The Role of Media in National Integration

It was said by pundits of history that North and South India were two separate entities and all those rulers who tried to conquer and command South India along with North India were doomed; while this thinking was negated by the examples of emperor Ashoka and the British.

Role of media

The growth of communications and education under the British, in the 19^th century, helped bringing the people of India together. The struggle for independence generated a spirit of unity and nationalism amongst the people and a large contribution to this came from the media, i.e. the newspapers. Media exposed the true face of British imperialism and colonialism, and helped in creating awareness and consequent unity among Indians to fight the British.

After independence, the Indian media developed rapidly, including the radio, and then the television. Any occurrence in any corner of the country immediately spreads all over through the media. The spreading of news is not just the conveyance of information, but it also acts as a catalyst in creating identification with the nation, its people, culture, and thoughts. In earlier days, not everyone was able to know what exactly happened and the whole picture used to become clear after a much delay but with the wide reach of media via Television and Internet, everyone gets the news instantly and easily evaluates the situation by various means.

Growth of Nationalism

Newspapers, radio, television and movies reach all the people in India. The same things are thus seen and read all over the country, and this helps in the growth of similar mentality and thoughts. This can also be seen as the growth of consciousness of belonging to one nation. This is the growth of Nationalism. Now, people all over the country have easy access to information and latest news; they also have various platforms to share their views and learn more about the subject. It helps by bringing the people together and spread information instantly all over the country.

Nationalism in itself contains the seed of unity and the national integration. The same values that get conveyed through media, directly or indirectly, help sustain nationalism and thus, national integration.