Q 1 – What do you understand by the word ‘media’?
Ans. Media is the plural form of the word ‘medium’ and it describes the various ways through which we communicate in society.
Q 2 – Name various forms of media.
Ans. Phone, TV, radio, newspapers, magazine, periodicals, internet etc., are forms of media. Some of them may reach millions of people beyond the boundaries.
Q 3 What does the word ‘mass media’ mean?
Ans. When any idea is spread upto the millions of people it is called mass media.
Q 4 – What is the use of technology in the media?
Ans. Technology is playing an important role in the media. Technology makes it possible to access everything within short span of time and at large scale.
Q 5 – What do you mean by a balanced report?
Ans. In the balance report the media discusses all points of view and then leaves it to the readers to make up their minds.
Q 6 – How is an independent media useful for the people?
Ans. Only an independent media can write or present a balanced report.
Q 7 – How is the changing technology useful for media?
Ans. Changing technology or machines makes technology more modern, helps media to reach more people. It also improves the quality of sound and the images that are seen.
Q 8 – How does media manage its cost?
Ans. The technology used by the mass media, costs a lot of money. They earn money by advertising various products of companies, programmes, schemes, tenders etc.
Q 9 – Is media reporting important in democracy?
Ans. Media plays an important role in providing information. It is important that media reporting should be balanced.
Q 10 – What is the positive aspect of media reporting?
Ans. Media help us to focus on an issue that affect our lives. It help us to understand and know things that we are not aware of.
Q 11 – What do you mean by “setting the agenda*?
Ans. The media decides the issues and stories to focus on. This is called “setting the agenda”. The government through censorship prevents certain stories to be published. Media’s relationship with business houses affects balanced reporting.
It is therefore, important that we do not rely too much on one sided factual reporting. We should ask questions like what is the information I am getting and what is not provided.
Q 12 – What is censorship and factual information?
Ans. Censorship refers to the power that the government has to disallow media from showing or publishing certain issues.
Factual information is the information about a particular news or issue as given by the report.
Q 13 – What is the role of media in democracy?
Ans. Media plays an important role in providing news and discussing events in the country and the world. This helps citizens to learn about functioning of government. Citizens can take action based on the news. They can write letters to ministers or organise a public protest. Signature campaign may be stated to make government rethink on certain issue.
Q 14 – What do we mean by mass media?
Ans. Television, radio, newspapers etc. that reaches large number of people, or the masses, across the country and the world are called mass media
Q 15 – What is called ‘media?
Ans.
- Everything ranging from the stall at the local fair to the programme that we see on TV is called media.
- Media is the plural form of the word ‘medium’ which describes the various ways through which we communicate in society.
- Media refers to all means of communication. Everything ranging from a phone call to the evening news on TV is called media.
Q 16 – Explain several instances when media fails to focus on issues which are important for us.
Ans.
- There are several instances when the media fails to focus on issues which are important for us.
- Drinking water is a major problem in the country.
- Every year, thousands of people suffer due to lack of safe drinking water.
- Media does not focus on this issue.
- The media focuses (on) such issues like the fashion week which provide(s) them huge money.
- But it did not report the demolition of slums in Mumbai at all as the slum dwellers did not pay them.
- As citizens of a democracy the media has a very important role to play in our lives because it is the media which highlights the burning issues.
Q 17 – What is a balanced report?
Ans.
- If we read either newspaper we would know only one side of the story.
- From the story in the News of India we term the protestors as a nuisance.
- On the other hand, the story in the India Daily, tells us that the protests are because a lot of livelihoods will be lost, relocation efforts are inadequate.
- Neither of these stories is a balanced report. A balanced report is one that discusses all points of view of a particular story and then leaves it to the readers to make up their minds.
Q 18 – On what depends the writing of a balanced report? *
Ans.
- Writing of a balanced report depends on the independent media.
- An independent media means that no one should control and influence its coverage of news.
- No one will impress upon the contents to be included and what should not be included in a news story.
- An independent media is important in a democracy.
- Independent media has reliable and unbiased information.
Q 19 – Briefly write about the news report of News of India.
Ans. News of India reported the event as crackdown on polluting factories.
- It reported the violent protests by owners and workers causing huge traffic jam.
- It said the people protested against the hasty decision of the government.
- It clarified the protestors knew that this would happen.
- It highlighted the fact this closure would reduce pollution in the city.
- Mr. Jain opinion was given where he stated that for clean and green city these factories should be removed.
- The factory owners and workers should accept the relocation offer of the government.
Q 20 – How did the India Daily report the decision?
Ans. India Daily reported it as loss of livelihood due to closure of factories.
- Workers protested: against the closure of factories.
- According to the owners and workers the fault lies with the municipal corporation.
- It issued licences to factories in residential areas.
- According to this report there were no adequate relocation efforts.
- The new areas are without facilities and development.
Q 21 – Describe relationship between media and technology.
Ans. Relationship between Media and Technology:
- Today it is difficult for us to imagine our life without the media.
- Cable television and the widespread use of the Internet is a recent phenomenon.
- They are less than twenty years old.
- The technology that mass media uses keeps changing.
- Newspapers, television and radio reach million of people because they use certain technologies.
- Newspapers and magazines are also the print media.
- TV and radio are termed as the electronic media.
- Newspapers are called print media, because they give news in print.
- Naming of media as print media is related to the different technologies that they use.
- The technology that mass media uses has changed over the years and continues to change even today.
Q 22 – How does changing technology help media to reach more people?
Ans.
- Changing technology, or machines, and making technology more modern, helps media to reach more people.
- It also improves the quality of sound and the images that we see.
- Technology does even more than this.
- It also changes the ways in which we think about our lives.
Today it is quite difficult for us to think of our lives without television.
- Television has enabled us to think that we are the members of a larger global world.
- Television images travel huge distance through satellites and cables.
- This allows us to view news and entertainment channels from other parts of the world.
- Most of the cartoons that we see on television are mostly from Japan or the United States.
- We now; sitting in Chennai or Jammu; can see images of a storm that has hit the coast of Florida in the United States.
- Television has brought the world closer to us
Q 23 – How are technologies costly these days?
Ans.
- There are different technologies that mass media use.
- They are expensive.
- TV studio in which the newsreader sits has lights, cameras, sound recorders, transmission satellites that involve a lot of money.
- Electronic media also involves money.
- Print media also needs money.
- In a news studio, there are several employees like newsreader, people helping in the broadcast including those who look after the cameras and lights.
- All of them are paid their salaries.
- The technologies that mass media uses keep changing.
- They need a lot of money.
- Hence mass media needs a great deal of money to do this work.
- It is because of this reason that most television channels and newspapers are run by big business houses.
Q 24 – Describe the ways by which mass media thinks of making money?
Ans. There are many ways through which the mass media makes money.
- Advertisement is the major way. Different products like cars, soaps, chocolates, clothes, electronic goods etc. give advertisements to attract consumers.
- Advertisements are repeated during telecast of matches, movies or other programs.
- The money earned depends upon the popularity of the program and number of times the advertisement is repeated.
- Another way is by doing promotional activities and making their presence felt so that large number of people
- see their channels or buy that magazine or newspaper.
- Newspapers have print advertisement in various categories along with information under the categories like buy or sell about buy, rent or buy and also obituaries.
Q 25 – What are two main reasons where the media does not look independent?
Ans. The reasons are:
- The first is the control that the government has on the media. During the Emergency, between 1975-1977, the government censored the media.
- The second is due to the relationship of media and big businessmen who provide them large amount in the form of advertisements.
Q 26 – Why is it important for the media to be independent?
Ans. An independent media is very important because on the basis of the information received from the various sources of media, people make an opinion. Hence, it is essential that this information should be reliable and bias-free. Otherwise, a wrong image will be made in the mind of people and this may be very harmful for the people as well as for the country.
Q 27 – What is mean by independent media? Is the media independent?
Ans. An independent media means that no one should control and influence its coverage of news. No one should tell the media what can be included and what should not be included in a news story.
The reality is that media is far from independent. This is mainly because of two reasons. The first is the control that the government has on the media. During the Emergency between 1975-1977, the government censored the media.
Q 28 – Despite the absence of censorship by the government, most newspapers and TV nowadays still fail to provide a balanced story. This is due to the relationship of media and big businessmen who provide them large amount in the form of advertisements. How do you think TV influences us?
Ans. TV has different types of programmes such as news, sports, cartoons, animal planet, regional channels and its programmes, entertainment programmes viz., movies, songs, bhajans, religion related programmes, Kaun Banega Crorepati, reality TV shows like Big Boss etc. About half time is given to the advertisement in between, before and after the programme.
We can choose TV channels as per our choice. Hot discussions on political and social issues are presented which also shape our attitude and help in expanding our knowledge. Thus, TV shapes our views of the world, our beliefs, attitudes and values.
Q 29 – Write a short note on media activities.
Ans. In a democracy, the media plays a very important role in providing news and discussing events. Government’s programmes, policies, new laws, implementation status etc., and various issues are discussed daily on TV and Radio. Various other activities such as sports, social protest, and parliamentary discussion are also included in the daily shows of TV. Thus, media is also a means to provide information.
Q 30 – Which are issues focussed by media?
Ans. Media focusses on the stories which are liked by the masses. Thus, such stories are presented to make this as an interesting form. Various TV serials are example of such type of presentation. Media focusses on business-related activities. Thus, many times social matters are given look importance.