WOMEN AND MEDIA IN INDIA

WOMEN AND MEDIA IN INDIA
*Dr.SP.Mathiraj ** R.Saroja Devi
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ABSTRACT
Media can play a useful role in distribution of information about health, program to the general
public; it can be used for creating proper awareness, imparting education and prevention of
various health diseases. Media play an important role in community development. Mass media
has saturated the developed world. The television in the living room, the newspaper on the
doorstep, the radio in the computer at work and the fliers in the mailbox, face book are just a
few of the media channels daily delivering advertisements, news, opinion, music and other
forms of mass communication. Advertisements have always been an important marketing
strategy. In modern times, advertising has become the lifeline of the business economy. It is a
practical and successful method of mass communication. These days, advertising messages are
in a world of your own with grabbling attention and sustaining interest, rather than transferring
persuasion messages. The women development is the all media.
“There is no chance of the welfare of the world unless the condition

of women is improved. It is not possible for a bird to fly on one wing”.
- Swami Vivekananda
INTRODUCTION
The most significant and longest social movement continuing is movement for emancipation of
women. Though the primary goal for women empowerment is to improve the quality of life of
women but it has also deep ramifications in social, economic and political scenario of body
polity. The media through its reach to people at large has been instrumental though media the
extent desired in supporting the movement for women emancipation by focusing neglect and
marginalization of the position of the women in society. Though women have significantly in
every aspect of life, the long list of in human treatment given seems
Never ending. The Government, judiciary and social action groups are taking positive action to
provide women true dignity in economic, social and personal areas. In endeavor the mass media
have a pivotal role reporting wrong doing following up remedial action, mobilizing public
opinion, brining about social change and highlighting positive developments. The pattern of
value in any society is reflected in the contents of mass communications. The way subjects
dealing with women are treated indicated to a great extent the prevailing attitude of the society
towards women.
Role of Women in Media

Mass Media: TV, radio, cinema, newspapers, magazines and newsletters and technology such
as the Internet and E-mail as well as other media that may not be as obvious such as children's
comics and cartoons, theatre, puppetry, dance and song. The media is a vehicle used to inform
as well as entertain the public. The media is a carrier of information, ideas, thoughts and
opinions. It is a powerful force in influencing people’s perceptions on a variety of issues. The
media can be both positive as well as negative in terms of the position and views of women as
well as a powerful mechanism for education and socialization. Although the media has played
an important role in highlighting women's issues, it has also had negative impact, in terms of
perpetrating violence against women through pornography and images
of women as a female body that can be bought and sold. Overall, the media treatment of women
is narrow and continually reinforces stereotyped gender roles and assumptions that women's
functions are that of a wife, mother and servant of men. This is especially so in advertising.
Women and Media
During the past decade, advances in information technology have facilitated a global
communications network that transcends national boundaries and has an impact on public
policy, private attitudes and behavior, especially of children and young adults. Everywhere the
potential exists for the media to make a far greater contribution to the advancement of women.
More women are involved in careers in the communications sector, but few have attained
positions at the decision-making level or serve on governing boards and bodies that influence
media policy. The lack of gender sensitivity in the media is evidenced by the failure to
eliminate the gender-based stereotyping that can be found in public and private local, national
and international media organizations.
Women Journalist in Media

In such a rapidly changing environment, women in media have a large responsibility in not only
changing attitude towards women but also shaping public opinion. With women holding
responsible position in newspapers or electronic media, their competency should extend to a
wider area and arrange of issues. More importantly, a woman journalist is expected to show
more sensitivity to issues relating to women and to more meaningful insights and perspectives.
Print Media
Indian should be proud of having a free and responsible press. An investigating journalist of a
leading daily newspaper proved in December’ 98 that women were sold in Andhra Pradesh. The
elder of Rajya Sabha were shocked to hear that women were being sold in the market place like
cattle even today. Both the Supreme Court judgment on Shah Bano and the Roop Kanwar
‘Sati”, brought forth a spare of reportage and editorial comments. The heinous act of female
infanticide was brought out only through the press. Dowry deaths moved from the confines of
the home to the front page. These incidents highlight two major points. One that women are still
treated only as commodities that can be sold and bought and thrown away if unwanted a
reflection of the damnable discrimination and indignity that women suffer in various parts of
the country. Second, it highlights the role of media in making it public, however only a few
sensational issues are flashed in the newspaper.
Normally, it is lamented place in the newspaper. A few newspapers carry women’s page which
is again the beauty tips, recipes and fashion syndromes.
Electronic Media
Television is widely known to represent and reinforce the mainstream ideology of
contemporary western culture: patriarchy. While television representations of women have
changed greatly in the last twenty years alone, in order to accommodate the changing role of
women in society, one is led to ask how much
The ideology has changed behind the more modern representations of women. Television is
regarded by many viewers to be the most 'real' form of media. If this is the case, then it is
important for us to question how real the representations of women are on television and how
this affects the attitudes of those who watch.
Social Media and Women
While discussing the role of women in media sector, it is no women difficult to ignore the
contribution of social media, modern tool of citizen journalism, in improving the representation
of women. Seventy-five percent of women and 63 percent of men used social media in 2012,
There is hardly any serious research work available in this direction which specifically
investigates how changing aspirations of women are reflected on social media. Women, acting
as citizen journalist on various platforms of social media are claiming for their rights with firm
determination. This process has revealed some excellent trends which are to be introspected
carefully. It is certainly a very difficult task to draw a complete picture from these emerging
trends but we have recently witnessed some incidents which can serve as reference points to
understand the role of women on various platforms of social media in improving their social
and political status. First incident was the gang rape case of a twenty three year old girl in New
Delhi.
VI. CONCLUSION
If news content is the final outcome of a series of steps involving the participation of a number
of individuals, role of women in shaping and determining news agendas become very
important. Women breaking through the glass ceiling to reach senior leadership positions are
rising at a slow pace. Many efforts are to be put in this direction. Technological evolution has to
play a very important role. As we can see, new media forms are creating an alternative culture.
Greater mobility and acceptance of women in public spaces is a necessary condition of a
healthy and modern democracy. A free flow of information is an essential ingredient of open
and democratic societies. There can be no full freedom of the press until women have an equal
voice in the news-gathering and news dissemination processes.

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WOMEN AND MEDIA IN INDIA

*Dr.SP.Mathiraj ** R.Saroja Devi

“There is no chance of the welfare of the world unless the condition

Role of Women in Media

Women and Media

Women Journalist in Media

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