Class 12 Sociology · Chapter 14 NotesMass Media and Communications

The first modern mass media institution began with the printing press. Johannes Gutenberg developed the printing technique in 1440, and initial printing was restricted to religious books. With the Industrial Revolution, the print industry grew, but it was only in the mid-19th century that newspapers reached a mass audience due to developments in technology, transportation and literacy. Benedict Anderson argued that this helped the growth of nationalism, as people who never met felt connected, forming an 'imagined community'. In colonial India, the nationalist press played a crucial role in nurturing anti-colonial public opinion. Newspapers like Kesari, Mathrubhumi and Amrita Bazar Patrika advocated the nationalist cause despite censorship. Raja Rammohun Roy's Sambad-Kaumudi (1821) and Mirat-Ul-Akbar (1822) were early publications with a distinct nationalist and democratic approach.

• Johann Gutenberg developed the printing press in 1440.
• Benedict Andersonnation as an 'imagined community'.
• Nationalist press faced censorship, e.g., during Ilbert Bill agitation in 1883.

In independent India, Jawaharlal Nehru called upon the media to function as the watchdog of democracy. The media was expected to spread the spirit of self-reliance and national development, and to fight against oppressive social practices like untouchability, child marriage and ostracism of widows. A rational, scientific ethos was to be promoted for building a modern industrial society. The Films Division produced newsreels and documentaries that were shown before films in every movie theatre, documenting the state-directed development process. The media was seen as an active partner in the development of the newly free nation.

• Media as watchdog of democracy and partner in nation building.
• Films Division produced newsreels and documentaries.
• Promotion of rational and scientific ethos.

Radio broadcasting began in India through amateur 'ham' broadcasting clubs in Kolkata and Chennai in the 1920s. It matured into a public broadcasting system in the 1940s during World War II. At independence, there were only six radio stations in major cities. By 1950, there were 5,46,200 radio licences. All India Radio (AIR) focused on news, current affairs and development discussions. The transistor revolution in the 1960s made radio more accessible by reducing the cost and making sets battery-operated and mobile. In 2000, around 110 million households listened to radio broadcasts in 24 languages and 146 dialects. AIR operates a three-tiered service: national, regional and local. Privately owned FM radio stations began in 2002, providing entertainment but no political news bulletins.

• AIR started with six stations at independence.
• Transistor revolution in the 1960s made radio mobile and affordable.
• FM radio privatisation in 2002 boosted entertainment programmes.

Television programming was introduced experimentally in India in 1959 to promote rural development. The Satellite Instructional Television Experiment (SITE) broadcast directly to community viewers in six states between August 1975 and July 1976. Doordarshan stations were set up in Delhi, Mumbai, Srinagar and Amritsar by 1975. The 1982 Asian Games in Delhi introduced colour broadcasting, leading to rapid commercialisation. Hum Log (1984–85) was India's first long-running soap opera, using entertainment-education strategy. It promoted social themes like gender equality and small family size. The 1990s saw a boom in private satellite channels, with over 900 private television networks by 2020. Transnational channels like Star TV, MTV and Sony localised their content by introducing Hindi programming.

• SITE (1975–76) broadcast to 2,400 TV sets in six states.
• Hum Log (1984–85) was India's first soap opera.
• Private satellite channels multiplied after 1991.

After Independence, the print media continued as a partner in nation building, taking up developmental issues and giving voice to the widest sections of people. Journalism in India was regarded as a 'calling' and later transformed into a profession. The Emergency (1975–77) posed the gravest challenge with censorship of the media. In recent decades, the Indian language newspaper revolution has been significant. Hindi, Telugu and Kannada recorded the highest growth. From 39.1 million copies in 2006, average daily circulation grew to 62.8 million in 2016. The growth is attributed to rising literacy, migration to cities, and the needs of small towns and villages. Newspapers have adopted advanced printing technologies and marketing strategies.

• Emergency (1975–77) imposed censorship on media.
• Indian language newspapers grew rapidly; Hindi, Telugu, Kannada led.
• Dainik Jagran and Dainik Bhaskar are top Hindi dailies.

Globalisation has profoundly transformed the media industry. National markets have given way to a fluid global market, and new technologies have led to the fusion of forms of media that were once distinct. The music industry is a prime example, as music can reach people who do not know the language, and technologies like MTV and CDs have globalised its distribution. The Internet allows digital downloading, threatening traditional music industry structures. In print media, new technologies have boosted production and circulation. Television has seen a massive growth of private channels, with localisation strategies to cater to diverse Indian audiences. Radio has seen the growth of FM channels, often owned by media conglomerates. The demand for local news is growing, and community radio stations are emerging.

• Globalisation led to fusion of media forms.
• Music industry globalised through technology.
• Localisation strategies by transnational television channels.

Mass media is an essential part of our personal and public life today. This chapter has attempted to understand it as an important part of contemporary society, focusing on its many dimensions – its link with the state and the market, its social organisation and management, and its relationship with readers and audience. It has looked at both the constraints within which media operates and the many ways it affects our lives. The relationship between mass media and society is dialectical: both influence each other. The chapter highlights the need to critically examine the role of media in a modern democracy.

• Media operates within constraints of state and market.
• Dialectical relationship between media and society.
• Critical understanding of media's role in democracy.