Media matters

The role of market players, including big industrialists, who own and run media houses warrants a closer scrutiny (“ >Media, it’s time to heal thyself ,” July 11). Many political parties and businesses use the media as a cover for their other interests. With the media becoming a business, the need to make instant profits has become imperative. And with profit becoming the goal, ideals have taken a back seat. The role of technology in media is also growing fast. High-tech means high capital investment. And capital is merciless.

If the media is to remain honest and upright, those with other ventures should be barred from entering the field. Politicians, too, should be barred from owning media houses. This is impossible. The media will, therefore, continue to remain biased and skewed. The Hindu stands out as an exception.

V. Chandrasekhar,

Tirupati

The media-market combination is the biggest challenge we face today. It is not surprising that this partnership is dictating terms. It is time to take the recommendations of Justice Markandey Katju on media regulation seriously.

P. Benny John,

Palakkad

At a time when the media is under the vicious grip of big business, there is little scope for activism from within, as suggested by the authors, to bring about a course correction. Young journalists become cogs in the corporate wheel and are under compulsion to protect the business interests of their owners. They are unlikely to find concepts like “institutional integrity” appealing. Effective dissemination of alternative views through social networking is the way to discipline the mainstream media which is increasingly becoming subservient to the businessman-politician nexus.

Manohar Alembath,

Kannur