Democracy and Journalism

Democracy is a form of government in which state-power is held by the majority of citizens within a country or a state. In political theory, democracy describes a small number of related forms of government and also a political philosophy. Even though there is no universally accepted definition of 'democracy', there are two principles that any definition of democracy includes. The first principle is that all members of the society have equal access to power and the second that all members enjoy universally recognized freedoms and liberties. Journalism is the production of news reports and editorials through media such as newspapers, magazines, radio, television and the Internet. Journalists, be they writers, editors, photographers, broadcast presenters or producers, serve as the main purveyors of information and opinion in contemporary society.

In the 1920s, as modern journalism was just taking form, Walter Lippmann understood that journalism's role at the time was to act as a mediator or translator between the public and policy making elites. The journalist became the middleman. When elites spoke, journalists listened and recorded the information, distilled it, and passed it on to the public for their consumption. His reasoning behind this was that the public was not in a position to deconstruct the growing and complex flurry of information present in modern society, and so an intermediary was needed to filter news for the masses. Lippman put it this way: The public is not smart enough to understand complicated, political issues. Furthermore, the public was too consumed with their daily lives to care about complex public policy. Therefore the public needed someone to interpret the decisions or concerns of the elite to make the information plain and simple. That was the role of journalists. However, American philosopher John Dewey, on the other hand, believed the public was not only capable of understanding the issues created or responded to by the elite; it was in the public forum that decisions should be made after discussion and debate. When issues were thoroughly vetted, then the best ideas would bubble to the surface. Dewey believed journalists should do more than simply pass on information. He believed they should weigh the consequences of the policies being enacted. Over time, his idea has been implemented in various degrees, and is more commonly known as "community journalism."

Thus, one of the remarkable phenomena during the latter part of the twentieth century has been the emergence of media power, the impact of which has been all pervasive, transcending national frontiers. It is seen that independent media plays a major role in ensuring proper functioning of a democracy by mustering public opinion against corrupt practices that comes with power and authority cannot be disputed either. In a democratic state people vote for all kind of reasons, as is their right, and not always on the basis of rational thought or careful deliberation. But from the normative perspective the democratic ideal is one of informed choice to which the outputs of political journalism are key contributors. Journalists provide the key information on which citizens become able to judge between competing candidates and parties.

Media’s place in democracy is complex and varied. But in the last instance, it is up to those working in the media who can do a lot to shape the particular contribution of their medium. That indeed is part of the responsibility and calling of being a journalist. Actually, journalism is the voice of the voiceless people. Though mass media have a dual responsibility- to their owners and advertisers, and to the public; both of them are very important; but the priority should be given to the public. Journalist play the vital role of “watchdog” over the government looking out for instances of malfunction and corruption. The public would have far less control over the affairs of the government without the probing questions of investigative reporters. Democracy of journalism means freedom of press which gives right to publish without prior restraint and freedom from despotic control by the government. So when public are given diversified information, they take their own decisions. In a way, we can say, media is not the power house itself but it enjoys the power through the public support. So media indirectly control the government.

Only elections don’t make the state democratic. Liberated media is fundamentally crucial in genuine democratic societies because it practices the theory of including the public in governmental affairs, and commemorates the democratic idea that reality can only be relative and truth and facts are to be deemed authentic by individuals, not administrators.Without freedom in journalism, journalism will not be able to achieve its objective. And without free journalism democracy is incomplete.