Class | Subject | Book | Chapter | Session | Questions covered |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
XII | Sociology | Social Change and Development in India (NCERT) | 7 – Mass Media and Communications | 2026-27 | 3 of 3 |
Chapter at a glance
Topic | Key point |
|---|---|
Mass media | Newspapers, radio, TV, films, internet — communication to a large, dispersed audience; requires organisation and capital |
Print (colonial era) | Printing press, newspapers (e.g. Bengal Gazette 1780), role in nationalism; imagined community (Benedict Anderson) |
After independence | Media as watchdog and vehicle of development; Emergency censorship (1975–77) |
Radio | AIR monopoly; community radio; FM private channels after liberalisation (2000s) |
Television | SITE (1975), Doordarshan; satellite and cable channels after 1991; 24-hour news; regional channels |
Globalisation and media | Growth of Indian-language newspapers, technology (computers, colour printing), marketing, advertising-driven media |
Concerns | Commercialisation, “infotainment”, paid news, concentration of ownership |
Exercises
Trace out the changes that have been occurring in the newspaper industry. What is your opinion on these changes?
Answer
Answer
Changes in the newspaper industry
- Growth instead of decline – contrary to predictions that TV and the internet would kill newspapers, newspaper circulation in India grew rapidly from the 1990s, especially of Indian-language newspapers (Hindi, Malayalam, Telugu, Tamil, Marathi, Bengali). Papers like Dainik Jagran, Dainik Bhaskar, Malayala Manorama and Eenadu have huge circulations.
- Reasons for growth:
- Rising literacy, especially in small towns and rural areas;
- The needs of readers in small towns and villages differ from those in cities, and Indian-language papers cater to them with local news editions (district-wise editions);
- Modern technology – computers, satellite transmission, offset and colour printing made production cheaper and faster;
- Aggressive marketing – door-to-door surveys, low prices, special supplements and gifts;
- Advertising revenue growth.
- Content changes – more colour, glossy supplements, lifestyle, entertainment, celebrity and sports news; less space for serious issues; tabloidisation and “infotainment”.
- Commercialisation – newspapers are run as businesses dependent on advertisers; the reader is seen as a consumer; “paid news” and advertorials have emerged.
- Corporate ownership and concentration – big media houses own multiple newspapers, TV channels and websites.
- Digital transformation – e-papers, websites, mobile apps and social media; 24-hour updates; decline in print advertising for some English newspapers.
- Changes in journalism – editors’ role reduced in relation to marketing managers.
My opinion: - Positive: wider reach, more local news, more voices in regional languages, democratisation of information, better technology and presentation. - Negative: commercial pressures reduce serious, investigative and public-interest journalism; content is driven by advertisers and ratings; the poor and rural issues (e.g. agrarian distress) are under-reported compared to celebrity news; concentration of ownership threatens diversity of views; paid news damages credibility. - Newspapers should balance commercial viability with their role as a watchdog of democracy and voice of the people.
Newspapers have grown, especially in Indian languages, due to rising literacy, local editions for small towns, new printing technology and aggressive marketing; they have become commercialised and advertising-driven, with more entertainment and lifestyle content, corporate concentration and digital editions. In my view, wider reach and regional voices are positive, but commercialism, paid news and neglect of serious public issues weaken their democratic watchdog role.
Is radio as a medium of mass communication dying out? Discuss the potential that FM stations have in post-liberalisation India.
Answer
Answer
Radio is not dying out. Although television and the internet have become popular, radio has made a comeback, especially through FM stations.
Background: Radio broadcasting began in India in 1920s; All India Radio (AIR) had a monopoly after independence and was used for news, education and development (e.g. agricultural programmes, Vividh Bharati for entertainment). With the spread of TV in the 1980s–90s, radio seemed to decline.
Revival through FM after liberalisation: - In 2002, the government allowed private FM radio stations (with restrictions — they could not broadcast news and current affairs until recently; they could carry only AIR news). Later phases expanded FM to many more cities. - Community radio stations run by NGOs and educational institutions were also permitted (2006).
Potential of FM stations: 1. Wide reach and low cost – radio is cheap; a set costs very little; it is accessible to the poor, illiterate and rural people, and can be heard while working, driving or travelling. 2. Mobile phones – FM is available on mobile phones, increasing listenership, especially among youth. 3. Local content – FM stations broadcast in local languages, with local news (traffic, weather, events), music and talk shows; they are closely connected to their listeners in a city or region. 4. Entertainment for youth – popular music, RJs, contests and interaction (phone-ins, SMS) make FM attractive to young people. 5. Advertising – a growing medium for local businesses to advertise. 6. Community radio – gives voice to local communities, marginalised groups, women and farmers; useful for education, health and development information and disaster warnings. 7. News and public interest – if allowed to broadcast independent news, FM could become a powerful medium of local information and democratic debate.
Limitations: private FM content is largely music-based and commercial; restrictions on news; concentration in cities.
Radio is not dying; it has revived through private FM stations (allowed from 2002) and community radio. FM has great potential because it is cheap and accessible, available on mobile phones, local in language and content, popular with youth, attractive to advertisers, and community radio can give voice to local and marginalised groups — though its content is mostly commercial music and news remains restricted.
Trace the changes that have been happening in the medium of television. Discuss.
Answer
Answer
1. Early phase (1959–1975): Television began in India in 1959 as an experiment in Delhi for educational and development purposes. Doordarshan was the state broadcaster with a monopoly.
2. SITE and development (1975–76): The Satellite Instructional Television Experiment (SITE) broadcast educational programmes to villages in six states using satellite, showing the potential of TV for development, education and health.
3. Expansion in the 1980s: Colour TV arrived in 1982 (Asian Games); Doordarshan expanded across the country; popular serials like Hum Log (1984), Buniyaad, Ramayan and Mahabharat drew huge audiences and became shared national experiences. Commercial sponsorship and advertising grew.
4. Satellite and cable revolution (1990s): After liberalisation and the Gulf War (1991, CNN coverage), private satellite channels (Star TV, Zee TV, Sony) entered India through cable networks. The number of channels increased rapidly — from one Doordarshan channel to hundreds.
5. Indianisation and regional channels: Foreign channels realised they had to use Indian languages and content (glocalisation). Many regional language channels (Sun TV, Eenadu TV, Asianet) and channels for news, sports, music, children, religion and lifestyle emerged.
6. 24-hour news channels: Many news channels in English, Hindi and regional languages; live coverage, debates and breaking news; competition for TRP ratings led to sensationalism.
7. Reality shows and soaps: Popular formats include reality shows (Kaun Banega Crorepati, Indian Idol, Bigg Boss) and family soaps; viewers participate through SMS voting.
8. Technology changes: DTH (direct-to-home), digital cable, HD, and set-top boxes; most recently, internet streaming and OTT platforms (Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+Hotstar, JioCinema) and viewing on smartphones.
Discussion: - Positive: more choice, regional language content, information and entertainment for all, reflection of diverse Indian life, quick dissemination of news. - Negative: commercialisation and TRP-driven content; sensationalism and “infotainment”; promotion of consumerism; stereotyped portrayal of women and family; concentration of ownership; little coverage of rural poverty or serious issues.
Television moved from a state-run, development-focused Doordarshan monopoly (1959; SITE 1975), through national serials and colour TV in the 1980s, to the satellite and cable revolution after 1991 with private and regional channels, 24-hour news, reality shows, DTH and now OTT streaming. This brought choice and regional content but also commercialisation, TRP-driven sensationalism and consumerism.
Topic checklist
- ☒ Changes in newspapers (Q 1)
- ☒ Radio and FM (Q 2)
- ☒ Television (Q 3)