Essays

"Today mass media, specifically the visual media, plays pivotal role in creating an atmosphere of awareness tinning the society. Visual Media refers to different communication channels or ways through which knowledge and information is conveyed to the viewers or the readers through knowledge, television, cinema, posters etc. Whatever is supplied through the visual media have fast and long lasting effect on the minds of the viewers.'

 With rapid development of information and technology the visual media in the shape of cable TV. With multitudes of domestic and foreign channels have reached in almost every house, plays vital role in mounding lie public opinion in various ways.  It plays very crucial role in educating, and entertaining the masses. 7'hecable TV has changed the means and modes of entertainment and education. Sitting before a TV. One can pass and enjoy his leisure listening music, viewing movie, learning techniques of body building, hearing sermons of religious saints, learning about lives of wild animals, birds, water creature, knowing about space, and what not. During election period, one can know the positions of political parties, their leaders, happenings at each pan of the country and their impact on the election campaigning and all facts of electioneering, just sitting at home before TV.

Youngsters and teenage students are now-a-days seen viewing the channels, as per their likings, if some are viewing the music; some are seen quenching their thrust of knowledge, viewing channels like 'discovery or National Geography or History etc. The image on the small screen thus have a significant impression on all, more particularly on (he gullible children and on the teens. The young mind takes the reel as real and thus more often and more easily molded and motivated by the visual media. The present-day fashion, hairdressing. sexual liberties, dating and awakening towards the right of children, awareness among the women to their rights are because of the role visual media has played in the society.

There is nothing wrong, if visual media has so emphatic effect on the viewers, but the owner of the channels must understand it in right perspective, that if they are showing something of violent nature, or sexual ritual like rape scene, naked scene, then it can undermine the positivity of the role to be played by the media.

In a hysterical effort to excel from others, some channels are showing such scenes and images, which are of no importance and have an adverse effect on the mind of viewers. Showing of sexual and rape cases, with minute details by the anchor, and showing brutal scenes of murder, the channels have crossed the limit of ethics and morality. The TV coverage of massacre of Gandhi Nagar Akshardham. Godhra's burnt and churned bodies of victims lying in the bogies and outside create feeling of hatred among the communities, and motivate others to wreak vengeance. Obsessed by the monoaim of making fast bucks, the channels arc competing with one another to sloop to any kind of absurdity, without considering even for a minute as to what effect such visuals have on the society.

 Whether the visual media have no responsibility towards the-society? Whether the visual media should not desist from visualizing such scenes which arc of inflammatory nature?

It is argued that media's role is to bring reality to the public, but then does showing of mutilated burnt churned bodies help the society or our nation in anyway.

Some of the channels are playing very important role in awakening the common man against corruption, the rotten outdated riles still spoiling the society, the superstitions, the killing of female unborn child and such other evils prevailing in the society. These are very positive things that have resulted in putting the authorities at vigil and the government to take steps in right directions.

Cinema

Cinema is also a very important visual media, a source of entertainment which caters to the vast population throughout the world. With the cable TV, being cheaper, and with multitude of channels available, the number of cinema goers have reduced considerably, yet, it has a great impact on the youth in their life style, fashioning, dressing pattern etc. Modem cinema, has turned to violence and sex, and the obscenity presented in the movies has contributed a gradual increase in crime and violence in the society. The youth and teens tend to imitate the characters portrayed on the screen— copying the styles of heroes, in enticing and teasing the girls—are observed now-a- days. The vulgar and sexual scenes of movies have very negative and adverse effect on the minds of the gullible youth. The present day goondaism, falling in love affairs by college and school boys and girls, opting revealing dresses by the girls are some of the effects of the present day movies.

Other visual media

Besides theatres a number of video parlous have started talking places in cities, showing adult movies, blue films in a clandestine manner. Vulgar and naked sexual scenes, encourage the youth to commit crime, like rape, eve teasing, kidnapping etc. and diverted them to a very wrong directions thus spoiling their life to the core of abyss.

Visual media thus has an emphatic and motivated effect on the society. The negative and adverse aspect of the visual media is needed censor by the administration. Films must be made with certain moral and noble ethical values that have educative and patriotic effect on the society. Picturisation of rape scenes, obscenities, crude violence must be made punitive by providing extra legal teeth to IPC Sec. 292 (sale of obscene books). Section 293 (Obscene act and songs) and to the indecent representation of women (Prohibition) Act 1986 and other laws, so that the visual media actually have a role of positive social changes, education, patriotism, curbing corruption and evils prevalent in the society.

Vocabulary

1. Pivotal—focal, crucial, middle. 2. conveys—carry, bear, dispatch, move. 3. moulding— architectural ornament, embellishment. 4. gullible—innocent, trustful, simple. 5. liberties— friendliness, acquaintanceship. 6. violent—strong, powerful, forceful, forcible. 7. brutal— strong, powerful, forceful, forcible, rough. 8. massacre—butchering, killing, slaughter. 9. victim—accident, mishap, calamity, fatality. 10. hatred—abhorrence, loathing. 11. Obsessed-haunted, beset, controlled. preoccupied. 12. Monoaim—one particular aim, 13. absurdity—improbability, foolishness. 14. visuals—seen, ocular, optic, beheld, optical. 15. inflammatory—incendiary, provocative, fiery, instigative. 16. camouflage— disguise, cover, dissimulation. 17. vigil—watch, wakefulness. sleeplessness. 18. enticing— lovely, attractive, appealing. 19. clandestine—furtive, secret, private, surreptitious.  20. licentiou—lascivious, sensuous, desirous. 21. vengeance—retribution, return, retaliation. 22- curbing—commanding, administrative.