role of media in good governance essay

Essay on Role of Media in Good Governance

Students are often asked to write an essay on Role of Media in Good Governance in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

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100 Words Essay on Role of Media in Good Governance

Introduction.

Media plays a crucial role in good governance. It’s like a mirror reflecting the actions of the government. It keeps the public informed, ensuring transparency and accountability in the government’s work.

Information Dissemination

Media spreads information about the government’s plans and policies. It helps people understand what the government is doing for them. This way, media aids in bridging the gap between the government and the public.

Accountability

Media acts as a watchdog. It keeps an eye on the government’s actions. If the government does something wrong, the media reports it. This makes the government accountable for its actions.

Public Opinion

Media plays a big role in shaping public opinion. It highlights the issues that matter to the people. This helps the government understand what the public needs and wants.

Transparency

In conclusion, media plays a vital role in good governance. It ensures transparency, accountability, and helps shape public opinion. Without the media, good governance would be hard to achieve.

250 Words Essay on Role of Media in Good Governance

Media plays a significant role in promoting good governance. It is a tool that ensures transparency, accountability, and fairness in the functioning of the government.

Media as a Watchdog

One of the main roles of the media in governance is acting as a watchdog. It keeps a close eye on the actions of the government. If any unfair practices are happening, the media reports them to the public. This way, it helps in controlling corruption and misuse of power.

Media as a Bridge

Media also acts as a bridge between the government and the public. It conveys the plans and policies of the government to the people. At the same time, it brings the issues and concerns of the public to the attention of the government.

Media as a Platform for Debate

Media provides a platform for public debate and discussion. It allows people to express their views on government policies. These debates can lead to better decision-making by the government.

Media as an Educator

In conclusion, media plays a crucial role in ensuring good governance. It acts as a watchdog, a bridge, a platform for debate, and an educator. It helps in making the government transparent, accountable, and fair. Thus, a free and responsible media is vital for the functioning of a democratic society.

500 Words Essay on Role of Media in Good Governance

Media plays a crucial role in our lives. It is like a mirror that reflects the truth and reality of our society. It is not just about sharing news or information, but also about being a platform for the public to express their views and ideas. In the context of good governance, media’s role is very significant.

Media as a Source of Information

Media also acts as a watchdog, keeping an eye on the actions of the government. It exposes any wrongdoings or corruption in the government. This helps to keep the government accountable and ensure that it is working for the welfare of the people. Without the media, it would be easy for those in power to misuse their authority without being noticed.

Media as a Platform for Dialogue

Media provides a platform for dialogue and discussion. It allows people to express their views and opinions on various issues. This encourages public participation in governance. Through discussions and debates, people can contribute their ideas and solutions for the betterment of the society.

Media and Democracy

In conclusion, media plays a key role in good governance. It provides information, acts as a watchdog, provides a platform for dialogue, and promotes democracy. It helps to ensure that the government is accountable, transparent, and responsive to the needs of the people. It is important for us to support and protect the freedom of the media, as it is crucial for the health of our democracy.

Remember, a responsible and free media is not just a need, but a right of every citizen in a democratic country. So, let’s respect and cherish this right for the betterment of our society and nation.

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Role of Media in Good Governance – Essay for UPSC Preparation

October 11, 2019 by Sandeep

500+ Words Essay on Role of Media in Good Governance

As a citizen of the world’s largest democracy, we are entitled to rights and are bound by laws to maintain peace and stability in the nation. The essence of democracy was beautifully worded by Abraham Lincoln. Democracy is a government of the people, by the people and for the people.

The populace of the Republic of India have the power to make as well as break the government, both in the state and the centre. But what is the basis on which they act? Information, as stated under Article 19, is a fundamental right that empowers us with knowledge to mould our opinion and take a decision.

But unless the information is being relayed to each and every person residing across the country, it will be worthless. Here is where media comes into the picture. The most efficient mode of delivering information to the common man and enable him to make an educated choice for the betterment of his own life, his family, his society and ultimately, his nation.

Media is the pluralised form of the term ‘medium’, which in this context, is defined as a tool of communication that is used to archive as well as deliver data or information. The industry which deals with this is known as mass media communication industry and it utilises a variety of platforms like printing and publishing, advertising, broadcasting, cinema and photography, to execute its operation.

An ideal media, be it private or government funded, functions independent of influence, providing the people with honest and impartial information. While non-influence and impartiality are two key factors that govern the quality of media, it itself has the power of influencing its consumers and forming a crowd mentality.

That is the authority that this industry has had a monopoly on ever since its conception. This capability definitely makes them a strong factor that can play multiple roles in upholding the standard of governance in our country.

Governance in India

On 26th of November 1949, India had adopted its constitution , and had emerged as a Democratic Republic on 26th January 1950 . Ever since then, our nation has grown into being the largest democracy. Our country follows the federal parliamentary system of government. Following the trias politica model, the government has divided its powers into three independent bodies.

Legislative power rests with the Parliament, executive power is vested upon the President and the judicial power is the responsibility of the Supreme Court. While imperatively, these three function in their own limits, they have special authorities to check each other to keep a balance in powers. Prime focus of the political scenario in India is always the legislative bodies.

After all, it is the politicians whom the people have chosen as their representatives and all the schemes, policies, laws and acts are being evaluated and passed under their supervision. The development of our nation as an economy is extensively dependent upon their decisions.

But ever since India has started out as an independent nation, its political timeline has been riddled with scams, corruptions and controversies. Our development has been hindered to such an extent, that contemporary nations like Israel and China which were formed in 1948 and 1949 respectively are well ahead of India in terms of development. Israel has even attained the tag of a developed country.

Corruption in India has been so deep-rooted that it had further worsened the situations that we faced as a young country in the previous century, that were and still are major obstacles in the growth of India namely- poverty, unemployment and lack of education.

While the parliament did roll out schemes and acts to improve upon these aspects, but had the government been more transparent with its governance, corruption would not have damaged the growth of our nation. There were established watchdogs to keep a vigilant eye upon the activity of the government.

The Directorate of Enforcement in 1956 and the Central Vigilance Commission in 1964 were formed for the sole purpose of curbing corruption in the country. But it is substantially evident that even these organisations have not been able to live up to their names.

But on the brighter side, we are developing. Our country is the 7th largest economy and the fastest growing one too, beating China. There do exist policies that encourage start-ups and empower the underprivileged. Inflation rates have gone down along with the fiscal deficit.

The amount of FDI that our country received, as per the budget estimates exceed US$200 billion. Tax reforms and Bankruptcy reforms are working in the favour of banks that have been scammed by corporate vultures. Military stands amongst the best in the world and the new budget allocates US$44 billion for its modernization and upgradation. Life expectancy has boosted up with decrease in IMR and MMR.

There are more dams, nuclear power plants, roads, bridges, railways, airports, etc. today than what there were seventy years ago. Our country is on the road to become a world power by 2030. Hence, even though corruption has slowed us down, development still has not stagnated. But it is an evil that needs to be eradicated.

Merits and Demerits of Media in India

With a population of 1.3 billion, it is not an easy task to make any piece of news or data available to each and every individual resident of our nation. But with the advancement of technology in journalism and digitalisation of the country has made it feasible for them to traverse the 3.28 million square kilometres of geographical area across which India is spread and scoop up information from even the most isolated of the regions.

The Indian media has built a well-connected system across the country. News channels, newspapers, radios, magazines, social media platforms, they have been able to present regional facts and figures in front of the entire nation to assess. This brings the whole country together in a sense of shared sentiment.

An Assamese citizen who has experienced floods will definitely relate to a resident of Kerala when he was exposed to the wrath of the nature earlier 2018, as long as the media is reporting it to him. More importantly, with the variation of culture and ethnicity from one state to another, mass media has helped in indulging tolerance and reducing culture shock.

This has promoted integrity amongst the people from different states living in the same city. Other than that, it usually acts as a platform to promote talent, advertise products and services, entertain and exchange of global ideas and information.

But no matter how positive is may sound, Indian media has a tendency to promote news and information that has generally radiates negative vibes. Our former president, late Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam had once poised a question that validates this observation: Why is the media here so negative? The industry focuses on three major aspects of news namely- Politics, sports and entertainment.

The first aspect, without any dissent, has crept into the other two facets. Hence, making majority of the information that is consumed feel politically motivated. In addition to that, an average Indian person has the capability to easily manipulate others as well as get manipulated himself.

Political leaders and famous personalities use this fact to their advantage and exploit the media. In the end, mass media is operated by human beings, who have time and again proven to be an inherently selfish species. With the greed of money and power, politicians are able to take over the mantle of media companies, virtually destroying its professionalism.

The platforms are used by the political factions to spread their propaganda and secure a greater vote bank for themselves. This is in fact, one of the most despondent news in itself, the other being the huge issue of lack of credibility, which has been plaguing the industry, especially social media, one of the most trending arms of the industry. Such issues lead to distrust of the people in the media, which in their eyes was supposed to be free and fair.

Media and Governance

It must be very clear by now that corruption is coursing through the veins of both the media industry as well as the government. Yet the two are in no possible way connected to each other. Media has no defined role in governance. It is not a part of any of the three branches of our democracy. Yet, it plays a vital role of empowering the voices of the citizens and gives them a platform from where they can be heard by their political representatives and lawmakers.

The first Press Commission in India had emphasized on the subject of freedom of press under which, it had clearly defined, that the Press can have its own opinions and receive and deliver information without any interference of the government.

This enables the media to be able to access any information they want, publish it in whatever format they desire to, and circulate in whatever manner they see fit. These rights liberate the industry from any kind of pressure from any individual or factions involved in governance of our country, and thus are collectively considered as Freedom of Press.

Freedom of press allows people to build their own opinions and decisions. It helps them make an educated choice based upon extensive knowledge about the topic rather than ignorant guesswork or misinformation. Our first Prime Minister had called the Indian Media ‘the watchdog of our democracy’, this gives the industry an important duty to perform- being a raconteur of our nation. But this communicator has been time and again suppressed by the political Goonda’s.

Yet, we still have hope in the form of the new generation. Digital India policy has exceptionally boosted journalism and outreach of media. The youth of our country is visibly agitated by the inconsistency of the law enforcement departments to curb corruption.

Many independent projects have surfaced using various platforms ranging from internet, newspapers and magazines have come up, fearlessly exposing the incompetence of the personalities in power. They go the distance to provide insightful information about the state of affairs in a citizen’s immediate society as well as the country in general.

They understand the importance of educating the masses, making the people think critically and arrive at a logical conclusion. Their efforts are working in favour of reshaping our democracy into what Lincoln had defined it as. By enlightening the average Indian, we will be able to returning the leash of power back in their hands, making India not just the largest, but also the most efficient democracy in the world.

Achieving a complete ideal governance is a very far-fetched idea. With mass poverty, unemployment and low living conditions still being a huge bother, we can say that our government can still do a better job. This implies that we can improve our governance as long as we can correct the wrong doings, and media plays a very important role in making it possible.

It is this entity which can throw light upon what really matters to the people of our country so that the policy makers realise which direction they have to work upon. At the same time it acts as the fourth, unofficial pillar of democracy, keeping in check the other three- legislation, judiciary and executive.

But its impact will only be felt if it distances itself from the influence of the government. The final aim that media is intended to achieve is to serve the public interest, by utilising multiple outlets and voicing the diverse views that range across the country. Hence if exercised in the proper way, the mass media industry has massive potential to accelerate the growth of India.

“If it were left on me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter.” ~Thomas Jefferson.

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Governance, social development, conflict and humanitarian knowledge services

Media and Good Governance

What is the relationship between the media and good governance, and what are the main opportunities and challenges in engaging in this area? This practice paper from the UK Department for International Development explains why and how the media matters for governance. Incentives and disincentives driving the media sector that may have an impact on democratic governance are explored, with a focus on fragile states. Market failures and media capture mean that donors need to support public interest media. Integrated interventions which address four levels – populations, practitioners, organisations and systems – achieve the greatest and most lasting change.

The free, independent and plural media is fundamental to democratic governance. The media plays a key watch-dog role by keeping a check on government misuse of power, incompetence or corruption, provides access to information that enables citizens to make informed choices and opens up public spaces for debate (including on issues relating to poverty and exclusion). It also exposes societal problems, raising awareness and creating pressure for state responses.

Key trends in the media sector in developing countries reveal profound changes over the past decade. Widespread liberalisation has transformed the media landscape and provides opportunities for citizens through increased space for public discussion and debate, as well as new fora in which to challenge government action. Media liberalisation has not always benefited poor and marginalised people, however, as it can lead to media capture by groups with vested interests (including commercial, religious, ethnic or political interests).

Interaction between traditional media and new technologies is also shaping communication trends. For example, citizen journalism has opened up previously closed societies and online technologies are facilitating dialogue with diaspora communities. However, new forms of media (text messaging and blogging) were allegedly used to incite violence during the crisis in Kenya in 2008.

Public interest media is often underpinned by positive incentives such as the possibility of increased circulation, audience and revenue. However, evidence shows that the political and economic disincentives to public interest media are growing.

Political disincentives for public interest media include threats, censorship and attacks on journalists. Elite capture and ownership or control of the media by groups with vested interests can also act as disincentives.
Economic disincentives are evident from the way in which news agencies adapt media content to specific audiences with the aim of increasing advertising revenue. This leads to a reduction in content relevant to poor people. Market failure may occur where the cost of investing in public interest broadcasting counteracts the benefits of potential growth in circulation.

Donors should play a key role in building a strong media sector and supporting the growth of public interest media by understanding and responding to market failures and media capture. Policy implications include:

Recognising the need for different approaches to media support depending on the type of state, according to whether states are closed, in conflict, transitional or stable.
Addressing the needs of fragile and crisis states through context-specific strategies. Media regulation is an important factor and regulatory support has been critical to reducing conflict and tension in some countries (such as the DRC).
Promoting comprehensive media development interventions that transform the way the media relates to governments and audiences. Integrated approaches are the most effective in bringing about long-term change.
Addressing gaps in the current development architecture such as lack of research and data on the information and communication needs of poor people.

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The role of media in good governance

It is not a strange thing that my passion for “making head or tail” of issues surrounding development keeps escalating, for I am reading development at the Gambia’s highest academic institution, University of The Gambia (UTG).

I attended an hour-long lecture at the American Corner on Kairaba Avenue with Gibairu Janneh, a development and communications specialist on the topic: The Role of The Media in Good Governance. At the end of the lecture, I said to myself that it would be very unprofessional, that I let go all what I have learned during this “period of enlightenment” from one of my favourite development scholars in the academic world, without putting it on paper. It was on the basis of this that I had to do a recollection of the jottings I was taking during the lecture, and develop this short and substantial essay.

The whole essay comprises quotes and recordings from his lengthy speech, coupled with my one-butut contribution from empirical knowledge. I only hope and pray that I do justice to this paper. In addition, the reader of this essay may find, herein, some academic terminologies, especially of the development discipline. I wish to apologise for any difficulty that may cause, for some of them might not be explained.

However, I would not mind much about the content and arrangement of this essay, for any error seen herein remains mine. Dear reader, I now ask for your permission to present this piece in two parts: one & two. The first part ought to explain and contextualise the concept of MEDIA (Gambian Media) and its role in good governance. The second part seeks to explore and explain: What is good governance? And finally tries to explicitly relate the two and see how they are interconnected.

The Media is a tool like any other tool, depending on who uses the tool, and for what reason it is used for. It is a tool that needs to empower society. Empowerment in development discourse, is about creating that space and the enabling environment for people to be able exercise choice and agency. It is about making sure that people take ownership of development programmes; it is about people being able to decide, for themselves, what they want, and how they want that thing to be.

The Media is to ensure that it provides the platform for people to freely express their opinions. It is supposed to be a platform that connects the right-holders to the duty-bearers. In essence, it needs to connect the governors to the governed because it deals with information.

For us to be able to nurture democracy, we should be able to transform information into knowledge and knowledge into culture. So the Gambian Media, particularly, should be able to provide unfiltered information to The Gambian people. The Media should provide information regarding the conduct of the state; information regarding the responsibilities of the citizenship, and information regarding the obligations of the market, and the civil society. So essentially, the Media must serve the general public both as citizens and as consumers. Our civic obligations; our civic rights; our civic responsibilities must become the primary focus of our Media. It should also serve us as consumers in the sense that it should enable us determine choice from both the political and the economic sphere.

Additionally, to better understand the role of the Media, we need to understand the significance of freedom of expression in building, sustaining and expanding the democratic space of this country. J .S. Mills argues that freedom of expression is about allowing opinions contrary to your own to be equally heard. What is freedom of expression? The whole objective of every state or government is to deliver development to its people. Development today is a contest of ideas. It is about each individual expressing what he/she feels is the right approach to achieve a particular goal, and at the end of the day, we select the most appropriate idea and apply it.

Development is all about improving the lives of people. We cannot improve the lives of people ordinarily. What we can do is to erect and evolve institutions that will adequately respond to the needs and aspirations of the people. So for us to be able to usher in development, the people need to have the space to talk about what they see, feel and/or think. For example, if you want to turn off your AC in your office while sitting with colleagues the best approach is to ask: Hello guys can I turn off this AC? Then you may start seeing different opinions. Now you have to weigh and prioritise the most crucial idea. That is why we said, in the beginning, that development speaks the language of priorities. This could be further understood when we remember that resources are always scarce, thus the need to be used wisely.

Moreover, it is very important to note that citizens or people in a given country need to get their voices heard; they need to be given a voice. In literature, when we say people are voiceless, it does not mean they do not have anything to say; it simply means they are not listened to! So the Media should provide that platform for people to be heard, but that cannot happen if people are not given the space to talk about matters that affect their lives, directly or indirectly.

Essentially, when people are free to express themselves, that enables the Government to understand the needs and aspirations of the people. This enables the Government to formulate policies and programmes that are well informed by the desires and aspirations of the citizenry. This too enables the state to avoid rumours and false information because when you attempt to curtail information, then you are allowing rumour and speculations to become the norm.

More importantly when a government fails to provide the space for people to freely express themselves, such conduct kills the creative instinct of the people, particularly the youths. Expression does not only stop at writing on the newspaper or speaking over the radio. People can express themselves in different forms. Even music is a form of expression.

The Media has to be understood as a tool for information, and it should be used rightly. The Media should not be monopolised or controlled with the establishment of draconian laws. We need to understand that the Media should serve as an empowerment tool. It should be used to inculcate citizenship, and the ideals of One Nation; One People; One Voice. Our Media should be used to engage those in positions of authority. It is clear that the Media should be used to engage people to freely express themselves, but it is also our duty and responsibility as citizens to inject some level of civility, maturity, purpose and direction in our civic engagement. The growth, development, sustenance and expansion of our democratic space of our country mainly lies in the hands of a responsible and interested press. A media that understand the challenge at hand; a media that understand issues confronting people; a media that seek to empower people to become objects of sovereignty.

So that they can understand circumstances that surround their environment. If only we are able to use the media in this context, we will be able to curb corruption, and keep the Government, especially the Executive, the Legislature and the Judiciary on their toes. We will be able to enhance youth participation in development. JP’s famous argument in the Media, that “the Media and the Republic will rise and fall together”, clearly portrays the role of the Media in Good Governance. The role of the Media is not a minor issue. It is about promoting accountability, transparency, and keeping democracy alive. And keeping democracy alive is about citizen voices; it is about citizen participation. No Government can claim legitimacy when its people are disinterested in the affairs of the state!

Democracy comes with responsibility. So the Media may be able to nurture and promote democracy, but it should be guided by the walls of resposibility and maturity. There should be no avenues for hate speech; there should be no avenues for violence. The Media and its people should endeavour to have a broad mind. The future of our country lies in knowledge! Citizenship itself requires knowledge. Everyone should be aware of their rights and responsibilities. In the final analysis, understanding the very nature of human existence requires knowledge. Once we are able to have knowledge of citizenship, and knowledge of governance, we will come to realise that emotions will give way to objective reality; sentiments will give way to constructive reasoning, and this is what The Gambia needs.

So the Media plays an integral role in informing people of their rights and responsibilities; thus instilling knowledge of citizenship. Silence kill democracy, and that is why we should be speaking. What is good? Essentially, ‘good’ connotes something progressive; something meaningful; something useful. So there is a positive image attach to the word ‘good’. What is governance? Governance is different from Government. While there can be governance without Government, there may not be Government without governance. There is a narrow distinction between the two concepts. Government is about the institution of state responsible for governance. In literature, when we talk about governance, we mean the capacity of the state, the market, and the civil society. These are the three actors of the polity. They should be able to sustain themselves under the constitutional setting to achieve the desired goals. They should be able to formulate sound policies, and mobilise resources to that effect.

What is the state? The state is obviously the primary duty-bearer. It includes the government and its institutions. The Market? This is the economy. It includes the trading systems, the GDP and the production of goods and services. Every economy is sustained by its economy base. So the state cannot achieve anything without the economy.

The civil society: The civil society is that component of the polity that is neither the state nor the market. In fact in development practice, they are called non-state state actors. They include organisations like youth groups; women “Kafoolu” or “Kompins” as locally called in Wolof and Mandinka languages respectively; the NGOs; the Faith-Based organisation like the Gambia Christian Council, The Supreme Islamic Council etc. Together these three actors of society should be able to sustain themselves within a Constitutional setting. This means these three actors of the polity should be able to coordinate, cooperate and organise themselves so that society lives in peace and harmony. They should also have the capacity to formulate policies that are geared towards achieving the ultimate goal (i.e. the collective welfare of people). They need to be able to mobilise resources to be able to achieve that goal because at the end of the day, every nation wants to be judged by the quality of improvements it has ushered to its people.

What is Good Governance? A government is ‘good’ when it is decentralised, fiscally discipline and capable of formulating sound macro-economic policies. In saying macro-economics, we are looking at the overall economy, the bigger picture. We are looking at policies that promote investment; policies that promote an economic environment where business can strive. We mean policies that detach the state from the market so that the principle of free market economics can determine the order of demand and supply. It is about a market-led process where the government serve as a “policeman” and the market regulates itself. To borrow the words of Adam Smith, the market to be controlled by the “invisible hand”. Moreover, a fiscally disciplined government utilises the budget effectively and efficiently. In a fiscally discipline government, there is no “embezzlement” of funds or “resource misappropriation” or corruption. In this regard, the government that is financially discipline utilises its budget in a way that development speaks the language of priorities.

Decentralisation is when power and authority is shared within all actors in the development process, and not only to a caption. Power should be decentralised so that all actors within the development process will have control and voice over the process of governance. NOTE: As citizens, we should make sure that we do not settle for sub-standards. We should always demand and continue demanding for the best. To end, it is very vital that we understand the pivotal role the Media plays in nurturing and establishing good governance.

As clearly explained above, the Media is a tool that creates transparency, promotes accountability, and empower people. I would say if the government were a “warrior”, the media could be called his “praise singer” that boosts his morals to fight more furiously. So a good government empowers its citizens by giving them the space and allowing them to freely express themselves and participate in development programmes. A good government respects the fundamental human rights of people.

The author is a trained classroom teacher and a student at UTG For more information, contact him on 7897182/ 3121942 or Email @ [email protected]

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Role of e-Media in Good Governance and Support to Democracy: A Review of Political Communication in Ghana

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Good governance is essential for the good life of every citizen. Good governance is not just about government, it is also about political parties, parliament, the judiciary, the media and civil society. It is about how citizens, leaders and public institutions relate to each other in order to make change happen. Good governance entails the principles of transparency, accountability and participation. As good governance is a basic pillar of every democratic system, taking into account the role of e-media for sustainable and successful democracies needs to be focused on. The media plays a crucial role in shaping a healthy democracy and ensuring good governance. As an important source of information, the media has been functioning in the heart of democratic society and good governance. It makes political communication easy, better and wider through smoother channels. During elections, e-media plays a key role in affecting voting behaviour because of its potential to provide direct and cheap access to the production and consumption of current information without editorial filtering. Not only does e-media provide information about political parties, candidates and party manifestoes, but it also offers a platform through which voters and interested individuals across geographical divides can interact with them. Taking into all these accounts, this chapter will examine the role of e-media in promoting good governance in Ghana. It also tries to analyse the steps taken by the Ghanaian Government to promote better e-services. Apart from that, the paper will also try to find out how, and to what extent, e-media contributes to better governance and improves the lives of people in Ghana through educating, formulating and shaping public opinion, as well as helping the citizens to develop a political consciousness, who otherwise do not have the capacity to understand critical political issues.

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Good governance: How the media and the public see it

The world at present is encountering remarkable challenges in promoting governance, democracy, transparency, press freedom and economic development. For sustainable development, good governance is a must for any nation. Media is an important source of information and it plays a critically important role in shaping a healthy democracy and bolster good governance. But there is always a dilemma in understanding good governance. Actors of good governance include government officials, politicians, bureaucrats, development partners and civil society members, who tend to define and analyse governance within their interests and scope of work. But in general, governance refers to the ability of the government to adopt and enforce laws and policies and deliver public service regardless of the fact that the government is authoritarian or democratic. From the viewpoint of the United Nations Development Programme, good governance, in conjunction with democracy and the rule of law, is essential for sustainable development including sustained and inclusive economic growth, social development, environmental protection and the eradication of poverty and hunger (UNDP, 2014).

In Bangladesh, there has been little or no research to understand the direct relationship between media and governance. Whether we talk about the conventional print, electronic or social media, an independent and unfettered press is a prerequisite for democratisation and guaranteeing good governance which comprises a pluralist platform for political expression, transparency, accountability, rule of law and, last but not the least, freedom of expression.

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Definitions of both governance and good governance are varied. Governance is variously considered as an end in its own right. For instance, international assistance agencies state the goal of good governance is to protect and advance human rights. According to UNESCO (2005), good governance includes notions of greater participation by civil society in decision-making, instituting the rule of law, anti-corruption, transparency, accountability, poverty reduction and human rights. As for political scientists or international relations scholars, good governance is often seen as a means of sustainable development and the reduction of poverty. For instance, rule of law is helpful for economic growth (Reed, 2004); reducing corruption is considered an effective strategy for increasing the assets and therefore wealth of the poor (Gupta, S Davoodi, & Alonso-Terme, 2002). The concept of governance is contested. In terms of the usage of good governance, scholars usually express approval not only for a type of government (often democracy) and its related political values (e.g. respect for human rights) but also for additional components (e.g. political policies in the economic sphere). In fact, good governance is not merely about government itself, but usually means government plus additional components. For instance, the United Nations (2012) defines good governance as policies for sustainable human development; a government that is democratic, decentralised, empowering and accountable, which includes functioning legislatures, legal and judicial systems to protect the rule of law, the adoption of human rights and various electoral processes.

In a democracy, it is commonly understood and agreed that an independent and free media is an integral part of governance. UN agencies and all the multilateral development partners strongly promote a free press and civic freedom. For instance, the year 2005 marked a significant development in the history of press freedom. UNESCO World Press Freedom Day was observed with the theme “Media and Good Governance” and emphasised the role the media could play in bolstering good governance around the world. It called on member states to spare no effort to promote democracy and strengthen the rule of law at the international level. Since then press freedom has been discussed as an integral part of good governance. Democracy and media walk side by side in ensuring good governance. In doing so, there is no other alternative but the existence of an environment conducive to freedom of expression guaranteed by the state. However, Bangladesh at present obviously appears not to fit the mould—thanks to formal restrictions through legislations like ICT Act 2006 and Digital Security Act 2018. Regardless of the situation, the question remains as to how the media should portray any government as accountable, responsive and effective to the social needs of the citizens whether it is authoritarian or democratic. If we want an answer, the state and the government must acknowledge that the media play three key roles in the modern day.

First, the notion of the press as a watchdog has lasted for more than 200 years (Coronel, 2010). Public offices must remain transparent and accountable and it is only the media that can act as an information source, whether these offices are running in line with the principles of good governance. It acts as a watchdog and ensures checks and oversight, on the political leadership in particular, both in public and private domain. Hudson (2008) contends that the media performs six important functions in a democratic society, including information, investigation, analysis, social empathy, public forum and mobilisation. The media exposes abuse of power, maladministration and corruption and thus promotes accountability and transparency. But there is an opposite view that too much exposure results in lack of confidence and public trust in public institutions which triggers instability within the governance system.

Second, media is a civic forum for informed policy discussion and debate involving government, its critics, informed citizens and other actors. It thus works as a channel between the governed and government and provides a public forum to discuss any issues that affect their lives. Thus, the media connects the state and citizens by promoting debate and discussions about any political development or contemporary issues and informs the public about the stance of the policymakers on such issues. If channels of communication reflect the cultural and social pluralism and diversity of society, then various opinions and different voices could be represented and heard in the public sphere (Habermas, 1996). Thus, a media in society or state that is independent and free from government interventions plays a central role by offering a public domain, public realm or public sphere and contributes in shaping up rational and balanced state power.

The third is somewhat even bigger than the first two and that is the role of the media as a national agenda setter. As an agenda setter, media has the power to direct public attention to any contemporary political or economic issue. Media here does not remain as a mere source of information but influences the citizens to involve themselves to a specific issue. In democracies, the agenda-setting role of the media involves informing the elected officials and public servants about public concerns so that their aspirations are addressed properly and in a timely manner. So, in countries like Bangladesh, elected officials, policymakers and public servants acknowledge the media's role as a bridge between them and citizens—media will report or highlight any critical issue that needs urgent attention. For instance, during emergencies like a natural calamity, media provides vital information to the government officials and helps them make informed and timely decisions to combat the disaster. But this role becomes useless if the government tries to conceal the actual scenario and launch a counter narrative. The agenda-setting role of the media may also influence the government to fast track its response to any news related to politics, corruption or scandal etc. It also tells the government what the people are thinking about a contemporary issue. However, media may not always be successful in assessing public opinion, but it certainly does influence the thinking style of its readers and channels their concerns to the policymakers.

It is, therefore, certain that these three vital roles of watchdog, civic forum and agenda-setter help promote good governance within public and private spheres by facilitating transparency and accountability, criticising policy failures, enabling the citizens to question such failures, exposing political scandals and corruptions, checking the abuse of power and, ultimately, strengthening the public sphere. The normative perspective, however, reflects little about the day-to-day reality about whether the media is capable of fulfilling the identified roles, under what conditions the media performs these roles most effectively, and why the media fails to live up to the three ideal roles.

Though these three key roles of the media are widely acknowledged in democracy, the question on how to best evaluate its performance still remains. The best way of measuring and assessing its performance in promoting governance is by looking at how media is shaping citizens' perceptions and interest and how it is affecting their lives.

Though the definitions of governance stated in this opinion are more or less accepted by the practitioners, there have been quite a few attempts to examine the relationship between democracy and good governance. Democracies with a greater level of rule of law, transparency and accountability tend to have better governance. Governance lies at the core of the development discourse, but this normative standard is only applicable to advanced democracies. But only democratic states should not cherish good governance as it is no luxury, rather a characteristic of modern politics. In order to avoid social unrest, stabilise regime legitimacy, all governments, be it democratic or authoritarian, must be responsive to public needs and deliver public goods and services.

A free and independent media is necessary but it is not sufficient to strengthen good governance. This may happen when the media fails to address public viewpoints and excludes the opinion of marginalised groups in the process of checking the abuse of power. In order to achieve this goal, the state has to make sure that the media has access to public information and communication channels are free and independent of government censorship and that citizens have free access to the media.

Good governance in democracy encourages citizens to see and think through their own lenses so that they have a clearer understanding of why they hold these opinions. Such an ideal environment enables the citizens to challenge the political establishments and institutions. Media is an important political institution in a democracy which can shape public opinion by

selecting and presenting information in a particular manner. This particular manner of presenting information or media framing significantly influences citizens' attitude toward political controversies. Although it is debatable whether the framing theory and its notion make it appropriate to examine the dynamic between media frames and audience perception, the key question remains whether framing has important political consequences. Common citizens usually do not think much and depend on arbitrary information to reach a conclusion or preference on social policies. But as a result, they become subject to extensive elite manipulation. In this backdrop, framing helps the citizens understand the policymaking process and have an informed opinion on such policies. This opinion as a concept as well as a process influences the policymaking process in a democracy.

Therefore, media framing initiates debates among citizens to enhance their own understanding of the political process, in particular, the performance of the government. Thus, media helps to define the question of what good governance is; affects individual opinion about governance issues as well as promotes public deliberation in democracy. In a democracy, media can contribute to promoting good governance. But this is only possible only when the 4th pillar of democracy is strongly supported by all the aspects of good governance, by the other three pillars: judiciary, executive and legislature. This means that journalists are free to investigate and criticise these three pillars and expose the difference between right and wrong. The government, state institutions, politicians and all other functionaries must acknowledge that they have nothing to hide and media is nothing but a guiding light and a beacon. Sadly, too often, governments tend to adopt laws and policies which prevent the media from playing that role. Some even go far beyond that by devising informal means to control media so that they can keep their activities hidden from public view or make information available only to the media that is favourable to their viewpoint. If the state and the government claim to be for the people, both must refrain from doing anything that may affect the independence of the media in society for their own sake.

Meer Ahsan Habib is a communication for development professional. He can be reached at [email protected] .

শিক্ষাপ্রতিষ্ঠানের কাউকে বলপূর্বক পদত্যাগ করানোর সুযোগ নেই: শিক্ষা উপদেষ্টা

আজ রোববার মন্ত্রণালয়ের কর্মকর্তাদের সঙ্গে বৈঠকে এ কথা বলেন ওয়াহিদউদ্দিন মাহমুদ।

আমাদের লক্ষ্য সুবিচার, আওয়ামী আমলের মতো প্রতিশোধ বা নির্যাতন নয়: আসিফ নজরুল

Role of Media in Good Governance
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RE: Role of Media in Good Governance -liiban osman (11/10/18)
I'm student who is planing to make a research on the role media on good governance, so how can i use this data to reference, i don't see any any reference that you took this data. thanks liiban osman
Role of Media in Good Governance -Raj (07/11/14)
Media plays indespensible role in governance: * in-depth coverage during elections help people elect right person * media reminds politicians about their unfulfilled promises * it expresses loopholes in democratic system * it increases our knowledge about about government policies and programmes (Eg- coverage of Annual Budget 2014-2015) Thus, media makes a system more accountable, responsive and citizen-friendly. 'A democracy without media is like a vehicle without wheels.'

12.1 The Media as a Political Institution: Why Does It Matter?

Learning outcomes.

By the end of this section, you will be able to:

Explain the importance of a free press both in the United States and abroad.
Describe how the media acts as a watchdog and give examples.
Understand and define how political information is mediated.

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. —The 1st Amendment to the United States Constitution

The press is the only profession explicitly protected in the United States Constitution. Many attribute this protection to James Madison and his writings in the Federalist Papers , but the idea of a free press stretches back to well before Madison wrote out his ideas on what constitutes a perfect democracy. The origins of the free press in the United States can be traced back to Cato’s letters , a collection of essays written in the 1720s by two British writers, John Trenchard and Thomas Gordon . Using the pseudonym Cato, they published their articles in the British press, criticizing the British monarchy for its corruption and tyrannical practices. Decades later, American colonists felt the effects of these letters during their own struggles against the Crown, 1 and in 1776, Virginia became the first state to formally adopt a constitutional provision to protect press freedom. 2 Why is the idea of protecting the press so embedded in the United States’ concept of government, and why is this concept so important? Do other nations protect the media to the same extent, or even more? The next section will examine these questions.

The Fourth Estate and Freedom of the Press

The importance of a free press can be boiled down to a sentence from esteemed University of Illinois at Chicago lecturer Doris Graber ’s seminal work Mass Media and American Politics : “The mass media . . . serve as powerful guardians of political norms because the American people believe that a free press should keep them informed about the wrongdoings of government.” 3 Another common way of defining the media’s role is to say that it acts as the fourth estate , or the unofficial fourth branch of government that checks the others. The term fourth estate is credited to Scottish writer Thomas Carlyle , who wrote, “Burke said there were Three Estates in Parliament; but, in the Reporter’s Gallery yonder, there sat a Fourth Estate more important far than they all.” 4 In other words, people look to the media—the fourth estate—to keep the government in check. The role of the media must be protected if it is to carry out that task.

Throughout US history, the media has fulfilled this role as intended. In the late 1960s, Rand Corporation analyst Daniel Ellsberg provided classified documents to the New York Times and the Washington Post proving that the government was concealing protracted military involvement in the Vietnam War. The New York Times withstood government pressure and a Supreme Court case to go on to publish a series of articles now known as the Pentagon Papers , which revealed the extent to which the American public had been lied to about the country’s progress in that war. The Watergate scandal is perhaps the most famous example of press freedom and the role of the press as watchdog (another term for the fourth estate ). In this instance, a government informant known as Deep Throat fed Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein confidential information about then president Richard Nixon’s corrupt campaign practices. An ensuing series of investigative pieces by the two journalists revealed multiple abuses of power in Nixon’s reelection campaign, and their reporting ultimately led to the indictment of multiple presidential aides and the eventual resignation of the president himself.

In this video clip, investigative journalists Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, editor Barry Sussman, and former executive editor Ben Bradlee recall how, when they worked for the Washington Post in 1972, they broke the story of the Watergate scandal, a story that started with an investigation of a break-in at a Washington, DC, hotel and led to a constitutional crisis, the resignation of President Richard Nixon, and almost 50 criminal convictions.

In the case of the Pentagon Papers, the Supreme Court ruled 6–3 that the president’s argument—that prior restraint 5 was necessary in order to protect national security—was not enough “to abrogate the fundamental law embodied in the First Amendment ,” 6 and this is the most important First Amendment case because it addresses the sweeping right of the press and press protections in the 20th century. Watergate showed how a protected press is free to serve one of its main purposes, which is to reveal government misconduct. New Yorker staff writer Richard Harris wrote at the time that, “The press was potentially Mr. Nixon’s enemy—far more than the courts or Congress, because only the press could dig out and tell the story (whatever help reporters might get from the courts or Congress) in a way that would arouse the people to demand an accounting.” 7

Watchdogs do not have to be journalistic behemoths like the New York Times or the Washington Post. In the United Kingdom, a small, independent newspaper called the Rochdale Alternative Paper revealed decades-long abuse allegations against Liberal Party MP 8 Cyril Smith . The exposé in the paper, which had a circulation of 8,000 at its highest, 9 eventually led to both a police and an independent government investigation into a child abuse ring that involved several high-level government officials, including MP Peter Morrison, the private secretary to then prime minister Margaret Thatcher . 10 Another way to understand the watchdog function of the press is through the term muckraker , referring to reform-minded investigative journalists during the Progressive Era in the United States (late 1800s to early 1900s) who exposed the wrongdoings of industry leaders. One famous example of a muckraker was Upton Sinclair , who wrote the novel The Jungle based on the corrupt and inhumane practices in American meatpacking companies at the turn of the 20th century. The publication of The Jungle led to governmental action on food safety. In his 1919 work The Brass Check , Sinclair exposed the journalism industry’s penchant for yellow journalism , or journalism that relies on catchy titles and human interest stories to drive sales over well-researched articles or pieces on civic affairs. Sinclair was not afraid to take on media titans such as William Randolph Hearst , who owned the nation’s largest chain of newspapers at the time.

Watchdogs and muckrakers act as a check on government action and corruption. They play an important part in exercising the role of a free press as a cornerstone of a functioning democracy. As Yale University professor and member of the Council on Foreign Relations Timothy Snyder writes, “If nothing is true, then no one can criticize power, because there is no basis upon which to do so.” 11 The media allows the public to understand what is happening in government in order to hold elected officials accountable. Or, perhaps more simply put, “A free press is important because it is the freedom upon which all of our other freedoms are contingent.” 12

How free is the press? The answer is not black and white, as evidenced by the 2021 World Press Freedom Index . Published every year by Reporters Without Borders , the Freedom Index measures freedom in 180 countries “based on an evaluation of pluralism, independence of the media, quality of legislative framework and safety of journalists in each country and region.” 13 The map in Figure 12.3 below shows that the press is freer in some countries (in pink and purple on the map) than in others (in blue and green).

According to the index and as reflected in the map, Norway, Finland, Sweden, and Denmark have the freest presses in the world. Notably, Norway tries to discourage media concentration in order to ensure a variety of outlets, something that will be discussed in later parts of this chapter. The 2021 index ranked the United States 44th, after South Africa (32nd), Botswana (38th), and South Korea (42nd).

George Mason University professor Sam Lebovic explains that two main factors, the rise of concentration in ownership and increased state secrecy, are responsible for the inadequacy of press freedom in the United States, which is an ongoing and serious problem. 14 The modern US media faces unprecedented struggles against declining viewership and revenues, which work to limit the number of outlets and decrease the number of working journalists. At the same time, legislation such as the Patriot Act , passed after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, has made it more difficult for the press to verify state information because of increasing pressure on sources not to cooperate and prosecution of journalists who do ascertain information. In addition, the Trump administration further hampered press freedoms through the prosecution of news sources, public statements that discredited journalists, and encouragement of foreign leaders to take steps to restrict their own media. 15 The future of press freedom in America, while still unstable due to media concentration and surveillance laws such as the Patriot Act, may show some signs of improvement; in a speech on Press Freedom Day in 2021, President Joe Biden decried the imprisonment of 274 reporters worldwide, criticized the lack of local media outlets, and said that the United States “recognize[s] the integral role a free press plays in building prosperous, resilient, and free societies.” 16 Despite these laudatory comments about a free press, however, it is clear the United States faces challenges in protecting journalists’ ability to fulfill their roles.

A study of the United States and Latin America provides an example of how this idea of the importance of a free press is shared across cultures. In the study, journalists representing both cultures shared a common definition of a free press as one that functions without government pressure and to promote social and economic development. 17 This study considered whether or not a free press is related to increased economic development, a question that to date has not been conclusively answered. While the notion that political freedoms (such as freedom of the press) should naturally encourage economic growth and increased standards of living is a common one, current research has not found conclusive evidence either supporting or refuting the claim. 18

There is more of a consensus on the benefits of a free press when it comes to preventing corruption. Studies of press freedom around the world, conducted by scholars in England, Argentina, and Australia, confirm this theory. 19 In this way, the watchdog role that the press plays is based on democratic ideals and has real-world effects for the public.

The Mediated Nature of Political Information

The political information most people receive is mediated information . What does this mean? Unless they work directly in government, most citizen’s understanding of politics comes completely from the media, whether via television news, podcasts, or social media feeds. The media may be a gatekeeper, but it is also a storyteller. As such, it is important to realize that what people see in the media is actually a manufactured view of the political world. Journalists and others who create the news follow routines and are influenced by institutional values that manifest themselves in media content. As Columbia University professor Herbert Gans writes in his study of the American media, “The news does not limit itself to reality judgments; it also contains values, or preference statements. This in turn makes it possible to suggest that there is, underlying the news, a picture of nation and society as it ought to be.” 20 Gans acknowledges that professional journalists try to be objective, yet the news does in fact make judgments and value statements. For example, crime news alerts viewers to the idea that there are undesirable actors within society and that criminals should be punished. Judgments and value statements such as these are different from political bias; while some news outlets are overtly liberal or conservative, Gans’s study shows that the media produces stories with cultural values that people may not detect because they are so used to seeing stories presented this way. For example, according to Gans, ethnocentrism and altruistic democracy are two of the key enduring values in the news. Ethnocentrism in the news refers to the idea that the American media values the United States above all other nations. This manifests most obviously in war coverage, where the press rarely questions American involvement—and to do so would be unpatriotic. In a similar vein, Gans explains that the American news media emphasize an altruistic democracy , the ideal held up by the media that politics should be based on public service and for the public interest. 21 In these ways, the news makes statements about what is right and what is wrong and presents political news through these lenses.

Journalists also share other professional values as to what makes a “good” news story, such as proximity, negativity, scope (how big is the story?), timeliness, and unexpectedness (novelty). 22 Because journalists share these professional values, there is a certain homogeneous quality to the news, otherwise known as pack journalism . This means that people receive the same type of news story repeatedly, though this has been changing since the advent of online news, a topic that will be discussed later in the chapter. Journalists’ common ideas about what should be in the news and why color their coverage and presentation of the news—and, as a result, the public’s perception of politics.

It is important here to note that the concept of news values differs across countries—what is newsworthy in the United States may not be in other nations—and the role of the media differs as well. A study on the news in Japan found that strong cultural forces and local needs drive how news is produced and delivered. 23 Other scholars have found that Western news organizations highlight human interest stories, while Arabic news focuses more on social responsibility and Islamic values. 24 University of Leicester Professor Vincent Campbell echoes the sentiment that news organizations in different countries are fueled by different values and that this influences what stories their audiences see. In authoritarian countries, journalists focus less on performing the watchdog role and more on promoting state activities. 25 This is the case in countries such as North Korea and China, where the state government runs the media.

Related to the idea that the media in large part decides what is a good news story is the concept of the media’s gatekeeping role and its agenda-setting powers. In other words, according to agenda-setting theory , the media decides both what to ignore or filter out and what to show the public. As University of Texas professor Maxwell McCombs and University of North Carolina professor Donald Shaw write, “In choosing and displaying news, editors, newsroom staff, and broadcasters play an important part in shaping political reality. Readers learn not only about a given issue, but also how much importance to attach to that issue from the amount of information in a news story and its position.” 26 Whether it is a producer who selects the topics for the evening news or an algorithm that creates a social media news feed, people know what is “news” by what is fed to them, they know what is important based on how often it gets airtime, and they understand that there are lead stories and stories that don’t matter very much. The public doesn’t make these decisions; professionals within the news industry make them for the public. (Later parts of this chapter will discuss how this power dynamic has changed thanks to social media and how, in many ways, it is no longer media professionals who select what the public sees.)

If the media decides which stories to present, it also has a hand in deciding how stories are presented. According to framing theory , the way the media frames political information can affect people’s understanding of it. University of Illinois professor David Tewksbury and University of Wisconsin professor Dietram A. Scheufele explain:

“Artists know that the frame placed around a painting can affect how viewers interpret and react to the painting itself. . . . Journalists—often subconsciously—engage in essentially the same process when they decide how to describe the political world. They choose images and words that have the power to influence how audiences interpret and evaluate issues and policies.” 27

For example, a study on gubernatorial races found that female candidates were more likely to be framed in terms of personal characteristics than their male counterparts, who were more likely to be framed in terms of their positions on policy issues. 28 In a separate study, researchers found that one common way the Dutch national media framed news on the European Union (EU) was in terms of assigning responsibility for social problems to the government. This study suggests that the Dutch media’s presentation of political news reflects the public expectation that the government will provide social welfare programs. 29 By highlighting certain aspects of a story and ignoring others, frames can affect people’s judgments and opinions on policy issues, and just as with agenda setting, elected officials fight to make sure they are framed in the correct light.

The public, and individual viewers, should know that while the media is a critical tool that aids people’s political decision-making, it is guided by professional values that dictate the content. Individuals’ views on politics can sometimes be out of their control, but they can work to assemble a better picture of the world by turning to a variety of media outlets and becoming aware of what goes into story selection. While internal pressures (such as professional norms) or external forces (such as authoritarian governments) can influence how the media portrays information, ownership can also affect what the public sees. The next section will examine the different types of media—and, perhaps more importantly, who owns them and how this affects their role in the political world.

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Role of Media in Promoting Good Governance

2021, Precious Miracle kargbo

One of the objects of a newspaper is to understand the popular feeling and give expression to it, another is to arouse among the people certain desirable sentiments; the third is fearlessly to expose popular defects"-Mahatma Gandhi.

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On many of these sites, only people youth accept as "friends" are allowed to see their pages, but many youth find pride in collecting as many "friends" as possible, often befriending 1,000 or more and rendering the distinction between friend and acquaintance non-existent. Some nations can influence and control their media greatly. In addition, powerful corporations also have enormous influence on mainstream media. In some places major multinational corporations own media stations and outlets. Often, many media institutions survive on advertising fees, which can lead to the media outlet being influenced by various corporate interests. Other times, the ownership interests may affect what is and is not covered. Stories can end up being biased or omitted so as not to offend advertisers or owners. The ability for citizens to make informed decisions is crucial for a free and functioning democracy but now becomes threatened by such concentration in ownership. Between television and the Internet, the next generation of news consumers has been raised from a young age on an environment of free information, and newspapers are feeling the effects more and more each year. More than ever before, the Internet has been systematically usurping traditional features of newspapers –classified advertising, job listings and movie reviews for instance- and newspapers are losing the additional revenue streams from these declining aspects alongside their declining circulations. Today, websites like have replaced newspaper classified ads and help wanted postings with free online services. Countless other features have found digital reincarnations in recent years. For example, where the previous generation looked for relationships in a newspaper's "Personals" section, the current generation posts their descriptions and searches for friends on MySpace and Facebook. These websites challenge some of the most important revenue sources for newspapers, and this is having serious effects on the business of newspapers, but what newspapers fear the most is not their readers selling possessions on eBay instead of in a classified ad –it is their readers getting their news from the cornucopia of online news sources that have emerged outside of the traditional newsroom hegemony and challenged their central authority. The real crisis of newspapers today is just that loss of authority. While radio and television news each challenged the newspaper in the past, those two institutions were each professional institutions themselves, complete with their own established professional authorities. With the rise of the Internet, however, the newspaper is being challenged with the very essence of an anti-professional authority -a truly postmodern culture. The previous battles between radio, television and newspapers were battles between similarly structured, vertically integrated hegemonies. Like the Cold War, with the superpowers of the US and the USSR competing for supremacy, the challenges faced by newspapers in the past were against enemies that the newsroom could understand and comprehend. In the past, the necessity of newspapers and professional reporters was seemingly inherent. If something happened in one part of the country, it was inconceivable that word of the event would naturally disseminate itself throughout a populace at any appreciable rate. Newspapers and reporters were therefore necessary to serve as the connecting tissue between the occurrences of the day and an interested audience. Information can only travel as fast as the available technology, and throughout the evolution of mass media, from the printed page, to the radio, to the television, there has been a consistent hegemony surrounding the disseminating forces. Radio and television airwaves are highly regulated, for example, and administrative, logistical and financial barriers prevent the general public from achieving anything greater than "viewer" status. As such, the news industry as a whole has been able to maintain their dominance over the public's access to information. So, the media issue here has been understood as “exploration and analysis of evolving and emerging issues in mass media, including economic, regulatory and technological developments and trends.” The media issues diligently encourage thinking critically about the thorny issues inherent in the newspaper, radio, television, and Internet industries. To evaluate the current ethical, political, and economic controversies upon mass media professions and even outside of the mass media should look media issues from the standpoint of media consumers and determine how to evaluate their coverage by the media. This has been done here in book. In this context this book starts a culture of discussion about Media issues in academic and intellectual fields. From which a new kind of concept, definition, understanding etc. can be outlined for recent change and pattern in mass media issues. At last this book itself has seen media issues from different lenses- Some important social issues created or sustained by the mass media, the motivations of media coverage, Media effects on social change and on popular attitudes, and the importance of a critical attitude while consuming media messages.etc. Now book is in your hand, enjoy. Moksha (Dr. Achyut Aryal) Mokshakuti May 2011 E-mail- [email protected] Blog- www.bmokshya.blogspot.com

jhalak subedi

Rajendra Subba

Gael Robertson

This paper is intended to inform policy makers and implementers – both within government and civil society – concerned with the Right to Information (RTI). The paper provides a narrative on how RTI has evolved in the country with some comparisons made with the international context. The paper stresses the importance of external support to RTI. This is followed by a discussion on the resistance and challenges to implementing RTI across a range of stakeholders – political parties, government and civil society. The report makes use of results and evidence coming out of key interventions funded by the Enabling State Programme (ESP). Lessons and Top Tips are drawn on the implementation of initiatives focusing on RTI which could be useful in the design and implementation of governance-related projects in the future.

Jan Goossenaerts

Foreign Aid and the making of Democracy in Nepal brings fresh insight and analytic rigor on the ambivalent contribution that international cooperation and the Nepalese polity has made to democracy and economic growth in Nepal. At a time when the Nepalese people are coping with unfinished institutions -- a democratic deficit --, alongside fiscal, social and economic deficits, and with the prevalent ineffectiveness of foreign aid, Nepal and its donors need now more than ever the kind of dispassionate, rigorous scholarship by Nepalese scholars found in this book. The contributions in this book show policymakers, researchers and the public why they need to question conventional wisdom about development and democracy, and demonstrate the value of undertaking systematic analysis before formulating policy and deciding development priorities.

Raju Prasad Chapagai

The Review of the legislative framework and jurisprudence concerning the right to adequate food in Nepal discusses overarching aspects of Nepalese law and jurisprudence dealing with the human right to food. Following a brief discussion of the international legal protection of the right to food in Nepal, the review, in particular provides a critical assessment of constitutional as well as legislative provisions and offers a thorough analysis of Supreme Court jurisprudence pertaining to the right to food. In addition to judicial remedy, the review also covers non-judicial means of remedy against the violation of food rights. This review comes at an opportune moment in the sense that Nepal's constitution-making process is yet to be completed and there are also a number of ongoing legislative and policy initiatives towards protection and promotion of the right to food. This review provides detailed knowledge to concerned stakeholders on normative and implementation gaps in relation to the right to adequate food. With the view of assisting Nepal in this process, the review also offers a set of concrete recommendations, touching upon a wide range of aspects of the human right to adequate food. This work was undertaken under the global project entitled"Integrating the Right to Adequate Food and Good Governance in National Policies, Legislation and Institutions” (GCP/GLO/324/NOR Right to Food at Country Level) run by the FAO Right to Food Team, in collaboration with the Development Law Service and the Office in Nepal of FAO. The project aims to address country challenges by promoting human rights-based approach in efforts to achieve food security at all levels, in legislation, policy and programme design and formulation, decision and implementation. By producing this analysis, FAO aims to assist the Government of Nepal, the Constituent Assembly, the Judiciary, the National Human Rights Institutions, and civil society organizations in their initiatives towards advancing the human right to adequate food.

Indeewari K Galagama

The nature of the state in Nepal can be categorized as a federal state. Nepal has moved unitary government to a federal government structure. The main causes for Nepal to shift to the federalism changed attitude and behaviour of central offices and provide adequate financial, human and physical resources at the local levels. During the king monarchy peoples of Nepal has not enjoyed at least their basic human rights. Many people live far from the capital city had no access to education, health or security. Every facility centralized to the elite and politicians. Therefor majority of people were suppressed by the king’s rule and his autocratic power and it leads to Nepal to start a civil war and federalization.

Challenges in political instability has introduced Federal System in Nepal overthrowing monopoly of Unitary System, but the corruption is Nepal had proved that the system seems to be short period experiments and the civilians are going to blame themselves for the destruction of the Rule of Law.

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The Ascent of Kamala Harris Should Not Come as a Surprise

An ecstatic crowd-in the foreground, a Black woman and behind her, a white woman -- both with their arms up in jubilation.

By Annette Gordon-Reed

Ms. Gordon-Reed, a professor of law and American history at Harvard University is the author, most recently, of “On Juneteenth.”

As the Democratic Party’s nominee for president of the United States, Vice President Kamala Harris has generated a remarkable level of enthusiasm almost from the moment President Joe Biden endorsed her.

Observers along the political spectrum have been caught off guard by the Harris phenomenon. David Axelrod, the political consultant and former senior adviser to President Barack Obama, characterized Ms. Harris’s early strong poll numbers, when matched against those of former President Donald Trump, as a result of “ irrational exuberance .” This, instead of mere “exuberance,” which could, of course, be rational.

Upon viewing her filled-to-the-rafters and turbocharged campaign rallies along with her running mate, Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota, Ms. Harris’s political opponents have cried foul. There is no way that many people are coming out to see her! With no evidence, Mr. Trump accused the Harris campaign of doctoring photos to make the crowds at her rallies seem larger.

The quick and strong reaction — part jubilation, part bewilderment — to Ms. Harris’s candidacy reminds us of the important role that contingency, shaped by timing, biography and historical context, plays in American politics. Viewed in the proper manner, Ms. Harris’s ascent should not come as a big surprise, both because of who we are now (and have been historically) and because of who she is.

We Americans have been through a great deal over the past 10 years, including a worldwide pandemic whose effects we have yet to sort out. Our Republic has been put to a stress test with an outcome that is still uncertain: Political norms, which had come to be seen as akin to law, have now been shattered. In fact, laws have been broken with no evident sense of urgency about repercussions.

A symbol of American democracy, the Capitol building, was attacked, creating scenes that would have seemed unthinkable to Americans (and probably to people around the world) in years past. Challenging the legitimacy of lost elections — or even elections not yet held — rather than regrouping to fight (or promising to regroup for) the next round, is now a recognizable and demoralizing feature of the political landscape. With the overturning of Roe v. Wade, a right that had been adjudged constitutional was taken away, an act that has caused great consternation and fear about just what other rights might be in jeopardy.

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