Media and its Transformation in India: Syntax of Corporatisation and Exclusivity

In liberal democracy, media plays a critical role in democratic transition and consolidation. It is also known as the 'mind industry' precisely because of its power to influence people, where it plays a critical role in articulating and mobilizing public opinion in favour of and against the governments of the day. The message, which in the case of the media is the reporting of an event, is often messy, partisan, and far more sensational and prone to agenda creation than when public broadcasters and newspapers separate news from views. Over time, news and views merge in India and abroad, becoming indistinguishable to the extent that falsehoods or half-truths are peddled as truth in peacetime. The globalization of media and the control and ownership of media further demoted its constructive role in society. Though the media is the fourth estate supposed to strengthen democracy like other institutions such as the legislature, executive, and judiciary, it became increasingly socially exclusionary, diluting social justice principles.