MEDIA TODAY

One of the main contributions for the literacy of the state have come from the print media. Alongwith news from allover, the great human beings who managed the news papers, ensured that the people of the state are fed with good amount of knowledge. In the olden days getting newspaper in the house was a status symbol.

That is the story of many decades ago. Now it is all changed. Newspaper is being overtaken by television. Almost all houses in the state have television sets and all are watching it regularly. It is all highly commercialized now. All are looking for money and, therefore, has brought in unethical competition among the media group. A common word 'rating' stand above all other words. All are running all over to push up the rating. Ingredients like politics, crime, sex etc are adequately used to make the programme or writing more tasty. While comparing both visual and print media, visual media have moved far ahead than print media at least in time spent on. In today's comedy shows sex in a hidden way only make the viewers laugh. There is a fact behind this too, i.e if a standard joke is said there may not be many to laugh because they may not be able to get it. If dipped in sex the laughter is instant. Hence the media too encourage this.

In the economic front the state is moving towards a pathetic direction. The annual budget of the state expose the empty treasury every year. The revenue generated is hardly enough to pay the salary and perks of government employees and the elected members and their staff. Intoxication of the people is the prime way of revenue of the state. Another is encashing the poverty and aspirations of the people by selling lottery tickets to them. These two must be the most unhealthy methods of generating revenue for a democratic state. In fact whatever little bit development is happening in the state is because of the huge remittance made by our people from abroad. There are many ways to raise the revenue of state. Parallelly employment can be provided to most of the people, may be to all of them. Our media never focus on these issues either in discussions or by publishing suitable articles. It is the media who reach both the reader and the writer to educate the people according to the need of the day. If they can focus on the development of the state and well being of the people it can be achieved in a short span of time.

KV George

kvgeorgein@gmail.com