Media

Media refers to mass media such as broadcast media, print media and the web media. Television and radio are considered broadcast media while newspaper, magazines and journals are known as print media and internet news, the web media. The media is an important sources of information through its news segments, entertainment and allows for exchange of ideas, suggestions and comments.

Consumers nowadays have a variety of media outlets compared to a few decades ago. The advent of the Internet and services provided through it, has enabled many of us to gain access to instant and a variety of news and entertainment. In fact, the presence of Internet also has led to creativity among the young consumers with the latter setting up personal websites, blogs and others. It has inadvertently led many students to take advantage of the prevalence of information by copying and plagiarizing writings from the internet news. While the internet has been hailed as the most important advances humankind has made in the 20th century, it is nevertheless open to abuse and exploitation that presents danger to humans.

However, although most of us get our news through the media as many of us have little time to read books or journals, the news presented to us can be biased and one sided. During the invasion of Iraq in2003 by the United States and its allies, casualty figures for Iraqi civilians and its military personnel. News reported on websites appears more reliable and transparent though one has to be careful about the accuracy of the facts reported. The media news too can misrepresents information to serve the objectives of certain people or authorities in power.

In Malaysia, there are limits to press freedom. Although the media is allowed to present news and its views as well as perspectives, it is barred  from providing news that can potentially create unrest and violence. The government has instituted the Official Secrets Act and Internal Security Act that allow s it to detain anybody including those working in the media for inciting racial or religious violence.However, there is still a degree of freedom in the Malaysian press compared to other more conservative countries.We have access to news from all around the world and readers are invited to send their views and contributions to be published in the media.
The media is not only an important source of news and opinions but also entertainment.Most young people usually turn on the television for movies, MTV and other entertainment programmes.The adults however, prefer news and more educational programmes.

Thus, the media plays an important role in our lives as we cannot envisage a life without the daily reporting of national, regional and international news.It would be like returning to the Stone Ages.However, consumers must ensure the news reported in the media is accurate and not one-side by looking at its contents critically and voicing their views on certain issues.