THE ROLE OF MEDIA IN OUR SOCIETY
One of the earliest proverbs we learn at school is “The pen is mightier than the sword”. This signifies the importance and power of literature, which has the ability to influence people more than any war or conquest. The written material is the source and fundamental part of media. With the advent of modern technology, the media has diversified into many other forms, such as radio, television and the Internet. Together, these play a very important role in shaping up the views and opinions of the society.

The earliest records of media playing a role in the society are believed to have been originated in ancient Greece. It started out as a sort of pamphlet which informed people about the government orders and was posted at public places. During the Middle Ages, drummers used to be dispatched to villages to inform th people about the king’s directives. Towards the beginning of the 18th century, newspapers in their present form started becoming more common, as printing presses became cheap and available throughout the world. The onset of the 20th century saw the invention of radio and then the television, opening up new vistas of opportunities for the media to expand itself. Gradually, major world events came to be broadcast by these modern tools, thus laying the foundation of a symbiotic relationship between the news and the medium. The invention of the Internet took the world by storm and quickly became the most preferred tool of media broadcasting. Today, the world is at our fingertips, as we can access news happening in any corner of the world with just a click of the button.

There is a well-known saying: “With great power comes great responsibility.” The media ought to play a constructive role in the society. As such, its role is of paramount importance, since its conduct has a bearing on everyone’s lives. In modern times, we