Page 197 - SST Class 07
P. 197

Different means of communication too have their          5. The chief function of the media is to provide
            vested interests. All newspapers and television             information to the __________ .
            channels are owned by powerful or political
            people, and they view an event taking into                                 ADVERTISING
            consideration the benefit or loss it may cause to       If we are able to watch television, or listen to
            them. Often, political affiliations have resulted in
                                                                    radio, or read newspapers at no or low cost, its
            giving misinformation to the people.
                                                                    credit must go to advertisements that are relayed
            Another trend that can be seen in the media,            and published in the media. Advertisement is the
            especially television news channels, that they pay      most important source of revenue for the media.
            more attention to one event, and overlook or give
                                                                    The facility of advertisement can be availed by the
            a negligible space to other events, which may be        government departments, social organisations,
            equally or even more important than the event           commercial organisations and individuals to tell
            they have chosen to show. This results in
                                                                    people about their schemes, projects, causes,
            prejudiced information. Also, television channels       products, opinions and other issues.
            are often seen making a hill out of a mole. They
            exaggerate an event to such an extent that the          Generally advertisements are given in the media
            people lose their interest in it. Doing so, keeps the   by vested interests, so they may not contain
            people uninformed about other events taking             factual information. An advertisement must be
            place in the country and world. On many                 read or seen very carefully, because they try to
            occasions, the media has jeopardised the national       highlight one aspect and underscore other aspects.
            security, as was seen in the Mumbai Terror              Types of Advertising
            Attacks in November 2008. Of course, restrictions
                                                                    Advertising is done for different purposes. Thus,
            on the media amount to the curtailment of the
            right to speech and expression; but some                there are four types of advertisements :
            restrictions are necessary so that this right is not    Commercial Advertisements
            used to harm the individual and national interests.
                                                                    Commercial advertisements form a major chunk
            In view of the above                                    of the total advertisements in the media. They are
            reasons, it is necessary                                given by companies and firms selling their
            that     some      ethical                              products and services. They are meant to draw the
            guidelines   should    be                               attention of the people towards certain products
            formed so that the media                                and services, with a motive to earn profits. It often
            is not able to exploit an                               occurs that these advertisements exaggerate the
            event    solely   for   its                             features of the products or services which, in fact
            commercial purpose.                                     are negligible or non-existent. Therefore, one
                                            A news brief after
                Quiz Time                 Mumbai terror attacks     should be careful to look into the features of a
                                                                    product or service before buying it.
            Fill in the blanks :

            1. ____________    and ____________     are closely
               interrelated.
            2. The analysis of an event makes people aware
               about the real __________  .
            3. The three estates or organs of the government
               are __________ __________     and __________  .
                               ,
            4. The    means   of   mass   communication     are       A newspaper advertisement  A television advertisement
               __________  , __________ __________     etc.
                                         ,
                                                                    Commercial      advertising    has    resulted    in
                                                                                            Understanding Media
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