MASS MEDIA AS THE BACKBONE OF DEMOCRACY

by: Mabel Ann Ruedas

“DEMOCRACY - a government in which the supreme power is vested in the people; rule of the majority” ~ Merriam and Webster Dictionary

Mass Media is the backbone of democracy. It is considered such by the way media influences the society through its incessant dissemination of information about politics and politicians, especially here in the Philippines. The information propagated, being the basis of the people for their choice of votes particularly in the election period. Media serves as the overseer of the transgression and corruption by those who have power. And the media also identifies societal problems which are then given much deliberation for resolutions by the nation. And with these responsibilities of the media, it is therefore concluded that the media performs to a certain standard by which it highly follows the universal code of ethics.

I for one, in our present time, there is a growing concern that the mass media is not fulfilling its roles properly. Take for example during election time. Advertisements in television, radio and the newspapers are supposed to be contemplating on the good deeds and perfect qualifications of the politicians for the people to notice and vote for them. But in reality, instead of ideologies of the politicians that would help uplift our nation, the information being broadcasted to the society is more of about the personalities of the powerful and famous; and more about gossips, scandals, sex and violence. The news is more entertaining rather than informing. The media hunt for scandals in the private lives of politicians and their families, but ignore much more serious consequences of their policies. And what’s more bothering is that the people have come across and accepted the way the news is spread and eventually decide upon the future of the nation and its leader with the information that the media has fed them.

How can it be called democracy now when there’s already a third party involved in the decision of the majority, that being the media. It is sad to know how the mass media can influence the society with such great impact. That is why we mass communicators should know how to use the power within our capabilities that can make or break a person. It should not always be about bragging rights as to who scooped on the scandal of this and that and all about making money and profit out of the news we obtain. We should all be responsible enough to be better mass communicators of the future; truth centered and God-fearing, making the most out of our acquired information not only to make profit out of it but also to educate and inform