Media and Public Opinion

Media and Public Opinion Dr. Ved Prakash Bhardwaj In the republic political system we have a government, called a democratic government for the people and by the people. Liberty and democracy is two sides of political coin of Indian political system. The media does a central role in Indian politics. We accept media as the fourth pillar of democratic society. We strongly believe that media is a powerful tool to control politics and government. Media has a duty to convey the public feelings to the government. But in recent time, we show that political organizations use media to influence the public and its opinions. The last few years viewed a tougher interface between the media and consequently the commoner. it is the media (newspaper, TV, social media, Internet, etc.) has developed to be a part of the generation of the humans of India, who believes that they have a moral duty to secure public interest. But in recent years, we saw that major part of media become the puppet. Media keeps the peoples wakened and there's no deny the very reality that it's grown to be one amongst the leading units of social change. In the democratic system, it's media which strengthen the democracy and their norms and values, and also speed up the process of development. Marshall McLuhan has said that the medium is the message. Medium and Media both are interrelated word but have different meanings. Medium means tools, any tools can be a medium but media has something different. Media means an organized source of news and information. It is a common perception that we use different mediums to convey the message, information and news from one person to another is called media. That is, the mediums are only carriers. But in the last decades of the twentieth century it was beginning to be established that mediums have their own empire or state and their role is now changing. The Internet is a medium and the media too, although it is not an organized media like any TV channel or newspaper. But when information is transmitted about the developments or changes happening in the Internet, or when it comes to the effects of the Internet, then it emerges as a separate entity and becomes the media. Similarly, mobile phone is a medium which is also information itself. The role of media has also changed between this changing role of mediums and politics and public opinion. Media has now come into primary role in creating and spoiling public opinion. In the media, along with traditional media, social media is also being used by political parties to generate public opinion in their favor. Before study the impact or role of media on public opinion, we must know that what public opinion, its importance and process is. But first we discuss what media is? As a media student, you know all the sources of shearing of information come under media. Media definition Literary meaning of media word is plural form of medium. But when we called ‘media’ means source of communication. According to Merriam Webster dictionary ‘The singular media and its plural Medias seem to have originated in the field of advertising over 70 years ago; they are still so used without stigma in that specialized field. In most other applications media is used as a plural of medium.’ Media word in references to the agencies of mass communication. In the context of the definition of media, it will be interesting to know how different scholars have defined it. There is a general perception that whatever can spread the information is the media. This is the reason that the advertisement is also considered media and the film also. Films does not bring news to people like newspapers or TVs, but today it is a big media in the context of making and influencing public opinion. Therefore, the media means such a source that transmits any kind of information in public. The general meaning from the media is the entire communication medium but when we use the media word, it has a special meaning. When there is an exchange of information and knowledge between two persons, there is an exchange of information, and the process of communication is also completed, but we cannot keep those individuals under the media. Media means a systematic and organized source of mass communication, which works with the goal of group communication instead of personal communication. That is why even after distributing information on social media, people are not called media. They are kept under public Journalism. Today some experts have been also counted TV, Computer, Mobile etc. counted under the work ‘media’. Various scholars have analyzed the meaning of the media in their own way. Most scholars agree that the media means that the use of mass communication is used for collection and distribution of information. Initially there was only print media. Later, radio and TV expanded it. Mass media or mass communication means communication to a more comprehensive class. It includes photography, cinema, digital media, advertising all. Today the media has become the meaning of any major or smallest activity which works to provide information to the people. So now the meaning of the media is also changing and his character too. Public Opinion Public opinion or mass approach can be understood in different ways in terms of different areas. When we talk about politics, the perspective of the public is inclined to the side or opposition of any political party. When talking in the context of the market, its consumer wishes are in the center. The public is an intangible concept in which people of different interests and minds are involved. So it is clear that we are not talking about ant common or similar approach. The confrontation of public opinion is also natural. There is a class of society which likes to stay with a special approach. Or can we say that he is a habit. Everyone has a different cultural, social, religious and economic background which is the primary source of making their opinion. Man can’t change easily their religion, social statues, beliefs and other things, but he can change their political opinions, consumption behavior, etc. As we grow up, our priorities are changed according to education, convenience, requirement and conditions. There were circumstances changes for a three decade ago, but now these changes have begun to be affected, they have started to direct the public what to do in varies sectors of life, including politics. Now from political parties to the market have started affecting the public Opinion and in this work, most of them take helps by the media. As we know that today the media does not have only newspapers or news channels. Today, advertising, surveys, film, TV serial, religious and cultural events are also included in the media. The scope of the media has not increased but the forms of the media have also expanded. The boundary between news and advertising has become very thin. The political parties have also started gating support by media to create sentiments in their favor and to harm the popularity of the opposition. Similarly, in the market where the productive strives to persuade consumers in advertising of their new products, they also affect their behavior. In order to increase the ability to influence the trends of consumers, media try to direct them in a favorable direction. Public Opinion: it’s Meaning and Characteristics! What is Public? Public means a big group of persons. It is occasionally used as identical with mass. The members of the public are interconnected by place, religion, language, etc. They may be detached and not know each other. As Anderson, W.A. and Parker, F.B. says that A public is that form of collectivity which includes a number of dispersed and non-organized individuals who are faced with an issue about which there may be differences of opinion.” American sociologist Kimball Young define the public as, “Public refers to a rather loosely organized and conjoined grouping of people with a common interest.” British sociologist Morris Ginsberg defines public as “an unorganized and amorphous aggregation of individuals who are bound together by common opinion and desires, but are too numerous for each to maintain personal relations with the others.” According to Indian Anthropologist Dhirendra Nath Mazumdar “The public is an aggregation of persons, moving in a common universe of discourse, confronted by an issue or a value, divided in their opinions regarding ways to meet the issue or to appraise the value, and engaging in discussion.” The all descriptions mark it clear that the people to establish a public are there, mutual interest in an issue. Close physical contact is not essential to form a public. Their behavior is more rational than that of a crowd. What is Opinion? American sociologist Kimball Young says, “An opinion is a belief somewhat stronger or more intense than a mere notion or impression but less strong than positive knowledge based on complete or adequate proof. Opinions are really beliefs about a controversial topic.” Normally, what passes on for opinion is one’s impression, sentiment or prejudice. Opinion implies careful thought and consideration. It is created on some kind of information or evidence. We can’t say that opinion must always be correct. After having defined the two terms ‘Public’ and ‘Opinion’, we may now take up the meaning of public opinion. According to American philosopher John Dewey, “Public opinion is verdict which is made and amused by those who establish the public and is about public affairs.” Morris Ginsberg says, “By public opinion is meant the mass of ideas and judgements operative in a community which are more or less definitely formulated and have certain stability and are felt by the people, who entertain or hold them to be social in the sense that they are a result of many minds acting in common.” According to Indian sociologist Kuppuswamy, “Public opinion consists of opinions held by people of a smaller or larger community about a particular problem at a certain time.” Philosopher James T. Young writes, “Public opinion is a social judgment of a self-conscious community on a question of general importance after rational public discussion.” According to Bryce, “Public opinion is commonly used to denote the aggregate of the views men hold regarding matters that affect or interest the community,” R. H. Solton says, “Public opinion is referred to what people think and want for their common life.” Characteristics of Public Opinion: On the basis of the above definitions the following characteristics of public opinion may be deduced: (i) Public opinion is allied with a matter of public importance. It is not concerned with the interests of a particular group of people. (ii) Public opinion is for social welfare. The welfare of society is an essential characteristic of public opinion. (iii) Public opinion taking shape after careful thought. It is the uncertain deliberative tuning of public to a condition. It is always logical. While Lass well holds that all views include a choice between different opinions which may be rationally held. (iv) The Public opinion is collective product. It is the product of communication of human minds. (v) Public opinion always related to a particular age or times and to be assessed in the framework of a particular condition. (vi)The culture of a society influences public opinion. (vii) Lastly, numbers are not necessary to establish public opinion. The opinion of even a single person may be called public opinion though not held by the common. The opinion of Mahatma Gandhi, though held by him alone, could be rightly called public opinion. However, the opinion held by a minority must be shared by the majority not by force but by conviction. The majority while not actually holding it must be convinced that it is for the social good. As one writer puts that a majority is not sufficient and harmony is not required. It is true but the opinion must be such that while the minority may not share it, they feel bound by belief not by fear, to agree that. From the behavioristic point of view the question of harmony or majority consent is of no immediate importance in defining public opinion. So, public opinion may be well-defined as the opinion of the persons held by them on any subject for the benefit of the entire society. It is a cooperative product. It is an opinion in which the public finds itself for any reason constrained to accept. It is compound opinion, a sort of artificial average formed out of all the different opinions actually held by the public. It grows out of the communication of various dimensions in the position of pros and cons. Bryce says, Some currents develop more strength than others, because they have behind them large numbers or more intensity of conviction, and when one is evidently the strongest, it begins to be called public opinion par excellence being taken to embody the views supposed to be held by the bulk of the people. It is, as Ginsberg puts it, “a co-operative product.” Being a co-operative product, “it does represent the entire public as it is being mobilized to act on the issue….public opinion is always moving towards a decision even though it never is unanimous.” practices Whoever controls the media, controls the mind.-Jim Morrison The media is the right arm of anarchy- Dan Brown The media transforms the great silence of things into its opposite. Formerly constituting a secret, the real now talks constantly. News reports, information, statistics, and surveys are everywhere. - Michel de Certeau above quotes shows the power of media. It’s no doubt that media is more powerful than yesterday. Most of us believe that media or journalism is a mission but today’s generation don’t believe in. today journalism became an industry. Dan Brown says that media is the arm of anarchy and he is not wrong. In present time we see many times that political parties, big corporate houses, film stars all use media as a tool to change or modify public opinion. Public input is the core of a successful and vibrant democracy. Debates, discussions and a healthy exchange of ideas go a long way in solidification the basics of democratic systems. Countries across the globe took to newer modes of public communication even as their democracies kept evolving. With the initiation of the printing press in the 15th century, science and knowledge found the fuel to spread from one corner of the world to the other. These printing presses also played a major role in the Renaissance that swept through Europe in the 15th and 16th centuries. The first experiment with public gatherings to take political ideas to people take place when the 19th century was drawing to a close. William Ewart Gladstone, who got elected as Britain’s prime minister in 1892, had made public gatherings the medium to communicate his political ideas. Around the same time, leaders in America too were engaged in alike experiments. During India’s freedom struggle, the trend of using newspapers and magazines for communication picked up. Post-Independence, political parties continued to use them to further their political discourse. In fact, newspapers and magazines became a tool for politicians to convey their ideas to the masses. Around the same time, radio emerged as a medium that not only provided a platform for political debates but also helped to spread social awareness even in distant villages. Radio programmers on farming, women empowerment and other indigenous issues were received well by people. The entry of television triggered a huge transformation. The presence of visuals was television’s biggest advantage. It is for this reason that TV has remained a medium for debates between political parties. Today, political parties, manufacturers, corporate houses, celebrities of different fields and many more, use media to change the public opinion. When we have only print media, that time we see how political parties use them. But that time newspapers and magazines have deep concern to protect democracy, to save the public interest, and criticize government policies which is not in favor of public. When there was only print media in India, various newspapers used to influence public opinion by presenting news according to their political ideology. If the Times of India and Hindustan Times were considered pro-Congress, then newspapers like Panchjanya, Swadesh were pro-Jana Sangh and later BJP. Everyone is familiar with the anti-incumbency tone of the Indian Express and Jansatta. Chauthi Duniya was of weekly socialist ideology. Similarly, there were newspapers and magazines capable of leftist ideology. Through them, political parties worked to create a public opinion in their favor. In the past years, there has been much controversy about the relationship between media and politics and its misuse. Along with the use of social media in elections in the US and England, the controversy over the use of data from Facebook and other media has also been in discussion. In the context of how the BJP has developed in India in the last decade and came to power with a staggering majority, it was said that the BJP spent the most money to manage the media. Not only this, he has used various social media platforms to create his own and government's image and to support the public in addition to the elections. Not only did he promote himself, but he also ran a campaign against opponents that he could not cash in on social media. How do media affect public opinion? Publish news in favor or against the government. Publish articles in favor or against the government. Publish more and more material supporting one ideology. Oppose or support every decision of the government. Exaggerate its qualities in the advertisement of an item. Show weaker rival products with your product in advertisement. Preaching the people that if they do not consume a particular product or item then their life is incomplete. To insist peoples by advertisement that consumption of a particular product is the proof of their existence. There was an advertisement: how to refuse prestige if you love your wife. After that prestige cooker become the symbol of love in married life. Repeatedly giving prominence to one leader or party in the news and ignoring his opponent. Working under political agenda in TV debates. Avoid showing criticism of the government. Show half a glass. It is done in defense of the government. Raising such topics in films, that supports the government or the system. Manthan, Roti Kapada our Makan, Naya Dour, Upakar, Adami our Insan, Jag Utha Inshan are few examples in which Filmmaker try to portrait a good image of government. On the other side, Kissa Kursi ka, Andhi, Jane Bhi Do Yaron, Mohan Joshi Haziar ho, Ankush, Aakrosh, Nishant, Five Rifels are some examples in that movie makers criticized the government or political and administrative system. In recent years, there have been many movies and TV serials that are based on various schemes of the government, such as ‘Toilet Ek Prem Katha’, ‘Padman’, etc. Movies are also being used for advertising government schemes. Apart from that, in movies and TV serials, actors and actresses are using a particular car, airlines, food items, restaurants, which affect consumer behavior in many ways. This is a period of successful saga to change mass approach through different media, and mediums also, like mobile. Mobile was now being bought for calling only, but music, video and camera also. In Indian, in the beginning, TV is only for government and its propaganda. After 1991, when privet TV channels starts, it is became more effective tool for political parties. Changes are being done by fashion catering or being done. Political parties take ads only, many times indirectly political intentions are being fulfilled. In order to change or influence the public's mind, the praise of the ruling party or the opposition has been criticized directly or indirectly in the TV serials. In the Web Series Sacred Games, Indira Gandhi and Congress were targeted. most filmmakers targeted corrupt politics and the alliance of politics and crime. But now in films, the government has started to be kept open or by pressing. Obviously, this form of media has started to affect the referendum. It's just less, it's just so relief. There was a time when public communication mediums i.e. to bring the right information to people, reviewing the work of governance, to keep the monitoring and rule the public. He remained in the role of a servant in a way. But now it is not so. Today the media has its own power, he has his own strength. That is why today he succeeded in controlling the feelings of people, to implant their ideas, and thus adjust themselves as a side. Role of Media in Generating Public Opinion Media plays a significant role in shaping and changing public opinion in India. As we know that Media is accepted as the fourth pillar of republican political system. Media is also a mirror of social life. In other words, we can also say that the overall public replicates or follows likewise as collects analyses and selections via the media and therefore the data shown through it. People, not closest reap real records approximately public topics from the print media however also attain what percentage prominence to assign to difficulty at the concept of the highlighting and priority given to that in the news. Owing to changes in values and beliefs a distinction is made between a ‘initiate identity' and a ‘prepared identity'. Internet including e-mails and blogs, television, radio and newspapers play a main role within the formation of viewpoints and analyses of the general public. Print media highlights the behaviors (politicians, humans involved inside the industry and different celebrities) and problems and consequently, a person believes and forms an opinion approximately them in line with the news. Today's picture of media is absolutely different. The overall public can speak roughly the things happening not most effective in the USA however also out of doors the terrestrial limits most effective way to focus created by way of media. But it is crucial to file back to the media for the duration of a fair and fairway. They must classify the importance of being the results of the occasions and report the problems for the duration of an honest and impartial manner. It ought to deliver all elements of the events before the general public. Media is taken into consideration the spine of democracy, it playing a very giant function in Indian democracy which is it really works as a watchdog of the government and carry every report of the motion of administration thereby maintaining the humans informed about the day to day happenings taking place around them. It makes us tuned in to diverse activities like politics, sports, financial social and cultural activities etc. it is also a form of a replicate which suggests the bare reality and on occasion, it ought to be harsh. The media additionally exposes loopholes in the democratic society, which ultimately allows the government in filling the vacuums of loopholes and making a device greater responsible and democratic friendly. Thus, democracy without media is kind of a vehicle without wheels. It acts as a bridge among human beings and also the government and also a very powerful device with the electricity to shape and wreck the opinion of the people. it is the potential to swing perceptions or evoke emotions. this is regularly why it is received faith within the public. Media, via its numerous means of newspapers, tv and cinema are what guidelines the centre and mind of individuals. The media has helped to shape the democratic society via giving emphasis to issues which might be at one point in time, could are considered strictly non-public like childbirth, toddler care, force, and molestation. Self-Regulation for Media Self-regulation is a combination of requirements launched the suitable codes of behavior for the media that are necessary to assist freedom of expression, and system how one's behaviors are monitored or held to account. The benefits of self-regulation are well-rehearsed. Self-law preserves the independence of the media and protects it from partisan government interference. It is probably greener as a gadget of regulation because the media apprehend their own environment better than government (though they'll use that information to in addition their very own commercial pursuits instead of the general public interest). The position of media has been converting from what it truly becomes perceived. The neutrality of memories in reporting is missing inside the mainstream media today due to the hidden agendas that a variety of press and media stores hold. due to the fact, the media environment will become global (via the occasion of the web and virtual platforms) and questions of jurisdiction grow to be more complicated then self-regulation can fill the ensuing gap. It's extra cost-powerful to the government because enterprise bears the fee and perhaps greater bendy than government law. Self-law may also encourage greater compliance due to peer pressure (although there is also evidence that law or the danger of regulation is much more likely to stable compliance). Self-law may draw close expert standards by using requiring agencies to don't forget and even broaden their very own requirements of behavior. The liberty of speech and expression or freedom of the clicking is a gift all advised statutes and constitutions but not as it should be practiced. Therefore, it's essential to understand the importance of press freedom and therefore the fashion of law observed in a completely country. The precept of self-regulation entails regulation by itself where the media doesn't have a regulatory body under that. The prime rights of reporters and editors under freedom of expression have to be acknowledged and at the same time, their reports should not be detrimental to the functioning of the state. There comes the predicament of who maintains the assessments and balances in what's written and published. Academically speaking, leaving the regulation to the media itself would generate the probability that it must subjugate regulatory goals to its own business goals. For example, cross-media ownership by big corporate businesses has expected alarming proportions. During the early 2013, we noticed the leak of the Radio tapes which disclosed the stunning and unholy hyperlinks between newshounds and politicians, lobbyists and business groups. The Press Council of India through its Chairman addressed this issue; however, no stringent measures had been taken. That depicts the incapacity of the Press Council of India. It cannot suspend the journalists for the unfair work they do. Media Trial Trial by means of Media can be a phrase famous to provide an explanation for the effect of television and newspaper coverage on the reputation of a person through growing a widespread perception of guilt no matter any verdict throughout a court docket of law. During high-publicity proceedings, the media are regularly accused of upsetting an environment of public hysteria paying homage to a mob which no longer best makes an excellent trial; nearly difficult however denotes that irrespective of the effects of the trial the accused may not be equipped to stay the remainder of their existence without severe public scrutiny. The counter-argument is that the mob mentality exists independently of the media which simply voices the evaluations which the general public already has. Although a currently coined phrase, the thought that famous media will have a strong have an effect on on the legal technique goes back really to the appearance of the press and possibly a great deal further. this is frequently not along with the usage of a State-managed press to criminalize political opponents, however in its typically understood that means covers all events in which the recognition of a character has been significantly suffering from ostensibly non-political publications. Often the coverage within the press may be reflected the views of the individual inside the street. However, more credibility is mostly given to printed material than 'water cooler gossip'. The duty of the clicking to confirm reviews and leaks about people being tried need to come growing scrutiny and newshounds are calling for higher standards. Some Incidents of Media Trial in India Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi- The incident of alleged anti-Indian slogans in JNU how some media channels have included the complete incident without going lots into the statistics have dropped at the vanguard the trouble of media ethics. It is now, stated that some of the movies were doctored. But sure, media channels without looking into this saved on showing the video together with most competitive anchoring that which appeared to be a media trial. Jessica Lal case- Jessica Lal became a model in New Delhi, who changed into operating as a celeb barmaid at a crowded socialite party whilst she turned into shot dead at around 2 am April 30, 1999. Dozens of witnesses pointed to Siddharth Vashisht, also called Manu Sharma, the son of Vinod Sharma, a wealthy and influential Congress-nominated Member of Parliament from Haryana, due to the murderer. In the resulting trial, Manu Sharma and form of others had been acquitted on 21 February 2006. Following intense media and public pressure, the prosecution appealed and also the Delhi state ideally suited court docket performed court cases on a quick tune with daily hearings conducted over 25 days. The courtroom judgment was overturned, and Manu Sharma changed into found guilty of getting murdered, Lal. He was sentenced to incarceration on 20 December 2006. Bois Locker Room- A day after a 15-year-vintage boy changed into apprehended for allegedly sharing a photo of 1 of his fans on the Bois Locker Room Instagram group, the Delhi Police Cyber Crime Cell (CCC) questioned five students, from X and XII standard of prominent South Delhi schools, for around six hours in advance of their parents. They have additionally issued notices to 21 different individuals of the group, asking them to join the probe within the coming days. The CCC had lodged an FIR after they came to understand approximately the Instagram group, where teenage boys from distinguished South Delhi schools allegedly shared pics of women and engaged in sexually explicit conversation, which include threats of sexual violence. Medium There are many media mediums to create or influence the public opinion like Newspapers, handbills, advertising boards, TV, radio, drama, internet, social media, film, folklore, song, and music in the media affecting public opinion. The most influential medium as a medium is print media. Even after the expansion of TV and the internet across the country, most people still believe in the news published in newspapers. In the last decade, the maximum circulation has been in newspapers in Hindi and other Indian languages. Along with this, their digital versions have also expanded. During the slavery of the British, newspapers and magazines spread the spirit of struggle for freedom among the people. Mahatma Gandhi also understood the role of newspapers in creating public opinion. That is why he published newspapers. He used newspapers to expand the sense of freedom among the people, as well as in the field of social reform, education, etc. If we look at post-independence journalism, the print media influenced public opinion in two ways. First Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru got the full support of the media in promoting his policies. On the other hand, newspapers and magazines worked to establish democratic values among the people. This was a period when Congress was on one side and socialist ideology was gaining momentum on the other side. At that time, socialist politics also got full importance in the print media. As a result, leftist politics got a chance to emerge in India. In that period of industrialization, the influence of labor unions was increasing. At that time, he got the power from the newspapers so that the labor organization could fight the government in the interest of the workers. Political consciousness developed among the laborers due to the newspapers. The print media had both pro and anti-government. This led to the development of political consciousness among the general public and the importance of public opinion in politics began to be understood. Print media remained the main feature until the seventies, although at that time radio was a medium that was a major medium of communication in far-flung rural areas. The radio was completely controlled by the government. Its political agenda was to create an atmosphere in support of the government and to spread its policies to the masses. Along with this, there were many programs of education, social reform, etc. on the radio. These programs also played an important role in creating public opinion. Similar work was done by TV at that time. However, it was broadcast only to the metros. In the eighties, TV expanded and entertainment programs began with news on it. Initially, TV was the media of the government but after 1991 the scenario started to change. This was the time when private TV channels started which included both news and entertainment channels. This is where the democratic form of TV started coming out. After 1991, there were many changes in Indian politics. For the first time in this period, the political polarization of print media and TV also took place. From here, the political use of media was openly used to create and influence public opinion. By the end of the twentieth century, the picture had changed considerably. The digital mode of communication is now the most effective mode of communication. The media also began to change its face in the 21ST century. It became the era of the Internet. Social media become a powerful tool in the hand of public. Everybody become media person and collecting and distributing information to his/her friends circle. Today social media become very strong and effective tools for politicians. Social media played a projecting role during the 2019 Indian general elections. Political parties, candidates, and followers (real or otherwise) used it widely for election campaigning. Subsequent the global trend, social media has been progressively used by Indian politicians for routine political communication. Not even election, every time political leaders try to connect public through social media. Their own, and their supporters Facebook posts, tweeter and instagram posts, all are circulating in media and public and affecting public opinion. While the recent general election (2019) has delivered the most visible expressions of this shift, social media platforms have been united into routinized political communication since the 2014 general elections, which swept the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to power. This shift builds on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP’s extensive use of social media in the run-up to the 2014 elections and during his first term in office. Using social media to bypass traditional media and overlook critics, BJP has advanced a separate style of political communication that is communicating and continuous. BJP government successfully use of social media for political image building. BJP use the traditional media and government agencies as well as social media, movies, TV serials and web series to popularize his programs and influence public. He used that to demolish the opposition and their propaganda. The government has been successful in popularizing many of its schemes due to social media. It has benefited him politically. The government has consistently succeeded in reaching out to the people that it is working and the allegations of opposition are wrong. In this way, the government has succeeded in creating a public opinion in its favor. pan-India campaigns such as Swacch Bharat (Clean India), Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, Aatmanirbhar Bharat, Fit India Movement are some example that how the government manage media and influence the public opinion. It was Modi’s remarkable success in the 2014 general election that made other political leaders in India to sit up and take notice of the game-changing nature of social media. With other political parties inter in the social media trend, the scenery of political communication in India changed. On the other hand, other political party also trying to use social media for gaining public attention. They use media experts and marketing experts for that. 1n 2019 general election, again we see that political parties focused on social media. Even state assembly elections, parties use social media and rise different issue. They use a different plan for that. Other parties were late to the show, but quickly mastered several of the BJP’s tactics. Notably, the main opposition party, Congress, under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi in 2017 revamped party’s media policy with a new focus on social media, analytics, and crowdsourcing to compete with the BJP to garner attention in the cyberspace. The Congress made great strides in using social media, and despite the party’s social media strategy limitations. The Congress and other opposition parties recognized the power of social media and tried to create public opinion in its favor. They did not get much success in this because they had no concrete strategy. Even they don’t know how to control the damage. Social media has made Indian politics comprehensive by allowing people, who were traditionally excluded from politics due to geography and demography, to gain direct entry into the political process. It has also allowed for a diversity of viewpoints and public engagement on an unprecedented scale. However, the 2019 general election also stands out for the new lows in public discourse, the pervasiveness of fake news and misinformation, and a routine flouting of ethical norms relating to political communication. The rise of polarizing and divisive content has been a defining characteristic in the run-up to the 2019 general elections, with both the BJP and the Congress highlighting communal elements in their campaigning. Social media has enabled a style of populist politics that is combative and personal, allowing hate speech and extreme speech to thrive in online spaces that are unregulated, particularly in regional languages and within private WhatsApp group chats. An area where unethical use of social media can have severe ramifications is national security and stability, as witnessed with the surge of fake news in the aftermath of the Pulwama attack in February 2019. With fake news reaching a new high following the devastating attack on Indian paramilitary forces in Kashmir, fact-checkers noted the dangers of misleading posts that had flooded the cyberspace. The security implications of the rapid proliferation of misinformation post-Pulwama were manifold. Primarily, inflamed passions, sensational reporting and political sloganeering due to the spread of fake news following Pulwama attack brought India and Pakistan to the brink of war. Facing intense public scrutiny online, Indian government ordered airstrikes on alleged terror camps in Balakot, Pakistan, precipitating a series of retaliatory actions by both countries, which only ceased after Pakistan’s conciliatory gesture of releasing captive Indian Air Force pilot Abhinandan Varthaman. Here, outraged Indian netizens and a barrage of fake news played an instrumental role in triggering unprecedented hostilities between India and Pakistan, with security implications for the region as a whole. The rumors and fake news also effect on public opinion. In recent years, we see how social media used to spread rumors and fake news. Due to that many time we face critical situations. Even during lockdown due to pandemic, fake news on social media change the mindset of general public, especially in labor class. They run to their home towns for safety without transport facilities and other securities. Mob latching was also the result of fake news on social media. That has proven how much social media is powerful. Rumors and fake new have a long-lasting effect on the society, with the propensity to fuel social instability. In line with such fears, the no-holds-barred approach on social media produced unrestrained bombast that targeted minorities while influencing the government’s stand on foreign policy and national security issues—a practice that does not bode well for the democratic and ethical potential of social media in India. Outside India, social media was used extensively in the US presidential elections in 2020. The advent of new mediums, however, has in no way solidified the old modes of communication dismissed. Even in this era of social media, print, radio and television remain relevant in several ways. Programs such as “Kaun Banega Mukhyamantri’ and political exit polls keep people glued to television. Radio continues to be widely popular among the urban youth. Newspapers have undergone changes to meet the requirements of changing times. The digital mode of communication is now the most effective mode of communication. Tweets and Facebook posts are sources of information even for the so-called conventional communication channels. However, the discussions happening on these platforms seldom result in ideas that last. The situation emerging from the coronavirus pandemic signals changes in the ways of public communication and mass contact. With social distancing norms becoming mandatory amid the growing need for public communication, media has emerged as a powerful platform. Since India is a multi-party democracy, political parties are expected to keep channels of communication open even during difficult situations. Home Minister Amit Shah’s Bihar jansamvad rally has introduced us to a new practice of digital communication. The digitally-held rally saw the participation of millions of people. The experiment was also important as it allowed such a huge program to be organized with such little resources and so little time. Because a large number of people turn up at public rallies, a lot of resources are spent in managing the logistics. And it is only natural for the public to join public communication programs with enthusiasm. The success of these digital innovations in public communication has opened the doors for its increased use in the times to come. This has also been possible because of the growing penetration of digital technology in India’s rural areas. There is no doubt it will aid in strengthening public participation in India’s democracy. As India enters a technology-driven world, changes in the country’s political discourse are natural and communication between parties and people will become simpler. It is also possible that the use of banners, posters and pamphlets will reduce in the near future and there is likely to be greater acceptance of campaigning through digital means. The country is, without a doubt, entering a new phase of political public communication. Need for Caution The advent of new media, including social media, as well as new digital form of print media and TV has changed how politics is being organized and conducted, as well as the nature of political communication in India. On the one hand, social media has allowed for the democratization of politics and re-energized the political landscape. On the other, several moral dilemmas arise with the participation of political leaders in the non-ethical uses of social media, compounded by the proliferation of social media among a largely digitally illiterate population. Particularly in the area of national security, political actors will have to weigh the political advantages against the very real security and human costs that would accrue from prolonged non-ethical uses of social media. Sri Lanka provides a cautionary tale as to how divisiveness and hatred, propagated by political and religious leaders without impunity in cyberspace, can erode social cohesion and become a national security threat. In 2018, and yet again, in April 2019, after the Easter suicide bombings, the surge in fake news and hate speech exacerbated existing societal fault lines, resulting in deadly communal conflicts and riots. Given the serious implications of unethical political communication, political actors need to introspect further and focus on bringing back ethics to the table. As routinized unethical political communication has grave implications for politics as well as for social resilience and national security, the issue needs to be tackled on a war footing and through a multi-stakeholder approach. Political parties have a key role to play by reining in their proxies and supporters, and working with coalitions comprising of fact-checkers, civil society organizations, academia, think tanks, etc., to put ethical communication principles into practice in a social-media age.