Mass Media

In India, the mass media is gaining increasing importance. The newspapers are by and large owned by the major industrial houses. Now, the regional newspapers are also becoming influential. The print as well as the television in present time, through their skills of communication, create powerful public images and

through continuous debate and propaganda influence the public opinion. The political parties and policy-making agencies are sometimes kept on tenterhooks by the media.

♤ For example, in the post-Independent India one issue on which government had to retreat is the issue of freedom of press. Whenever the bills were introduced either in the state legislatures or Parliament, they had to be withdrawn. Enough public pressure could be built on this issue. Therefore, this is a major weapon in the hands of the industrial houses or private sector to influence the policy-making process.