NEED FOR CRITICAL MEDIA LITERACY IN A MEDIATED DEMOCRACY

There is a crucial relationship between media, communication, and democracy. They are vital to the issues of freedom and equality. In India or for that matter in any democratic country, the concept of democracy itself is constrained due to lack of informed and egalitarian discussion. The idea of a strong democracy is intrinsically linked with the idea of participation which is not a random activity but a deliberate one. Scholars have rightly argued that people should make noise, deliberate, collide, engage, share, and contribute. This signifies that it is important to understand the impact of communication technologies on democracy. Media as the fourth pillar of democracy becomes central in the creation of an accessible and egalitarian public sphere. However, the current media trends seem to be jeopardizsing the ideals of a strong democracy. Media organizsations are governed by the logic of profit rather than public interest. Therefore, it becomes essential for the common man to understand the patterns of ownership and control of media outlets and inquire into what is left out or marginalizsed. Media democratizsation can only occur when people demystify the original structure, functions and operations of the media. This paper is therefore an attempt to underline the significance of critical media literacy in a mediated democracy and draw an understanding about people's perception and ideas about ownership, control, operations and functions of media. KEYWORDS: Media Literacy, Critical Media Literary, Mediated Democracy & Media Ownership