KUMAR SAHIL’s Post

Social media has become so powerful that it is threateing the survival of mainstream media. By the time the news hits the mainstream media it is already a stale news and all the discussions, debate and judgment has gone beyond any meaningful influence by the media. News travels instantly these days and social media has become the medium for even newsmakers as well. But if the media is prudent, balanced, independant and have the pulse of the nation then there is room for media to thrive. Media must report news and not make news and influence public opinion to the benefit of a particular agenda. These days you wonder if some journalists are employees of a particular media and or a political party? One media outlet has excelled in keeping it's independence and honored its core role and that is Fijivillage and FM96. A recent survey by internationally renowned rating agency has put Communications Fiji Ltd far ahead. Infact, Fijivillage had been securing 3000 hits per month because it has maintained its independence and has provided balanced reporting. Sometimes you wonder if some in media wanted media freedom or change in government. By holding the government accountable is your core duty as a fourth state, it has nothing to do with being anti government. A weak and biased media breeds weak democracy. An independant and balanced reporting by the media results in strong democracy and an effective government. Congratulations to Vijay Narayan and his entire team for job well done. Keep marching on and you will thrive as long as you have the confidence of the people.

The Fourth Pillar on Quicksand? Navigating the Indian Media Landscape Hello LinkedIn sophisticates, if you're scrolling through your feed, chances are you're part of or at least familiar with the enigmatic realm we call media. But let's not mince words, shall we? In today's discourse, I'd like to pull back the curtain on the Indian media, often hailed as the "fourth pillar of democracy." But is it really holding up the roof? Let's start with the basics: India's rank in the World Press Freedom Index 2024 has seen a slight improvement, clocking in at 159 out of 180 countries. A modest step up from 161 the previous year. Sounds like progress, until you realize we're still scraping the bottom of the barrel. Now, the crux of the matter: ownership. Who owns what you read, watch, or listen to? It turns out a significant slice of Indian media pies is held by a few. Take for instance, the Ambani juggernaut, controlling a whopping 70+ media outlets. Then there's the recent high-profile acquisition of NDTV by Gautam Adani, further muddying the waters of media pluralism. It seems our media isn't just reporting news; it's making it. But let’s talk brass tacks—why does this even matter? Well, with major companies and personalities holding the reins, there's an inevitable bend towards narratives that favor—or don't challenge—their interests. The consequences? A press that's less of a watchdog and more of a lapdog. Moreover, let's not forget the advertisements. Oh, the advertisements! They've become the lifeline for most media houses, which means if you're not paying for the product, you probably are the product, swayed by content that caters more to advertisers than to truth. And if you think this is just about corporate overlords, think again. The seduction of sensationalism and the race for ratings have led to a bifurcation in media—outlets are either singing praises or spewing vitriol. It’s less of a debate and more of a debacle. But here's the kicker: despite this dire portrait, the silver linings are the journalists and small outlets that continue to push against the gale of gag orders and golden handcuffs. They remind us why the fourth pillar is, indeed, indispensable. So, dear reader, next time you consume your news, ask not just what your media can do for you, but also who really controls it. In a world of curated content and crafted narratives, your awareness is not just necessary; it’s revolutionary. #pressfreedomindia #democracyindanger #democracy #indianmedia #mediaownership #independentmedia #raibhilo

My views on the Press in India. 1) Media/Press is considered as 4th pillar of democracy. It is the medium which connects the government of the day and the people. It is the institution which shows the reality of the Govt. to people and It has the power to make govt. accountable. 2) According to Press Freedom Index-2024, India ranked 159/180 countries which is below our neighbours i.e Pakistan, Srilanka. 3) In India, The media is mostly influenced by the political parties either directly i.e., either owning them to propagate their narrative or indirectly i.e.,by doing arm twisting through stopping their advertisements. As the media runs on TRPs and Advertisements, it is becoming a victim of the Political parties, which is one of the highest spender in India on advertisements. 4) Even there are few Media Houses and journalists, who fearlessly report the misdeeds of the govt. But they are facing High-Handedness of the govt either through strict and arbitrary laws like UAPA, 1967, ED raids etc and Lack of protection to journalists further creating a sense of cooling effect on Freedom of speech. 5) The problem further aggravated by the entry of Social Media, where every one became a reporter without being qualified to be one. People started promoting their prejudiced information under the disguise of so-called "influencers". As the monetisation policy of social media platforms is based on views and subscribers, many are potentially misusing it with falsehood and attention grabbing stories. 6) Media is an important tool to educate people, which was used by moderates in the 19th century to create political awareness among people. Now, its value has been declining merely as a tool of political leaders. 7) I conclude it by saying that an Independent media is necessary for the growth of a nation which exposes the realty of govt, educate people to make informed decisions during elections and to make the govt. accountable otherwise, We will become dancers to the tune(narrative) set by the Political parties without understanding the actual reality.

As the world’s fastest-growing digital landscape, South Asia has rapidly emerged as a hub for media innovation and expansion. This article explores the opportunities, challenges, and trends that continue to shape the media landscape across South Asia.#EmergingMediaMarkets #SouthAsiaMedia #DigitalTransformation #SouthAsiaGrowth #JournalismTrends

It's a new year and that means shifts in the media industry. Here are 5 trends we expect to see in media in 2025. https://lnkd.in/gNwdFr_m

SheHeStories aim to bring up the people who have done a lot in line with the ones seeking Aspiration.. Our Fourteen (14th) story is about Dr. Sanjeev Dev Malik, He can be counted among the few International Media Baron for sure. A domain where people are wanting and criticised or both at its core is media, and when our next Profile is about someone who is not merely managing one perhaps 6 News & Media Channels is a big bang. People are found saying, this man has got some worm for Growth and is Aggressive about his work and Life. Exceptionally skilled Journalist possesses “Dogged Determination” to find the story and deliver it to the public. Have authored award-winning exposes and believes in protecting the confidentiality of anonymous sources even in the face of tremendous pressure. Reported on a wide variety of news topics for print and digital editions, have conducted interviews with Diplomats i.e Ambassadors of various countries to India and officials. Followed the story even when potentially dangerous. Provided compelling coverage of both anticipated and spontaneous news for print and online media. Sanjeev Dev Malik is holding online News Portals with 18 Million viewers in any given month, isn't a huge number folks ?? He Has been awarded with the plethora of Awards, to name a few International Media Person at British Parliament, International Media Person at GOPIO Varanasi, International Media Person at 15th Pravasi Bhartiya Divas, Dr. D R Ambedkar National Award 2018 – in Journalism, Global Eminence Award BY AIAC, Pride of the Nation by AIAC, Indian Icon Award by AIAC, Green Siddhi Sustainable Warrior Award, Nirbhay Jyoti Achievers Excellence Award, The Humanity Excellence Award by We Welfare Society and many more. His Entities are World News 24x7 Pvt. Ltd., NewsAge Pvt. Ltd., News Global e-TV Networks Pvt Ltd., GNN – Global News Network, Transcontinental Times (Spain) and Founder - WebFlix Featuring :- Dr. Sanjeev Dev Malik Field :- International Media Baron Concept by :- Dr. Neha Kala PR by :- Bud Your PR Concept Links FB Link :- https://lnkd.in/eyGma-ei Insta Link :- https://lnkd.in/d5Jg8xvQ LinkedIn :- https://lnkd.in/e4_sfgX6 Further Posted on https://lnkd.in/dSGpuJxp https://lnkd.in/dR5WE5Te https://lnkd.in/dU85VWB2 https://lnkd.in/d62K8aPx https://lnkd.in/ezVJjjf3 https://lnkd.in/e-3a_fxU https://lnkd.in/dAqQKQaR #SheHeStories #SheHeStoriesbyNK #ConceptbyNehaKala #BudYourPR #SheHeStoriesbyDrNK #SheHeStoriesbyDrNehaKala #NehaKala #DrNehaKala #ConceptCreatorNK #ConceptCreatorNehaKala #ConceptCreatorDrNehaKala 

Okay here’s something about the almost corrupt media that we are bombarded with nearly every moment… Media bias can stem from various factors: 1. Political Bias: Media outlets may lean towards certain political ideologies, influencing how they report news. This can lead to selective coverage or framing of stories to align with their political stance. 2. Economic Interests: Media companies often rely on advertising revenue. Stories that attract more viewers or readers can be prioritized, sometimes at the expense of balanced reporting. 3. Ownership and Control: The owners of media outlets can influence editorial decisions. If owners have specific political or economic interests, this can shape the content and slant of the news. 4. Audience Expectations: Media outlets may cater to the preferences and biases of their audience to maintain viewership and readership. This can result in echo chambers where only certain viewpoints are presented. 5. Journalistic Bias: Individual journalists may have personal biases that affect their reporting. This can lead to subjective interpretations of events. 6. Sensationalism: To attract attention, media outlets might sensationalize stories, which can distort the facts and lead to misinformation. It’s important to consume news from multiple sources to get a more balanced view. https://lnkd.in/g8sHAbny https://lnkd.in/g7Uyguyr https://lnkd.in/geKfgAkc https://lnkd.in/gemDZzSA https://lnkd.in/g8tR8BXp

In our era of omnipresent media, it is hard to escape the profusion of human interest stories and so called 'Vox-Pops'. Everywhere and anywhere we see these instances presented as representative of the general state of affairs. The media knows that such stories are far more interesting to their audience than statistics. By and large we don't like engaging with numbers, but we are very interested in the experiences of others. We love tales of misfortune: especially extreme misfortune. It is generally thought this is because it was an evolutionary advantage for us to know about things that might harm us. So we devour stories about the woes of others. The media understand this well. Because audience numbers drive advertising sales, they have a tendency to focus on extreme and negative situations. We get far more 'bad' news than we do 'good' news. As a rule this is not remotely representative of the experiences of the vast majority. I have always found it rather ironic that while we have the expression 'statistics, more statistics and damn lies', we have nothing equivalent to describe the way anecdotes get misused. It is of course true that many have used partial statistics or manipulated them to give false impressions. However, particularly in a democracy, most published official statistics will have undergone a degree of independent scrutiny. They are usually reliable as long as they are used in context. Those of us who have worked with large sets of data know that the true picture of affairs can be quite different to the popular understanding based on anecdote. Actually, here I will make a plug for Hans Rosling's erudite book "Factfulness" - it debunks a lot of popular received wisdom that is not an accurate representation of the state of affairs. Yet unrepresentative human interest anecdotes are readily trusted. As a consequence they are used to manipulate audiences. Single incident anecdotes, often describing extreme situations, are used as a way of pushing political agendas. It is probably the most widespread abuse of power by the media. To the dismay of their officials, all too often politicians feel they must respond to the 'voice of the people', no matter how thin the actual evidence is. This is a very bad way to make decisions or policy. For those interested in the origins of the expression Vox populi, it came from the advice given to Charlemagne by Alcuin of York in a letter of 798. The original advice is in Latin: Nec audiendi qui solent dicere, Vox populi, vox Dei, quum tumultuositas vulgi semper insaniae proxima sit. The translation is: "And those people should not be listened to who keep saying the voice of the people is the voice of God, since the riotousness of the crowd is always very close to madness."

It's out for a month now, but did it get enough attention? This study shows why common ground in societies is at risk: I am talking about the Reuters Institute Digital News Report which is based on a YouGov survey of more than 95,000 people in 47 countries representing half of the world's population. https://lnkd.in/eqhu3xwp An ultra-insightful study for everyone wanting to better understand the media environment we as communicators operate in, the gigantic shifts it continues to undergo, and gauge the consequences thereof. Why is this such a compelling read? It illustrates the underlying dynamic in the opinion and acceptance-building space which is the societal media discourse. The exec summary (22 pages) must make it onto your summer reading list. One of the key dynamics the report describes is brought about by a combination of social plus video plus independent 'creators'. Which translates into: - bias-confirming channels (what you see is based on what you watched before) plus - entertainment-oriented formats ("fun and engaging videos") plus - commercialization – because a) 'social' channels ultimately are all about 'paid' and b) the rise of "celebrity" independent news creators (oftentimes former journalists) with an own political but most of all own commercial agenda making their living based on clicks and ads. Do you have a paid-for subscription? Then you are part of a minority: 8% in UK, 10-15% in Western Europe (IT, FR, PT, ES and DE) and around a third in the Nordics. Is that a viable business? Probably not! Now, tech giants have become the largest publishers – but are agnostic of the classic virtues of news journalism. Citizens are treated as consumers. Here is where common ground is dissolved, and polarization and fragmentation thrive. And at the same time, news avoidance is on the rise. Side remark: that TikTok has become a prime source of news content for many people across the globe – including Western countries! – has its very own acerbic ambivalence! All of this poses huge threats to the ability of liberal democracies to understand, discuss, and rationally decide upon the right course of action. The bar is rising for politicians and their communications: rational, centrist policies must have a comparable emotional appeal as their populist opponents. In a way, we're back to the Athens public square! You can treat this as a policy or regulatory issue – and we better get started. But in my mind, it's also a behavioral issue; everyone who is a parent must weigh in to grow our kids' inclination to read (books – see attention span), write proper (correct, logical) sentences, lead them towards critical thinking, and get them off screen as often as possible. Even if it's not "fun and engaging" all the time. Just like reality. To fortify democracy, it all starts here. Jonathan Buck - Christof Ehrhart - Prof. Dr. Ansgar Zerfass - International Panel on the Information Environment (IPIE) - Anthony Kennaway

The Illusion of Unbiased Views In our hyper-connected world, opinions flood the internet with alarming ease, often unchecked and unaccountable. This deluge of information creates an illusion of righteousness, where even the most baseless claims can appear as gospel truth to unsuspecting viewers. As we align ourselves with left or right ideologies, we risk losing sight of our true north: national progress. The modern tendency to elevate political leaders to near-mythical status further obscures this goal. Take, for instance, the Indian political landscape. YouTubers like Sham Sharma and Amit Sengupta champion Narendra Modi, while figures such as Dhruv Rathee and Akash Banerjee vehemently oppose him. This polarization creates a three-tiered pyramid of influence: At the base: The vast audience, swayed by competing narratives. In the middle: Influencers and media figures, amplifying chosen messages. At the apex: Political parties and leaders, orchestrating division for power. The leaders are shamelessly dividing the people of India for their selfish pursuit of power. Adding fuel to this fire are organizations like I-PAC, political consultancies that mine data to manufacture issues, segmenting the populace for votes. This manipulation extends beyond politics, seeping into religious and social spheres, tainting the very essence of online information. With this intelligence, they transform public concerns into political leverage, advising parties on which issues to champion. Their influence extends to the media landscape, where they: -Select influential voices and platforms for maximum impact -Orchestrate interviews and podcasts with calculated precision -Time content releases for optimal psychological effect -Craft talking points to fuel controversy and engagement This manipulation fragments the populace into voting blocs, prioritizing political gain over national unity. A video gets traction when people like, share, or comment on it. For this very purpose, influencers and leaders engage in conversations and speak in ways to instigate emotions in the viewers; these emotions make a viewer biased because a person resonates with another based on how they make you feel. As people, we shall use the internet to point out what are the issues faced by our people and not fight on the basis of moves made by BJP/Congress on the issue.  Use the internet and take information from it out of logic and rationality. For the generation we are and the generation to come, we shall teach ourselves to see the issues of national development, through the lens of the problem itself and not from the lens of political factions. Also, have a clear distinction on what media speaks for engagement and what it speaks for the issue itself. We shall not be influenced by what people have to say in the comments section and think through logic and rationality.  If this happens to a generation as a whole, and a nation as a whole then we truly develop. #article #politics #media