Role of Media in Combating Corruption

In our democratic system we have the role of three important organs i.e.
Legislature, Judiciary and Executive. These organs of state are assigned with
different roles viz. making laws, deciding legality or illegality and
Implementation of laws respectively. These three arms of the democracy are
given their respective areas to work on and with the sole objective of service
of people or welfare of the common masses. The relative dependence or
independence of these organs are always considered a matter of discussion.
In some countries there is total separation of these three organs and there
are countries like India where the executive is part of the legislature. The
constitution has clearly defined the roles of these units and there seems to
be no overlapping even in their functioning. But yet we cant say in our
nation all these three organs are performing even to their average capacity.
Corruption i.e. using official postion for personal gain is widespread
in these institutions. It is difficult to find good and honest people in these
institutions but yet there are people who are making our country stronger
every coming day.
Can we say that these organs of state democracy are working to the
benefit of common masses? We may be sad to know that our answer may
be BIG NO. Legislature is given the task of making laws but we all know the
quality of debates in Parliament and State Legislature. The number of days
parliament functions is even less than 60, however several committies have
suggested at least more than 100 days. Judiciary in practical sense is very
far away from common man, imagine an institution that is working for the
people finding people afraid of it. We all cant deny that in our heart.
Executive who is expected to touch the common man seems to be very high
class strata of people who are finding common man untouchables.
Untouchability which our constitution ended through article 17 has taken a
new form everywhere. Solutions are emerging and problems are changing
but the pace is really vary.
What is the solution? Do we need any other organ? Any new pillar of
democracy to strengthen it? We all know that a structure can be strongly
supported by four legs then any other combination. So we need the fourth
pillar in democracy. Right, with the help of technology and intellectual
capacity of individual we have it i.e Media.
Media

We all know what is Media. Media is actually refer to medium which help us
to know the unknown thing which otherwise would have remain archaic and
hidden. We have different media performing their different stated objectives
e.g. Print Media, Television, Social Media through Internet, Mobile Phone and
so many new which may be coming in the time to come.
Role of Print Media
The oldest of the modern media is Print Media which comprises of
Newspapers, Books, Journals etc. The most common is Newspaper which has
the maximum reach to the common man. We are almost imcomplete without
our daily newspaper. We should remember that during our freedom struggle
the role of newspapers like Gadhijis Young India and Harijan, Tilaks Kesari,
and Payam E Azadi, Maulana Abulkalam Azad's Alhilal and many others. They
raise people to took part in freedom struggle of India. Print medias coverage
is enormous. Even in the rural end when no other facility is available
newspapers reach and they apprise the common man of the happenings in
the nation and the world. Because of extensive reach, Print media has
the power of making or breaking the government not satisfying the
will of the people and it can help in overthrowing any government
due to its negative engagements like corruption.
Role of Television
24 X 7 News channels are currently very effective in reaching to the
common man. The people can watch their leaders working and can judge
themselves what is happening. It really becoming a standard to judge the
strenghth and weakness of Political parties. Recently we have seen in the
election of USA President how the debates between the contestants
for President can be detrimental in winning or losing. Even a megre
act of failure or lapse on the part of the government is reaching to the
common man and they will be judging them on the basis of that. Elections
compaign is done through TV. So open and unbiased Television
Coverage can help the nation in shaping the effective public opinion
and will help in improving the lapses in our social institutions.
Several Exposes by the media these days have become a regular
feature and in fact part and parcel of reporting. The scams like CWG,
2G, Coalgate, Vadra-DLF, Poorti-Gadkari etc. may be silent had the Television
may not be there.
Role of Social Media : Internet

Social media is latest in the invention of media. The internet has really
brought a revolution in reaching and forming independent and authoritative
public expression and opinion. Individuals through Facebook, Orkut, Twitter,
You Tube etc can express their concern and can bring huge changes in social
setup. We all have seen the Jasmine Revolution in Middle East. This was
articulately arranged through Social Networking Websites only.
Social
Media has toppled the Governments and can do that in future also.
Many Politicians and Government Offices are reaching directly to common
public through Facebook and Twitter these days. The news of your good or
bad deeds can reach at a viral speed thanks to social media. It really makes
many authorities cautious while performing their duties.
Role of Individual imbibed with Technology
Mobile phone today has become an internal organ of Human Body. The most
direct and convenient way possible to reach to a person is through Mobile
Phone. We all have seen several exposes on Television being brought about
by the video recording of the corrupt practices of Government authorities by
individual common man. Now corrupt officials fear every mobile phone.
Mobile has really become a deterrent in combating Corruption. We
can conveniently record the voice while talking to somebody over
phone. I dont think there could be any facility better than this to
expel out corruption from the current system. An individual can not
be armed better then a mobile in our fight against corruption.
Can be rely on technology or media in our Endeavour against
Corruption?
This is really a very serious issue to discuss. We are better with technology in
media but is that sufficient. We really need something else. We know that
these media institution are doing their job sincerely at large but some
serious structural as well behavioral changes are needed. We need to
constantly update the various mechanism which can affect common man
and we have to find new ways of dealing with menaces like corruption.
Static and Rigid Solutions will not help us in weeding out the
corruption. There is no particular remedy for that but a collective
fight from different ends has to come in. Since the means of
corruption keeps on changing likewise our ammunition has to be
updated, media can be used for that.
Behavioural Changes

Public servants are always in limelight thanks to the media. Any wrong deed
or misdeed can be lethal to the image of the concerned department or
ministry. On many occasions we have seen Ministers clarifying articles
printed in the Newspaper. Recently in THE HINDU our Finance Minister
Sh. P. Chidamabaram clarified the matter printed in the article of
that Newspaper and gave his version of story. This is a regular issue
these days. Many politicians who are appointed Spokesperson are judged on
the basis of their handling of Media. Bureaucrats are very formal and
cautious while responding to media queries. Political Leaders are also
cautious of their image in the media. They know that this medium only can
take them to address so many potential voters.
Structural Changes
Internet is a very powerful tool and it has changed the mechanism of
service delivery. We neednt stand in the queues or find favour to get
our work done instead one can simple log in to respective website and can
enjoy the services whatever one wants e.g. there are public sector banks
like SBI which are asking their customers to apply for personal or
car loan or any business loan online. The eligibility will be decided
based on the information given by the customer and finally after
submitting the documents in support of the information loan can be
sanctioned within minutes, an assessee can file his RoI online and
check his refund status without visiting Income Tax Office. This is
happening in India and we can really learn lot more from other organization
which are working in this regard and making the life of people easy.
Internet can be used
-in disseminating information to the public
-providing online services as delivery chanel
- taking feedback from the public through social media
-Judging the performance of the Officers and Official
based on the social survey
like on Facebook or twitter.
Even Right to Information, 2005 mandate that maximum information must
be provided by the various department online in order to reduce the request
of information via paper.So it all depend on the will of the authorities how to
harness the resources available to us in the form of media.
We have to rope in more and new methodology to bring in more structural
changes that can suit the convenience of people.
Media : Sharp tool to be handle with care

The best advantage of media is that it can help a person to connect to many
and develop public opinion. But what happen when media start taking
decisions? This can be dangerous to the society. Many honest people can
find it tough to take good initiative if the outcome would not be as
desired. Media trial i.e. the judgement process and then decide the culprit
has become a regular feature of media these days. Innovative mind
people who want to take good initiative may find it difficult to work
under such circumstances. Media may on the basis of few preliminary
reports may culprit the honest authorities and can make them corrupt in the
eyes of common man.
Policy paralysis is a very common term in the government sector
these days. Higher officers are not willing to take decisions as it
may in future be termed as the wrong one and they may be labeled
as CORRUPT, first by damp media and then by common man.
Whether 2G was SCAM or NOT?
Recently after the CAG report of 1.76 lac crore 2G scam the auction
as per the Supreme court order was done. But to the astonishment
that open auction had fetched Rs. 9400 crore only. Ofcourse there
are some operational mistakes in allotting the 2G licenses but media
had made it the total lost. Care must be taken in reporting such
issues and all aspects must be judged properly.
Conclusion:
We all know that corruption is not a new phenomenon it was there during
ancient time and it is now also. Kautilya in Arthashastra described forty types
of corruption and our Central Vigilance Commission describes some 27 types
of corruption. We can all talk about that but the solution lies in the new
things that are coming like Internet, Mobile. We have to use the media for
the betterment of the people and Media has the capcity to weed out any new
malpractices including any form of corruption but our endeavour must be
dynamic. We need to develop new solution to the new problems with all the
new things and support available. To fight corruption we need a mental
revolution rather Moral revolution as well. People have to understand that a
nation cannot progress if people will not work for the betterment of it. And
corruption can never make our nation strong. Unawareness is the biggest
cause of corruption and can play a very important role in spreading
awareness about rights and duties of Government officers and officials and
public as well. Thus can help in combating corruption.
May we all realize this.
Anwar Ali
Note-This essay is based on pure brainstorming during my training at Direct
Tax Regional Training Institute, Chennai. Most of the ideas are contributed by
my colleague Mr. Mohd. Tayyib, Inspector of Income Tax