5. Mass Media and History

• ✓ (a) James Augustus Hickey
• (b) John Marshall
• (c) Allen Hume
• (d) Balshastri Jambhekar

Answer: The first English newspaper in India was started by James Augustus Hickey.

• (a) visual
• (b) audio
• ✓ (c) audio-visual
• (d) tactile

Answer: Television is an audio-visual medium.

Wrong pair: (1) ‘Prabhakar’ — Acharya P.K. Atre

During the Indian struggle for independence, newspapers played a crucial role in creating political and social awareness among the masses:

• Newspapers like Darpan and Prabhakar published historical accounts and letters aimed at awakening society.
• They supported social reform movements; for example, Induprakash actively supported widow remarriage, while Deenbandhu represented the issues of the masses (Bahujansamaj).
• Newspapers extensively reported and supported significant events like the Indian War of Independence of 1857.
• Kesari and Maratha marked an important stage in history, openly discussing social and political issues, nationwide situations, and criticizing British policies and politics in England.

Mass media is essential for modern society for the following reasons:

• It facilitates the free flow of information to all strata of society, keeping citizens updated about local, national, and international events.
• Through editorials, columns, and supplements, mass media helps in educating the public and provides a platform for readers to voice their opinions.
• It serves as the fourth pillar of democracy by strengthening democratic values and ensuring transparency.
• Audio-visual media, like television, crosses the inherent limitations of print and radio, allowing people to watch actual visuals of events as they happen, making information more impactful.

The field of mass media creates numerous professional opportunities, particularly for experts with a strong understanding of history:

• Print Media: Newspapers require historians and journalists to write articles, columns like "50 Years Ago", editorials, and special commemorative supplements that unfold the historical background of current events.
• Radio: Stations like Akashvani invite historians as experts for discussions on anniversaries of historical events or birth/death anniversaries of national leaders.
• Television: Producing historical or mythological serials (like Ramayana or Bharat Ek Khoj) requires a deep understanding of history to accurately present the environment, outfits, weaponry, and linguistic expressions of the concerned period. Roles include researchers, directors, set designers, and scriptwriters.

• The news or information presented in the media may not always represent the exact truth. It can be biased, forged, or incomplete.
• A famous example is the German weekly magazine Stern, which purchased and published handwritten diaries of Adolf Hitler. After the news appeared in print, the diaries were proved to be forged.
• Therefore, to prevent the spread of misinformation and to form correct opinions, it is essential that we scan and review any information received through mass media very carefully.

• Newspapers have to unfold the background of an event in the news. To report news in detail, reporters often compare it with parallel events that happened in the past.
• Historical documents and written history form the basis of special columns like "50 Years Ago" or "100 Years Ago", which provide information about past economic, social, or political events.
• On significant occasions, like the 100th anniversary of World War I or the 75th anniversary of the Quit India movement, newspapers publish special supplements. Writing these articles requires a thorough review of history.

• Television is an audio-visual medium, meaning people can both hear and see the information being broadcasted.
• It overcomes the inherent limitations of newspapers (which only provide text and static images) and radio (which only provides audio).
• It shows the actual visuals of an event to people as it actually happened, making the experience highly immersive and believable.
• Additionally, it provides a wide variety of entertaining and educational programs, including mythological serials, historical documentaries, and live events, appealing to a large audience.

Akashvani (AIR) is an integral part of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (India).

The new name of IBC (Indian Broadcasting Company), after it was taken over by the British Government, was Indian State Broadcasting Service (ISBS).

The ‘Vividh Bharati’ programmes are broadcasted in 24 regional languages as well as 146 dialects of Indian languages.

AIR was named ‘Akashvani’ on the suggestion of the famous poet Pandit Narendra Sharma.