Role of the Fourth Estate in Shaping Public Opinion A Comparative Analysis of Print Media Representations on Militancy in Punjab 1980 1984

Abstract

Media plays a significant role in creating, moulding, rupturing and reflecting newlinepublic opinion in democratic society. It is known as political in nature, and diverse newlineplayers easily use it for advancing their interests. It has the potency to form an newlineopinion as well to de-form it. It could be a vehicle of divisive politics as much as it can newlineintegrate and unite. It provides an exclusive stage to individual and groups to discuss newlineissues of mutual interests, which in turn forms an opinion is important to society and newlinein particular to political community. Media cannot only initiate a peace process and newlinesustain it but also it can also instigate violence society. So media, as an independent newlineentity provides a discursive space to opinion formation through allowing discourses newlineamong people and shapes the emotions of public may be through introducing partial newlineinformation. newlineEnglish and Vernacular newspapers published from Punjab state such as newlineRojana Ajit - a Punjabi daily, Punjab Kesri a Hindi daily and The Tribune - an newlineEnglish daily along with English newspapers published from New Delhi, capital of newlineIndia, which having national footprints like The Times of India and The Hindustan newlineTimes have been selected for the study aimed at understanding and analysing a newlinerepresentation of the print media of the militancy problem in the state. The study has newlineattempted to understand and analyse a labelling process of the print media of the newlinev newlinehappened incidents and how much the print media was sensitive during reporting the newlineproblem and presenting diverse opinions related to the problem. The study has found newlinethe diverse role of newspapers in the representations of the incidents perpetuated by newlinethe militancy during 1980-1984. The objective of the news, the editorials and the newlinearticles published by these newspapers were not just to deliver the information but newlinealso to form an influence over the related community with favourable contents along newlinewith reaping more profits through more number of copies of the newspapers newlinecirculation. In addition, the study has