Understanding Media

Q19. How television is like a ‘window on the world’?

Ans. Television is like a ‘window on the world’ because a lot of our impressions about the world around us are formed by what we see on TV.

Q20. What do you found most useful about internet?

Ans. We always get the latest information on internet as we can read latest news and gain knowledge about the latest products within minutes of their release.

Q21. What do you mean by ‘public protest’?

Ans. When a large number of people come together and openly state their opposition to some issue is termed as public protest. Organising a rally, starting a signature campaign, blocking roads etc. are some of the ways in which this is done.

Q22. What is an independent media?

Ans. An independent media means that no one should control and influence its coverage of news. No one should tell the media what can be included and what should not be included in a news story.

Q23. What is mass media?

Ans. TV, radio and newspapers are a form of media that reaches millions of people, or the masses, across the country and the world and, thus, they are called mass media.

Q24. Why media is not interested in covering small issues that involve ordinary people and their daily lives?

Ans. Media is not interested in covering small issues that involve ordinary people and their daily lives because these issues cannot attract lot of reader or viewer and hence may affect their business.

Q25. How people express their dissatisfaction to any of the government’s action or plan?

Ans. Some of the ways in which they can do this is by writing letters to the concerned minister, organising a public protest, starting a signature campaign, asking the government to rethink its programme, etc.

Q26. “Television gives us a partial view of the world”. Comment

Ans. We need to realise that television gives us a partial view of the world. While we enjoy our favourite programmes, we should always be aware of the large exciting world beyond our TV screens. There is so much happening out there that TV ignores.

Q27. Why is it important to have independent media?

Ans. In order to write balanced reports, media need to be independent. Moreover, it is on the basis of the information that the media provides that we take action as citizens, so it is important that this information is reliable and not biased.

Q28. Why media is no longer considered independent?

Ans.  Media continual need for money and its links to advertising means that it becomes difficult for media to be reporting against people who give them advertisements. Media is, thus, no longer considered independent because of its close links to business.

Q29. What do the word media mean?

Ans.  Media is the plural form of the word ‘medium’ and it describes the various ways through which we communicate in society. Because media refers to all means of communication, everything ranging from a phone call to the evening news on TV can be called media.

Q30. Why do media sometimes focus on only one side of the story?

Ans. Media sometimes focus on only one side of the story because:

                       i.        Media’s continual need for money and its links to advertising means that it becomes difficult for media to be reporting against people who give them advertisements.

                      ii.        They believe this makes the story interesting.

                     iii.        They often do this to increase public support for an issue.

Q31. How has television brought the world closer to us?

Ans. Television has enabled us to think of ourselves as members of a larger global world. Television images travel huge distances through satellites and cables. This allows us to view news and entertainment channels from other parts of the world. Most of the cartoons that we see on television are mostly from Japan or the United States. We can now be sitting in Chennai or Jammu and can see images of a storm that has hit the coast of Florida in the United States. Television has brought the world closer to us.