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Role of Media in Preventing and Combating Corruption

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Role of Media in Preventing and Combating Corruption Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research (IJIR) Vol.2, Issue-2 , 2016 ISSN : 2454-1362 , http://www.onlinejournal.in Role of Media in Preventing and Combating Corruption Ms. Charu Srivastava (Assistant Professor) College of Legal Studies, University of Petroleum and Energy Studies Abstract : Anti-corruption movement going on in guardian of oppressed class and puts India will go into the history books. This decade forward the defense of elite class only will bring a revolution against corruption and trying to cover up because of the monetary black money. But the question remains if India gains involved. Therefore it is very can get rid of corruption through this heavy wave important that print media, social media etc of anti-corruption movement. The fight against corruption is required to be analyzed from understand their duties and responsibilities several dimensions. Institutional reform in the for safeguarding human rights in a form of legislation and regulators is one, but the democratic and civil society and similarly success of any reform depends upon how people elite class and political parties respect of a country respond to its democratic nature. media autonomy and do not influence or abuse their power in manipulating the true stories. This can be achieved when media is Reform of any kind will only be successful put under some control, rules and when it gets embedded in the culture. regulation. Corrupt practices have become institutional This paper explores the role of media practices. However we the people of India against corruption in India by elucidating also do not raise our voice against such the achievements by the media, and practice because of two reasons one because evaluating various challenges and the future it benefits oneself and other is that one is vision. Further suggestions will be made to not affected directly. We do not understand enhance the role of media in the anti- that corruption is a social, political, corruption battle in the country. Primarily economic problem. this paper argues that the media has a significant role to play to fight against the However media plays a significant role in crusade of corruption. Hence has a positive raising our voice in unveiling corrupt and hopeful future provided media is practices, empowering citizens to fight independent from the external factors such against corruption. Media acts as a as interference from public and private watchdog and monitors the working of sector. Certainly the long dark tunnel of various private and government institutions corruption can be lighted by anti-corruption and lends us voice to an extensive kind of campaign by civil society and media perceptions and arguments. This is how covering and investigating the same. Role media marks a change in culture which of media against corruption can be analyzed influences practices and norms and which in by critically analyzing freedom of speech turn stimulates policy- making and and expression and right to information and lawmaking transformations. independence of media. In this paper the author argues that Media fights corruptions by several ways Corruption is deeply rooted caricatures of like Investigative Journalism, RTI, by human society, which impacts socio conducting sting operations, holding public economic rights of citizens of the country. It debates, opinion polls etc. However Media is the responsibility of citizen of India is also not free from political interference including media to fight against corruption since it does not in some cases act as a which ultimately kicks the freedom of Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research (IJIR) Page 170 Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research (IJIR) Vol.2, Issue-2 , 2016 ISSN : 2454-1362 , http://www.onlinejournal.in expression, independence of media and corruptus, meaning “spoiled, broken or right to information. Media is one of the destroyed”3 strongest weapons to fight corruption. Further Arvind Jain (2001, 73) observes Because of Media several scams have been that: “While it may appear to be a semantic pushed into limelight such as VYAPAM issue, how corruption is defined actually scam, 3G scam, COLGATE Scam, ends up determining what gets modelled and HAWALA Scam etc. measured.” Similarly, Toke Aidt (2003, Before discussing the subject of the paper F623) remarks that “the definition of the the author will clarify the concept of concept determines what gets modelled and corruption, level of corruption existing in what empiricists look for in the data.”4 India and concept of freedom of expression Corruption is not only confined to and right to information. public sector but to private sector also. Corruption not only involves monetary gains Keywords: Corruption, Media, social but also selfish motives. Corruption is now transformation, legislative reforms, calculated on the basis of individual gain or Investigative Journalism, scams, sting loss and not on the basis of morality hence operations, public debates, opinion polls, the concept of corruption has itself been culture change. corrupted. CORRUPTION AND LEVEL OF Why the people of India are CORRUPTION IN INDIA discontented by the Government, reason is obvious; we the people of India are deprived Corruption in public life is a threat to of the basic amenities of life and the national interest. World Bank has described corruption is the biggest factor involved. corruption1 as an abuse of administrative or There are several schemes implemented by public powers to achieve personal gains. Government of India from time to time but Corruption not only endangers the national the benefit received from these schemes is security but also weakens the strength of negligible. Going by facts5 several thousand country and tarnishes the nation pride. It creates obstacle in the economic 3 development, hinders the smooth availability For more details see Geoffrey M. Hodgson & Shuxia Jiang, The Economics of Corruption and the Corruption of of basic amenities for common man and Economics: An Institutionalist Perspective, 41 J. ECON. discourages research and development. ISSUES 1043, 1044 (2007). Available at Other definition is given by the U.N. http://www.geoffrey- Development Program which is : “the misuse hodgson.info/user/image/instcorruption.pdf He writes Transparency International data for 2005 suggest that of public power, office or authority for corruption is “rampant” in more than 70 countries. These private benefit—through bribery, extortion, include populous and fast-growing economies such as China influence peddling, nepotism, fraud, speed and India, which account for a large and rapidly increasing money or embezzlement.2 The term share of the global economy. Recent empirical studies corruption has its origins in the Latin term indicate that corruption has a negative effect on economic performance (Shleifer and Vishny 1993; Mauro 1995; Aidt 2003; Jain 2001; Pelligrini and Gerlagh 2004). The World Bank (1997) has identified corruption as “the single greatest obstacle to economic and social development.” 4 Ibid See Bukovansky (2006) discusses the nature and context of the growing anti-corruption discourse. 1 Available at 5 Avialable at Crime and Corruption in Indian Economy By http://www1.worldbank.org/publicsector/anticorrupt/corrupt Raj Kumar Sen at n/cor02.htm https://books.google.co.in/books?id=Kg12ZvxqA3IC&pg= 2 U.N. Development. Program, Mgmt. Dev. & Governance PA101&lpg=PA101&dq=politicians+involves+in+corruptio Div., Fighting Corruption to Improve Governance, at 6 n+scam&source=bl&ots=hmnAccWAcF&sig=7PPifY7nSla (Nov. 13, 1998); cf. TRANSPARENCY INT’L, GLOBAL 2D6bNT979rd3l3hU&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CFoQ6AEwCW CORRUPTION REPORT 2007: CORRUPTION IN oVChMIi_TV4Jm4xwIVglmOCh2pVw4L#v=onepage&q= JUDICIAL SYSTEMS xxi (Dana Rodriquez & Linda politicians%20involves%20in%20corruption%20scam&f=f Ehrichs eds., 2007) (identifying corruption as “the abuse of alse entrusted power for private gain”); Richard North, The Bofors Payoff Scandal (1986) in•volving kickback of Corruption: Stopping the Rot, BBC ON AIR, Aug. 2003, at Rs. 64 crore, the Havala Scandal (1991) involving 115 10 (“Corruption is about the giving and seeking of favours, senior politicians and bureaucrats, the Animal Husbandry it is about buying political influence, taking kickbacks, Scam (1990) against the former Bihar chief minister and bribing officials.”) many others involving a kick•back of Rs. 133 crore, the Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research (IJIR) Page 171 Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research (IJIR) Vol.2, Issue-2 , 2016 ISSN : 2454-1362 , http://www.onlinejournal.in crores of rupees had been allocated in includes both political and bureaucratic different five year plans for the development corruptions. As per the Index and Analysis it of vulnerable section of the society. However seems corruption is the biggest challenge the situation has not changed. which poses several other challenges which Significant amount of money allocated are the effects of corruption such as poverty, had been illegally pocketed by the people in illiteracy, malnutrition, farmers suicide, power. Because of such practices which have unemployment, lack of infrastructure, safety become so much prevalent in every part of issues etc. the country it has become hard to trust India’s acrimonious reality of Government. corruption is because of want of One such impact can be seen on tribal, there accountability and transparency on the part activities have increased by leaps and bounds of Government. Government is required to
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