7/28/2019 Media Role in Consumer Protection
1/2
8
International Referred Research Journal, December, 2011. ISSN-
0974-2832, RNI-RAJBIL 2009/29954;VoL.III *ISSUE-35
Research Paper
December , 2011
The press in India has always been sensitive to theperformance
of their duties so that those who are in-volved in the matter of
policy can do justice to theirroles. The consumer is advertised as
the "king" by theseller and service provider; but in actual
practice treatedas a slave or servant. He should realize his
importanceand prepare himself to exercise his rights with
respon-sibility, which requires the knowledge of various con-sumer
protection and welfare acts which have been
enacted over the years to safeguard the interests
ofconsumers.Today it is rightly said that a consumer makes a
goodcitizen and ultimately a good Democrat. Promotingawareness
through the dissemination of information isthe fundamental task
that the media can make towardsthe development of consumerism.
Media has played avital role in welfare of consumer through books,
maga-zines, newspaper , broadcasting , radio , telephone ,
TV,movies , documentaries etc.The main objectives of the study are
as follows:* To evaluate the response of media towards consum-ers'
cause.
* To find out whether media has considered consumerexploitation
as a serious socio-economic evil.* To know, as to what kind of
awakening is created bymedia towards social-evil of consumer
exploitation.* To understand how media has come forward to
createawareness about consumer protection and all such
leg-islations.* To find out, whether media has offered a proper
daisto the consumer to put forward their views.Suggestions for the
major Media features to be consid-ered.The following are the major
features of media that shouldbe considered to aware consumers about
there rights
and consumer education.1) Media works more effectively than any
other insti-tution to form rational and appropriate opinions. It
canchange an existing belief, can confirm existing viewpoint,
support a particular preposition or condemn anideology. The good
olden days are gone where indi-viduals matter more than formation
of opinion due toavailability of multiple media.2) Media is a dias
where all can come together, express
Media's role in consumer protectionand welfare in India"
* Dr. (Smt.) Hansa Shukla
* Principal , Swami Swaroopanand Institute of Education Amdi
Nagar, Hudco, Bhilai (C.G.)
their views whether similar or divergent and still neednot be
the follower of particular ideology or school ofthoughts. Media
permits diversity of opinion and at thesame time it can continue
its functioning on one particu-lar ideology. Grievances of
different parties, dimensionsof different problems, arguments,
counter argumentson the particular issue can rightly be reflected
by mediaalone.3) People often call press as a fourth column of
democ-
racy. The position can be extended to all forms of mediabecause
only print media is not influencing opinion ofpublic, on the
contrary electronic media, in terms of itscoverage is more
exhaustive and effective.Considering these aspects, problems of
consumers canrightly be expressed by media, whatever may be
theform. In explaining consumers' problems, atrocitiesagainst
consumers, educating consumers and makingthem aware of their
problems. Earlier it was presumed bya good citizen as an essential
aspect of sound democ-racy. Today it is rightly said that a good
consumer makesa good citizen and ultimately a good democrat.
Promot-ing awareness by spreading information is the primary
task that media can perform towards development ofconsumerism.
Information is the asset. Exploitation ofconsumer is due to absence
of this vital role by provid-ing right information at right time to
consumers. Igno-rance regarding prices and price-behavior
changesmarket structure and fluctuations in economy is
notunderstood by ordinary consumers and hence they fallprey to
exploitation and malpractices.MEDIA PLAYSa crucial role in changing
and influenc-ing the thoughts of the people. Media has a great
powerto influence what we think about things happeningaround. The
role of media is not only to seek solutionto the many problems of
the country, but the task of
media is also to inform and educate people so that acritical
awareness among the people is encouraged.How media can promotes
consumer awareness move-ment?Presently people have faith in the
press more than anyother institution. The militant press fair,
truthful andcourageous while protecting the interests of consum-ers
in many cases. People prefer to believe the reportsin the press
that the official announcement of the Ad-
7/28/2019 Media Role in Consumer Protection
2/2
9HODH, SAMIKSHA AUR MULYANKAN
International Referred Research Journal, December, 2011. ISSN-
0974-2832, RNI-RAJBIL 2009/29954;VoL.III *ISSUE-35
ministration. Public interest issues as handled by thepress is
unparalleled. This is more so in case of issuesof interest to
consumers. The fate of the poor of theissues in the services
sector, low quality products,cereals adultery, rampant corruption,
bureaucratic ten-
dencies of public officials, nepotism in high places, theblack
market, smuggling and artificial shortages of goodsare carefully
distinguished by the media alone. Becauseof this, the media is
accepted as a champion of publiccause.Following are the different
activities that different me-dia have been committed to promoting
consumer aware-ness -* The electronic media have started
campaigning forthe education of consumers through regular
communi-cation to regulate social communication from the
con-stitutional rights of consumers as well as when and howto use
it.
* Regular announcements about how the consumershould start with
his claim and that this should be putin place are very useful.*
Press is playing a leading role in promoting the move-ment
consumers in this country. Publication of the weeklycolumn about
consumer affairs has become an estab-lished practice. This column
deals with the issues, rightsand obligations of consumers and how
consumers caneffectively exercise their rights.* Some newspapers
published the main events of majorcases and disputes between
consumers and merchants.For eg: the Economic Times published a
column entitled"caveat emptor", which only deals with current
prob-
lems and consumer complaints against traders.* The newspapers
should give good coverage to newsrelated to consumer forum when the
consumer win's thecase against the good's trader or company.* Some
newspapers publish a stories often on issues of
consumer interest or complaints or incidents related tothe major
consumer issues. These news stories areusually designed after
considering the merits of a newsconsumer event.Conclusion:
The exploitation of consumers is due to theabsence of such a key
role in providing right informa-tion at the right time for
consumers. Ignorance aboutprices and price behavior of market
structure and fluc-tuations in the economy changes is not
understood byordinary consumers and therefore are victims of
exploi-tation and consumer malpractices. Therefore there is aneed
for greater role of media to regulate consumer
protection mechanism for the betterment of consumersin this
changing era.Media in any form, printed or electronic, is a mirror
of thetimes and society we live in connects us with the worldand
the world to us. Media also plays a useful role inestablishing good
relations or friendship between themerchants and shoppers. The
promotion of fair tradepractices, the establishment of codes of
conduct forbusinessmen is the task that the media can only
assume.The concept of ethics in the economy relates to "moral-ity,
ethics, professional ethics and organization" (Isaac,quoted in
Bergadaa '2007).
[1] Ackerberg D. (2001), .Empirically Distinguishing Informative
and Prestige eects of Advertising.,Rand Journal of Economics,32,
100-118. [2] Ackerberg D. (2003), .Advertising, Learning, and
Consumer Choice in Experience Good Markets: A StructuralEmpirical
Examination.,International Economic Review, 44 (3) 1007-1040. [3]
Anupindi R., M. Dada, and S. Gupta (1998),.Estimation of Consumer
Demand with Stock-Out Based Substitution: An Application to Vending
Machine Products.,Market-ing Science, 17, 406-423. [4] Arellano M.
and P. Bover. (1995), .Another look at instrumental-variable
estimation of errorcomponents models., Journal of Econometrics, 68,
29-51. [5]Daily newspapers-the hitvada,dainik bhaskar.
R E F E R E N C E
