLUENCING THE AUDIENCE

ISSUE BASED STORY

Like every other day, people woke up, turned on their TVs, and read their newspapers on this ordinary Indian day. They had no idea that the food they were going to eat would influence how they thought, felt, and believed. The public in India is greatly influenced by the Indian media, which includes newspapers, television news networks, internet news platforms, and social media. It is a strong weapon that has the capacity to influence or empower individuals. Unfortunately, the media has tended to favour the latter in recent years.  

The Indian media's fixation with sensationalism is one of its main problems. News outlets compete with one another to convey the most spectacular stories in the most dramatic ways. To get the audience's attention, they play loud music, employ flashing graphics, and run spectacular headlines. This strategy has caused the media to place more emphasis on dramatic events, celebrity news, and gossip than on important topics that have an impact on people's lives.

For instance, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the media concentrated more on the virus's prevalence, fatalities, and dramatic stories. They hardly ever highlighted the stories of regular people who were struggling financially as a result of the lockdowns or the medical professionals who were working nonstop to save lives. Instead, the media concentrated on instilling anxiety and terror in viewers. The bias of the Indian media towards particular political parties or ideologies is another problem. The alignment of numerous news organisations with particular political parties or ideologies has led to biased reporting. The audience's opinions and voting decisions could be manipulated by this type of reporting.

For example, several news outlets publicly backed and positively portrayed the ruling party during the 2019 general elections in India. Contrarily, they painted the opposition parties in an unfavourable light, leading many people to think that the ruling party was the greatest choice for the nation.

Simultaneously social media has grown to be a potent weapon for media to sway the public opinion. Many individuals now turn to social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube as their primary news and information sources. Social media has a big impact on how the public feels since it's so simple to use, easy to connect with people, and quick to exchange information. Social media also affects the general public by fostering echo chambers. When people only engage with and follow content that supports their views, beliefs, and ideologies, echo chambers are formed. Social media algorithms frequently reinforce users' thoughts and attitudes by showing them more of the content they interact with. This may polarise the public, making it less receptive to competing viewpoints and increasing the likelihood of extremism and radicalization. 

Social media also has the power to sway public opinion by magnifying some voices and viewpoints. A single post or tweet from a celebrity or influencer with a sizable social media following can change public opinion. Interest groups and political parties frequently utilise social media to highlight particular voices and perspectives, giving the appearance of agreement or disagreement and influencing people's beliefs.

Social media can sway the public by giving people a place to interact and band together around a common problem or cause. Recent social movements like the Black Lives Matter demonstrations and the #MeToo campaign have benefited greatly from the use of social media. Social media has made it possible for people to connect, organise, and spread their message to a larger audience, fostering a feeling of solidarity and oneness. 

Moreover, the Indian media often creates a narrative that is not reflective of reality. They sensationalize stories, present half-truths, and manipulate information to create a particular narrative. This narrative is then fed to the audience, who consume it without question. This has resulted in the media creating a sense of fear and hatred towards certain communities, religions, and castes. After the 2019 Pulwama terror attack, many news channels and social media platforms created a narrative that portrayed all Muslims as terrorists. This narrative resulted in many Muslims being harassed, discriminated against, and even lynched.

Furthermore, the Indian media often ignores or downplays stories that are critical of the government or powerful corporations. They do this to maintain their relationships with those in power and avoid any backlash. This kind of reporting is dangerous as it prevents the audience from knowing the truth and holding those in power accountable. 

For instance, during the 2020 Delhi riots, many news channels ignored or downplayed the role of the ruling party in inciting violence. Instead, they focused on portraying the riots as a result of inter- community clashes. 

The Indian media has a big influence on the audience, but sadly this influence has been more on mind control than on information dissemination. The Indian media has many problems, including sensationalism, bias, fabricating stories, and omitting important news. Prioritising its duty to inform the people and present them with the truth is crucial for the media. The media won't be able to reclaim its credibility and influence India's future until then.