Looking for common ground: Ethical practices in South Asian Media*

1. Introduction:
The concept of ethical standards has ever been changing. As the socio-political and cultural variables in this world change, the ethical standards also tend to change. With the increasing influence of new media or the Internet, increased trend of migration and globalization of cultures, ethical issues have resurfaced in the debates (See Rao & Wasserman, 2007). Especially with Globalization, there have been considerable efforts in finding common and universal ethical standards in media practices. We can realize that the Internet has redefined the traditional line of privacy and challenged many other beliefs. Besides, with the advent and expansion of 24/7 global and national news channels, the ethical practices seem to be redefined by themselves.

Are media scapegoats or Real Problems to the society?

1. Scapegoats and society’s ills
There is no doubt that the influence of media is increasing everyday. They have become so much pervasive that none can deny or ignore their presence and impact in our daily life. Especially, Television and New Media are boosting this influence. Media are thought to have persuading power and scholars opine that persuasion is one of the major functions of Mass media. However, this function and power of media has sometimes been misused by the owners or the states. The horrifying use of radio by Nazis for propaganda during the World War II is one of the worst and most explicit examples of such misuse.

Classic text on gratifications Approach: ‘Media Gratifications Research, Current Perspectives’

Book Review
Media Gratifications Research, Current Perspectives

Edited by: Karl Erik Rosengren

Lawrence A. Wenner

Philip Palmgreen

Publisher: Sage Publications

Beverly Hills, London, New Delhi

Published year: 1985

PP: 311

1. Introduction:

The Uses and gratifications approach was renewed in media researches in the period between1950s and early 70s. It was an alternative to the failure of effect studies prompted by the Magic Bullet Theory and other linear models of communication like Lasswell’s SMCR model, Learner & Schramm’s Diffusion of Innovations and Shannon & Weavers’ model of communication. Especially, 1960s saw shift from direct effect studies to the audience activity. However, the period of 1960s till early 70s is marked with the lack of theoretical assumptions of the position. In this period, many scholars including Lasswell’s four fold typology (surveillance, correlation, socialization and entertainment refined by Wright, 1960) and McQuail’s typology of media interactions which consists of varying form of perception, personal relationships, personal identity, and surveillance were seen. It is only after Blumler and Katz’s 1974 volume Uses of Mass Communications that this approach got the strongest theoretical foundation.

Critical Assessment of Theories on Gender Development*

1. Understanding Sex and Gender

Many People confuse and mistake the term gender with sex. Some think that these two are interchangeable words. However, they are distinct. Sex refers to the biological and physiological characteristics that make us male or female. Sex differences can be defined as differences on genetic or anatomical composition and function. According to Stewart et. al. (2003:3) although biological sex is important, recent researches have shown that men and women have relatively few attributes of behavior or communication which are innate and are determined by our biological sex.’ The sex is almost common in any animals in the world- male and female.