Media is one of the most powerful instruments of communication. It promotes the most crucial information and brings real and influential aspects of the world to a broad spectrum of people. Media refers to several links, namely- mass media broadcast media, print media, the web media and the digital media. But I will here deal with print and video.

The world is moving towards progress in every step of life because of the information we are educated with, daily. Social issues including poverty, violence, corruption, bribery, suppression of human rights, rape, discrimination, and crime, killing in the name of honour are being covered by journalists daily. Today news channels, newspapers, radio, digital etc. help us to evaluate the facts of every social element with the pure and free effect. The media has given us a chance to explore the issues of society more naturally.

Media is all the more critical in a democracy. It is often regarded as the heart of a democratic society. Without media or free press, democracy cannot be thriving. In simple words, democracy is the government of the people, for the people and by the people. In this sense, the active and vigilant participation of media is essential in a democratic society. It is the voice of the people.

We can’t even imagine a regular or even a “locked-down” day without news. The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has created a worldwide health crisis that has had a profound impact on the way we perceive our world and our everyday lives. The pace of contagion of transmission threatens our sense of agency. With quarantine, lockdown and social distancing being implemented, our only source of credible information is the media or press. In the time of lockdown, the one sector that has been working without adequate acknowledgment is the “press” or “media”.

The journalists, like healthcare workers and delivery executives, are our front line resistance against the virus. The people running the press have to tackle the rough weather, leave their families behind and work tirelessly 24 hours a day. The news never stops. The kind of motivation that drives them is commendable. They brave every odd situation that comes their way.

The main agenda of this continuous work is to update people with all the latest information about the pandemic. The media, today, has secured people quarantined in their houses. They have eased the mental health of people under anxiety. They have given information on the degree and scale of the virus. They have provided us with suitable solutions. They have even entertained us as we sometimes need to deviate ourselves from difficult situations. All of this press is available in every regional language to cater to people living in every region of our diverse country. And it’s not easy to provide news to such diverse viewers.

In times like these, media has become almost as necessary as food and clothing. The media is indeed playing an outstanding role in strengthening our society. But it also has the power to built or destruct communities. Fortunately, in India, its responsibility has revolved around informing & educating people. It helps us to know about the current situation around the world. The media has a strong social and cultural impact on society.

I sincerely pray for the health of and well being of all our media personnel and journalists. If journalists remain fit, only then can we get the news we are getting every hour. We shouldn’t take their sacrifice for granted. They too are the heroes of this fight against COVID-19.