Sahid SK, Bengali Digital Media Protibadi Awaz’s co-founder and a renowned digital creator sahres his opinion with us. In the pandemic ridden world where any news content would catch like wildfire, mainstream as well as local news outlets have had their fair share of being able to promote authentic and verified news on their channel.
However, the debate still ensues whether mainstream media is better than local media and vice versa. The reason for this distinction is quite obvious. While mainstream is able to cover a wider region, local is able to bring news to the audience much faster.
For starters, lets understand mainstream media. Mainstream media is everywhere. Radio, news channels, print media and on the internet in the form of online publications.
Local media voice typically engages through a particular medium with the aim of reaching a set target audience which prove to be devoted listeners. Now, with the shift in focus towards the medium which is able to provide online content much more easily, mainstream vs local media sources constantly play tug of war.
While many argue that mainstream media sources prove to influence the mindsets of individuals and only promote a certain type of content, local media too is at a loss should they focus on one particular topic.
However, since mainstream media has a much larger footfall, it seems to always bear the brunt when it comes to any form of accusations or allegations. Moreover, Indian journalism has been critiqued by a lot of famous personalities and its ethics have been questioned many a times as well, as a result, it’s safe to say that the any form of news outlet runs at a risk of being able to put any news across masses.
Another point of discussion arises from the fact that mainstream media is able to earn a lot through advertising which questions the true sense of journalism.
With heavy advertising across all mediums, mainstream media is critiqued to be deemed as a money-making industry. While local media also operates similarly, the reason is doused to be that of keeping the news outlet up and running and the aim isn’t set at making money.
Both sources highlight pros and cons, it is advisable to maintain viewer discretion while endorsing any such form of content. While mainstream media covers a wide range of audience, local media is able to bring news to their audience at a much quicker pace.