Media today has undergone a sea change from yesteryears - in both performance and ethics. It has truly come of age in this age of information and technology, though in principal it still remains the same where its theoretic basics are concerned.

Sadly today, it has the means but not the will to tackle corruption in our society. Wielding so much power in its hands it still is hegemonic and inept in tackling corruption and many other issues affecting our daily lives. It harps its erogenous bugle from time to time in only reporting events in the most dramatic stance but fails to follow up the event or to reach the bottom of the issue vide proper investigative evidence based on evidence garnering to bring out the truth.

I have never seen a thorough investigative report or revelation being done by the Indian media where it has bought the real culprits to book. Sometimes it comes very near to it but mysteriously loses steam in bringing the culprits to book. Sometimes it looks as if the unfolding events are dramatically stage-managed. If one looks at its reach the media plays a very significant role in our society today and encompasses our lives from multiples access points in all our lifestyles.

From the shows, we watch on TV, the Internet, the music we listen to on the radio, to the books, magazines, and newspapers we read each day is actually the media as an independent entity directing our lives. It seems TRP is the only goal they all have in mind and seemingly to be competitive for commercial gains only looks like their main agenda.

I have always seen the media highlighting issues of crime and corruption but never going to the depths of the matter to bring to fore the real perpetrators. Example: The media has never highlighted the status of hundreds of major cases regarding corruption pending their finale with the CBI. The media has failed in tackling even the basic issues of corruption relating to the latest Ganga/ Yamuna cleaning scam, the Commonwealth Games scam, the missing children scam, The LOC scam, the Raffale fighter scam where junked fighters are being given to us, etc. The most surprising thing about our media is that it speaks up suddenly only to fall silent on all issues at the same time as if they are actually being remote controlled or stage managed by some higher power Example: Ruchika Girhotra Case where the media had promised the culprit, ex DGP of Haryana, SPS Rathore be brought to book.

The media facilitates flow of information, which leads to the overall development of communities, but here in India a wide array of information is hidden from the public eyes due to the media being corrupt as highlighted by the current Zee TV vs MP Naveen Jindal Coal Scam related issue. Its seems for the media, people’s opinions and views are limited to TRPs only.

The question I always ask myself is when would the media fulfill our societies' need for six basic areas of information: Who, what, where, why, when and how about all issues affecting our improper and corrupt governance. I fail to see it focused on the issues that matter the most as a true and loyal watchdog. Today ironically it forgets important issues faster than the Indian public, which is notoriously suffering from a form of Alzheimer’s disease.

In a democratic setup, it is essential for the people to know what their governments are doing. The media has the capacity to hold governments accountable, forcing them to explain their actions and decisions, all of which affect people they represent but this is truly absent in our country today. If the media had played its role properly then corruption would have been least, and people like Arvind Kejriwal, Anna Hazare would never have done what they are doing.

In a democratic society, people should know all their options if they are to govern themselves, and Freedom of Speech and the Press ensures that democracy is able to function in accordance with the societies' expectations. I hope our media truly wakes up to its true responsibility to the nation and its people.

Hence we can safely conclude that life is just not possible without a free and independent media today and that’s how important it is.