Defining Media: Understanding Its Influence on Society

Every morning, millions of people wake up and reach for their phones. They scroll through news feeds, check WhatsApp messages, glance at headlines, and maybe watch a short video or two – all before breakfast. This daily ritual, so automatic that we barely notice it, is powered by something we call media. But what exactly is media? Why does it matter so much? And how does it quietly shape the way we see the world, form opinions, and even behave? Let’s break it down.

What is media? 🔗

At its simplest, media refers to the various channels and tools used to communicate information, ideas, and entertainment to large audiences. The word “media” is actually the plural of “medium,” meaning a means or channel of communication. Whether it’s a newspaper on your doorstep, a television broadcast in your living room, or a trending tweet on your phone, media is the bridge between information and the public.

But media is more than just a delivery system. It acts as a gatekeeper – deciding which stories get told, how they are framed, and who gets to speak. Research from Cambridge University has shown that media doesn’t just inform people about what to think – it significantly shapes perceptions of what others in society consider acceptable, thereby influencing social norms themselves.

To truly understand media, it helps to look at its three broad categories: print media, electronic media, and new media.

Print media: where it all began 🔗

Print media is the oldest form of mass communication. It includes newspapers, magazines, journals, books, pamphlets, and newsletters – essentially, any information delivered on paper.

The roots of print media go back to Johannes Gutenberg’s invention of the printing press in the 15th century, which made written content widely accessible for the first time. In the Indian context, print media has a particularly powerful legacy. During the freedom struggle, newspapers and magazines were not just information tools – they were weapons of resistance. Publications edited by leaders like Mahatma Gandhi mobilised public opinion against colonial rule and became powerful platforms for the independence movement.

Even today, print media holds considerable influence. Newspapers like The Times of India, Hindustan Times, and Dainik Jagran reach millions of readers daily across urban and rural areas. Magazines continue to serve niche interests, from politics and business to fashion and literature.

Characteristics of print media 🔗

Print media offers a tangible reading experience. You can hold it, flip through it, cut out an article, and revisit it without needing electricity or internet. It tends to go through editorial processes – fact-checking, editing, and review – before publication, which generally adds a layer of credibility. However, print media is one-directional. The reader consumes information but has limited ability to respond or interact with the content in real time. It also has geographic and logistical constraints – distribution networks determine who can access it and when.

Electronic media: bringing sound and vision 🔗

The 20th century brought a revolution in communication with the arrival of electronic media – radio, television, and cinema. These mediums introduced audio and visual elements, making information more vivid, immediate, and emotionally engaging.

Radio was one of the first electronic media to gain mass reach. All India Radio (AIR), established in 1936, became a lifeline for news, education, and entertainment across vast and diverse regions, particularly in rural areas where literacy rates were low and newspapers had limited reach.

Television took things further. Broadcasting in India began in 1959 with Doordarshan, the national public broadcaster. For decades, Doordarshan was the sole television channel, shaping an entire generation’s understanding of news, culture, and entertainment. The liberalisation of the 1990s opened the floodgates to private channels, and today India has hundreds of TV channels broadcasting in multiple languages across news, entertainment, sports, and more.

Cinema, particularly Bollywood, has been an enormously influential form of electronic media. Films like Dangal (2016) and Pink (2016) challenged gender stereotypes and tackled issues like consent, earning praise for pushing back against traditional societal norms. At the same time, much of mainstream cinema has historically reinforced conventional gender roles, caste hierarchies, and beauty standards.

The power (and reach) of electronic media 🔗

What makes electronic media so impactful is its ability to combine visuals, sound, and narrative to create emotionally resonant messages. A well-crafted television report or a gripping film can move people to action in ways that a printed article might not. Mass media shapes cultural norms and values through television, films, music, and the internet, making people aware of new ideas, challenges, and policies. This makes electronic media a potent force for both social progress and, unfortunately, for propaganda and sensationalism.

New media: the digital revolution 🔗

The most transformative shift in media has come with new media – a term that encompasses the internet, social media platforms, blogs, podcasts, streaming services, and mobile applications. Unlike traditional media, new media is interactive, decentralised, and participatory. Anyone with a smartphone and an internet connection can create content, share it, and potentially reach millions.

The numbers tell the story. As of early 2024, India had roughly 751.5 million internet users, with an internet penetration rate of about 52.4%. Platforms like WhatsApp, YouTube, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter) have become primary sources of news and information for a large section of the population, especially the youth.

New media has democratised information in unprecedented ways. Grassroots movements, independent journalism, and citizen reporting have all flourished. The #MeToo movement, for instance, gained momentum through social media, giving voice to survivors who had been ignored by traditional media structures.

The double-edged sword of new media 🔗

However, new media also comes with serious challenges. More than 600 million Indians use the internet, but digital literacy and regulation have not kept up with this rapid growth. People have access to vast amounts of information flowing from various digital sources but often lack the skills to verify its accuracy.

The spread of misinformation is a major concern. WhatsApp, with over 400 million users in India, has become a primary channel for spreading fake news, and false rumours circulated on the platform have had serious consequences, including incidents of mob violence. The anonymity and speed of new media make it easy for unverified information to go viral before anyone can fact-check it.

How media shapes our perceptions 🔗

Regardless of the type – print, electronic, or new – media plays a deep role in shaping how we perceive reality. This happens through several key mechanisms.

Agenda setting 🔗

Media organisations decide which stories receive coverage and how they are framed. By choosing to highlight certain issues and ignore others, the media effectively sets the public agenda. If a topic is covered extensively, people tend to perceive it as important. If it’s absent from coverage, it often falls off the public radar entirely.

Framing and representation 🔗

It’s not just what media covers, but how it presents information. The same event can be framed as a crisis or a success depending on the language, images, and context used. Research has found that a significant proportion of advertisements tend to reinforce stereotypical gender roles, emphasising traditional portrayals of women as homemakers. Such repeated framing over time normalises certain ideas and makes alternatives seem unusual or undesirable.

Socialisation and norm formation 🔗

Media functions as a powerful agent of socialisation, especially for young people. Studies have noted that Indian youth are navigating a balance between traditional values and the influence of the fast-paced, interconnected online world, with observable shifts in areas like family bonding, respect for cultural norms, and views on individualism versus collectivism.

A survey by the National Sample Survey Office found that approximately 40% of urban households reported modifying their cultural practices due to media exposure, with television and films being the most influential mediums.

Media and public opinion 🔗

The relationship between media and public opinion is particularly significant in a democracy. Media coverage shapes how citizens understand political choices, evaluate leaders, and form opinions on policy matters.

News channels, newspapers, and online platforms hold the power to influence how people perceive political parties and their leaders, which can directly impact electoral outcomes. Social media has amplified this further – political campaigns now invest heavily in digital strategy, using platforms to reach voters directly and mobilise support.

At the same time, challenges like media bias, the spread of misinformation, and unequal access to media in rural areas can distort public perception and hinder trust in government communications. The gap between urban and rural media access remains a persistent issue that affects how different communities engage with public discourse.

Why media literacy matters 🔗

Given media’s enormous influence, the ability to critically analyse and evaluate media messages has become an essential life skill. This is where media literacy comes in – the capacity to access, analyse, evaluate, and create media content in an informed and thoughtful manner.

UNESCO has been actively promoting Media and Information Literacy (MIL) initiatives that emphasise critical thinking, responsible media engagement, and ethical awareness, particularly among youth and marginalised groups. In India, UNESCO partnered with MICA Ahmedabad to organise the AI Futures Lab: Media Literacy 2024 summit, attended by hundreds of students both in-person and virtually.

Programmes like FactShala, run by DataLEADS with support from the Google News Initiative, have worked to bring media literacy training to people in small cities and villages across the country. The programme’s impact evaluation found that participants developed stronger critical thinking about online information and became more cautious about verifying content before sharing it.

The government has also taken steps through the Pradhan Mantri Gramin Digital Saksharta Abhiyan (PMGDISHA), which aims to enhance digital literacy in rural India. As of early 2024, over 40 million people had been trained under the programme. However, it is important to note that digital literacy – knowing how to use digital tools – is not the same as media literacy, which involves the deeper skill of critically evaluating and interpreting content.

Building a more media-literate society 🔗

A few key steps can help individuals engage with media more thoughtfully:

Question the source. Before accepting any piece of information, check where it comes from. Is it a credible news organisation, a verified government source, or an anonymous forward on WhatsApp?

Look for multiple perspectives. No single news outlet tells the complete story. Reading or watching multiple sources helps build a more balanced understanding of any issue.

Be aware of framing. Pay attention to the language, images, and tone used in media content. Ask yourself: what emotion is this trying to evoke? What information might be missing?

Pause before sharing. In the age of instant sharing, taking a moment to verify a claim before forwarding it can prevent the spread of misinformation.

The evolving media landscape 🔗

Media is not static. It continues to evolve with technology, and the boundaries between its categories are increasingly blurred. Newspapers now have digital editions and social media accounts. Television channels stream their content online. Podcasters break stories before traditional news outlets do. This phenomenon, known as media convergence, means that the old distinctions between print, electronic, and new media are becoming less rigid.

Emerging technologies like artificial intelligence are adding new dimensions. AI-powered algorithms decide what content appears in your social media feed, personalising your information environment in ways that can create filter bubbles – where you only see information that confirms your existing views. Deepfake technology raises concerns about fabricated video and audio content that can be nearly impossible to distinguish from real footage.

As media technologies continue to evolve, harnessing their potential for positive social change while addressing the risks they pose – including misinformation, the digital divide, and manipulation – remains a critical challenge.

What do you think? 🔗

Given how deeply media is woven into our daily lives – from the news we consume to the entertainment we watch – how critically do you evaluate the media messages you encounter every day? And as the lines between different types of media continue to blur, do you think the current education system is doing enough to prepare young people for the complexities of navigating this information-rich world?

References

1. https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/political-science-research-and-methods/article/how-does-media-influence-social-norms-experimental-evidence-on-the-role-of-common-knowledge/23D65E06CAB2876B08F12E23CD5C0539
2. https://www.krmangalam.edu.in/blog/impact-of-mass-media-on-society
3. https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.1920498117
4. https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/media-and-information-literacy-and-digital-competencies
5. https://internews.org/resource/factshala/
6. https://www.amulyacharan.com/2025/05/25/media-literacy-in-india-navigating-fake-news-and-digital-literacy/