Media has become an integral part of our life. It is overwhelmingly influencing our lifestyle and all arenas of human life, including politics, economics, cultures and values. Today, the world has become a global village after the communication revolution. However, the media is as old as the history of human civilization. All messengers of Allah, from Prophet Adam to the last Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, used advanced means of communication of their times, to spread the divine teachings effectively among the people.
Broadly, the evolution of mass media and communication systems can be bifurcated in ancient, middle and modern ages. Typically, these three ages can be identified by modes or technologies, which were used as a system of mass communication in that particular era. In the ancient period, people used varied oral traditions.And in the Middle Ages, writing systems were introduced as the predominant means of communication while in the modern and post-modern era, advanced machines, technologies, electronic and digital equipment are prevalent for the same purpose.
Oral tradition of communication, in which knowledge, art and ideas are transmitted orally from one generation to another, is the first and most widespread mode of human communication. The oral tradition covers a huge variety of genres, including speeches, sermons, prayers, chants, proverbs, riddles, tales, stories, rhymes, legends, epics, dramatic performances, prose and poetry.
In quest of suitable writing systems, the ancient people had developed paper from plants, and forged tools with stone and metals. The cave paintings, clay tablets, papyrus, wax tablets, codex, woodblock printing, wooden type, parchment (writing material made from animal skins), etc. were used as the means of communication in the ancient times.
A long-distance communication system through mail or postal service was developed during the Persian Empire. The Persian term Chapar Khaneh (چاپارخانه) which means ‘courier-house’, a postal service system was introduced during the Achaemenid Empire, the first Iranian empire founded by Cyrus the Great in 550 BC. Cyrus the Great developed a royal method of communication, in which each Chapar Khaneh, a station, was located along a highway, connecting major cities across the empire. Similarly, Angarium was an institution of the royal mounted couriers during the same Achaemenid period.
Mentioning the achievements of Muslims, Bernard Grun and Eva Simpson, in their book The Timetable of History, acknowledges that the first organised news service was introduced by the third Caliph, Hazrat Uthman ibn Affan in 650 CE. The organised and advanced postal service was created by Hazrat Muawiya.It was called Barīd, for the name of the towers built to protect the roads by which couriers travelled. The Barīd (بريد) was the state-run courier service of the Umayyad and later Abbasid Caliphates.
After the industrial revolution in Europe, the inventions of Printing Press in 1440 by German goldsmith Johannes Gutenberg, and the Electric Telegraph in 1774 by George Louis Lesage took the mass media to new heights.
It is a myth that the printing press was outlawed by the Ottoman Empire. In fact, the first printing press was established in 1493 in the Ottoman Empire. Renowned Turkish historian Ekrem Buğra Ekinci, in his article,“Myths and Reality about the printing press in the Ottoman Empire”, writes,“For many people, the late arrival of printing is the reason why the Ottomans left behind other great powers, something they attributed to bigotry. In reality, the first printing press in the Ottoman Empire dates back to the same period of that in Europe.”
In the present age of globalisation and a rapidly changing world, a common man, and particularly a student needs to be well aware of the three interrelated terms – journalism, mass media and mass communication. One should know the exact history of their evolution, stages, phases and timeline.
‘Journalism’ comes from the word ‘journal’, derived from the Latin word ‘diurnalis’ meaning belonging to a day. The word journal was used interchangeably with ‘daily record’ and ‘personal diary’ when a writer used to write proceedings or events that happened every day. After the invention of the printing press, journalism was being used for a newspaper or a periodical dealing with current affairs or day-to-day events.
In the second half of the 20th century, the electronic media (TV and Radio) became a significant segment of journalism. Over the years, the term has continued to evolve into an essential pillar of communication with the advent of computer, internet, smartphone and social networking sites.
According to the website of Encyclopaedia Britannica, journalism is the collection, preparation, and distribution of news and related commentary and feature materials through such print and electronic media as newspapers, magazines, books, blogs, webcasts, podcasts, social networking and social media sites, and e-mail as well as through radio, motion pictures, and television.
In Arabic, Persian and Urdu الصحافة and صحافت are equivalent to journalism, which are taken from the Arabic word ‘صحف’, which too literally means book, script or journal. The word suhuf is the plural of Sahifa (صحيفة) which is mentioned in the Qur’ān many times, for divine scriptures or books, which were revealed by Allah to His Messengers and Prophets. In the verses 18 and 19 of the 87th Chapter (سورةالأعلى) of the Qur’ān, Allah says:
اِنَّهٰذَالَفِىالصُّحُفِالْاُوْلٰى (18)صُحُفِاِبْـرَاهِـيْمَوَمُوْسٰى (19)
(This is in the earlier scriptures. The Scriptures of Abraham and Moses.)
Thus, the word Sahafat (صحافت) started to be used for all such printed materials, which were published after a fixed interval, especially those that dealt with current events. The Urdu Encyclopaedia defines صحافت as: “The preparation of news and comments on news etcetera for newspapers, magazines and agencies is called Sahafat.”
Islam has laid down the golden rules regarding the freedom of speech and expression, which broadly covers the media, journalism and mass communication. Islam holds truth, honesty, sincerity, justice, goodwill and teaching with the highest regard.
A number of Islamic commands are generally meant for common Muslims. However, they are equally applicable to journalists and mediapersons while discharging their duty. While talking or communicating, Islam strongly emphasises truthfulness and prohibits lying.
The Qur’ān says, “That Allah may reward the truthful for their truth and punish the hypocrites if He wills or accept their repentance.” (Al-Ahzab, Verse No. 24)
“Indeed, Allah does not give guidancetoanyonewhoisan extravagant liar.(Al-Muʼmin, Verse No. 28)
“O you who believe! Be afraid of Allah, and be with those who are true (in words and deeds).” (At-Taubah,Verse No.119)
The Holy Qur’ān directs Muslims to verify any content of news/information received from unreliable sources, “O believers, if a fasiq (evildoer/liar) brings you any news, verify its truthfulness, lest you should hurt a people unwittingly and thereafter repent at what you did.” (Al-Hujrat,Verse No.6)
Adopting the best method of communication of his time, during the Makkan period, Prophet Muhammad ﷺclimbed Mount Safa to openly declare and explain his prophetic mission to the masses. It was prevalent at that time for making a very crucial announcement. Calling all the Arab tribes from Mount Safa, the Prophet ﷺsaid: “O people! Will you believe me if I say that there is an enemy at the foot of this mountain behind, ready to launch an attack on you? Will you believe me?”
They all replied, “Yes, you are trustworthy and truthful and we have never seen you speak lies.” Soon, he declared his Prophethood.
Using another communication mode, Prophet Muhammad ﷺsent several letters to rulers and kings of his time to convey to them the message of Islam.
Now, the definition of Journalism has become very comprehensive, diverse and broad, because it constantly evolves over time, adopting the latest emerging technologies and tools to provide information and create awareness among the people.
During the Turks and Mughal period here in India, there was an elaborate system, called ‘Akhbār-I-Darbār, meaning news of the royal court, which broadly covered some major incidents and news of the state, apart from the kingdom’s official reports. The Mughals had appointed a network of officials, called Akhbār-nawīs, waqā’i-nawīs or waqā’ i-nigār, (newswriters) to collect day-to-day news and information from every part of the country.
A journalist is an individual who gathers or provides news/ information about people, places, politics and culture to the public through different mediums, including newspapers, magazines, television, radio, podcasts, websites, apps and social media platforms.
In the late Middle Ages, the English word ‘news’ started to be used as a plural form of ‘new’ or ‘new thing’. Later it was associated with the presentation of new information on the current events.
Similarly, the word media is a plural form of the Latin word ‘medium’, meaning ‘middle ground or intermediate’ and ‘intermediate agency’. However, its usage for newspapers, radio, TV channels and other tools of information became prevalent in the early 20th century only after introduction of the term ‘mass media’.
The word ‘media’ and its plural form were originally used in the advertising industry. Later, ‘medium’, the singular form of media, has been used to define a means of communication, information, or entertainment like newspapers, radio, television or internet-media. After gaining widespread popularity, the word media is referred to any form of communication which delivers information, while the term ‘mass media’ is used for all means of communication, whether written, broadcast, or spoken – that reach large numbers of people.
At present, mass media can broadly be classified into these segments – print, recordings, cinema, radio, television, internet, magazines and mobile-phones. Each one has its own distinct features of content, artists, technicians, business models, etc.
Mass communication is an umbrella term which refers to the study of human communication and its process, covering many fields such as public relations, advertisement, journalism, film making and publishing.
People often confuse the above-related terms. Mass Communication is a broad subject with various specialisations. While mass communication deals with numerous fields of communication, journalism is one of the aspects of it, involving writing about news and current affairs.
The study of mass communication discusses various processes of human communications operating in the form of mass media like films, online media, documentaries, cinema, public relations, television, radio, graphics, events, advertising, corporate communications, etc.A journalism student needs to focus on news and current affairs with a command over speaking and writing skills.
Media has become the fastest-growing industry with a large number of media companies and channels being launched every year.Becoming one of the most charming career options for creative students with good communication skills, the industry has ample job opportunities in India and abroad.At present, India is the biggest newspaper market in the world with over 100 million copies sold each day with about 70,000 newspapers, according to an estimate. Besides, the country has more than 500 TV channels, including over 80 news channels.
Students can pursue various news media organisations such as news agencies, television, and radio news channels, newspapers, magazines and news portals. A media person or journalist can make his career in different capacities like a reporter, anchor, newscaster, editor, presenter, writer or copywriter, public relations professional, television and film producer, web content manager, photographer, media adviser, editorial assistant, camera person, advertising professional, cartoonist, digital marketer, etc.
Now, media is quickly turning to digital mode from the traditional print and electronic mediums. Digital media shares information via digital devices or screens, including smartphones, tabs, etc. Digital media include software, digital images, digital videos, video games, web pages and websites, social media, digital data and databases, digital audio, electronic documents and electronic books. According to the Pew Research Centre, the digital media industry continues to grow, with about 86% of American adults consuming some of their news online.According to Wikipedia, digital media platforms, such as YouTube, Vimeo, and Twitch, accounted for viewership rates of 27.9 billion hours in 2020. Even companies and the corporate world are increasingly adopting this media to advertise their brands or products by social media posts and video advertisements.
Changing the entire landscape, mobile video, data virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and Artificial Intelligence (AI) are setting the new narrative of digital media. It is becoming widely popular among the common people because one can easily conduct business online and contribute their own writing, art, videos, images, and commentary through the conduct business online and can contribute their own writings, art, videos, images, and commentary through the internet.Now these innovations in media are giving business and career opportunities in the future, too.
A student, who is keen to pursue a bachelor’s degree in the media or journalism field, should complete 10+2 first. However, various journalism courses are also offered after graduation.Various universities and institutions across the country offer one year certificate or diploma courses, three years bachelor’s degree and two-year P.G. courses.
The AJK Mass Communication Research Centre of Jamia Millia Islamia is a premier media institution in India, founded in 1982 focusing on mass communication and media production. It offers courses from doctoral programmes to, M.A. and PG Diploma in mass communication.
Indian Institute of Mass Communication, which was established in 1965 by the Minister for Information and Broadcasting, has an excellent placement record and has been ranked No. 1 journalism institute by several media organisations.Its main campus is in New Delhi, while it has branches across the country including Dhenkanal, Odisha, Aizawl, Mizoram, Amravati, Maharashtra, Jammu, and Kottayam, Kerala. It offers Postgraduate Diploma courses in English, Hindi, and regional languages Journalism. It also has courses on TV and Radio Journalism, and Marketing and Public Relations.
Around 1300 Mass Communication institutions or colleges across the country are offering courses in mass communication, journalism, advertising, photography, cinematography, etc.
St. Xavier’s College Mumbai, Symbiosis Institute of Media and Communication (SIMC) Pune, University of Hyderabad, Amity School of Communication-Noida, Asian College of Journalism, Chennai, Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media, Bangalore, Film and Television Institute of India, Pune are the other prominent journalism and Mass Communication institutions in India.