Media Culture

The media are responsible for lowering the level of public debate

Public trust in politicians is at an all time low and public cynicism about politics has never been higher. But what responsibility do the media have for this? Indeed, what is the responsibility of journalists to encourage a high level of public debate and have they been failing in this responsibility? Whilst some believe that the fault lies with politicians inclined to be economical with the truth, others suggest that it’s the media themselves that spread cynicism and are responsible for a degradation of public life. In India, the media has been accused of sensationalism, commercialisation and trivialisation of issues. The website of the South Asian Journalists Association recently had a discussion on the “inherent tension between India’s much hyped economic growth and its deepening democracy”. The media was blamed, saying “it abdicates its role as an educator in favour of being an entertainer”. The reporting of the recent Aarushi murder case exposed the media to a high profile attack when the Supreme Court warned that the media must become “more responsible” in its conduct