Vision on Science Popularization in Punjab

In present times, media is playing an indispensable role in our lives. We are living with media in these days. Today’s era is information resolution era. Media is playing a pivotal role in providing latest information, news, views, and facts and figures. For the students, it is all the more important to keep pace with the happenings and mishappenings. To know the media habits of university student, researcher has chosen this topic.

Media literacy is an informed, critical understanding of the mass media. To be media aware is to understand that media has a significant impact on our way of life and our notion of reality. Media aware person will be able to make conscious critical assessments of the media in order to resist manipulation. Communication sources have finished the differences of geographical area and has converted world into a small village. The powerful network of communication sources has narrowed the earth and brings it on a floppy disk. Even our thinking patterns are now driven by communication. Now Newspapers, magazines, Television, films, internet and mobile phones, not belong to a particular social group rather it has influenced each and every part of the society.

Most of the advantage of media revolution goes to newspapers. Similarly newspapers have been publishing even from the towns up to every major city. The newspapers as we know today are a product born of necessity, invention, the middle class, and democracy, free enterprise and professional standards. Pre newspapers were one to one in nature. When we talk about news channels, news is available at 24 hours. These channels have become a hub of news.

News like a breath of air travels from one corner of the society to another corner within a second. With the help of television, sitting at home we can literally see that what’s happening at every part of the world.

In contrast today, the means of media has become unlimited. Till the end of 20th century, media revolution has changed the definition of the entertainment world. World’s literature, history, geographical, music, pschycology, theatre and science etc, all got there different platform to present their talent. Today as a common man is connected to the music, as never was before.

Media generate information as a network then publish information using articles, videos and photos to a group of consumers. Media and entertainment are one of the most flourishing sectors in India. The liberalization of the media sector has opened up the gates of opportunities and growth. Media is very influential in today’s scenario in India. Media is playing a very vital role in influencing the minds of the people. Media in today’s world is evident from the fact that it has the power to influence the lives of ordinary people in every way. Media has literally invaded our households. Media has made the general public aware of many rights and responsibilities. Media is very powerful in modern world. Information is available without any difficulty, now days. Media is also called as fourth estate. Media disseminate information to the general public for their awareness. The right to information is the first and foremost requirement of the people to their democratic duties. The press provides the information to the public in the most eminent way. The press helps in formatting the opinion of the people.

Mass media collectively refers to all media technologies including the internet, television, newspapers, radio which is used for mass communication to the organizations which control these technologies. Mass media play a very significant role in shaping public perceptions on a variety of important issues.

Today media is growing on a very fast pace. If we discuss about present scenario of the media, on every subject we don’t have only programs related to that subject rather we have channels representing a single issue. This is all due to the popularity or advancement of the media.

After a long period, Radio has become popular once again. Popularity of radio today, have increased so much that we can listen radio in our cars as well as in our mobile phones also.

A new media called as Internet, has changed all the forms of present media. Today we are more attached with internet as compare to earlier times. Our life becomes very easy with the help of internet. We can do any work at a shortest period of time. Internet has revolutionized communication and social networking sites. Today we read newspapers on internet (e-newspapers) or even we can shop online, we can pay our bills online or many other things can be done with internet. In a matter of seconds we can now communicate with people around the world, whether for important business matters or just talking with friends.

After Internet media called as Mobile Phones has become a basic need of every individual. With the advent of technology, the way of communication is also changed. Mobile phones are long range, portable and wireless electronic device of communication. Mobiles are now everyone’s first choice of gadget, either an elderly person or a younger one. It is like a status symbol now. We are witnessing an era when users buy mobile phones not just to be in touch, but to express themselves, their attitudes, and interests. Mobile phones are also increasingly useful tool for helping to overcome illiteracy. One more advancement of mobile phone is that mobile banking and money transfer is another area in which mobile phones will have a far reaching effect in transforming India. This all become possible due to mobile phones.

Overall the media revolution has changed the attitude of all sections of the society. But these all communication sources have influence a special section of the society in which youth group is the major section. What our young people think or how it thinks, all things are changing the structure of the society.

In this regard youth and adolescents, particularly university students are believed to benefit most from media in terms of information, news, and current affairs and entertainment. Journalism and mass communication is a subject in which interest of the students is very obvious.

Due to Information revolution, students came closer towards media. Reading newspapers, watching television, listening radio and using mobile phones and internet make a big difference among the students. As it is in the case of society, media habits vary from individual to individual and place to place due to many factors. The media habits of university students can be influenced by two activities i.e. education and their interests towards awareness.

Therefore it is worth doing to study media habits of university students. In this study, students including hostlers and day scholars in Punjabi University Patiala, currently studying were considered.

1.2 SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

This study is an attempt to find out the general media habits of university students:

– Sample size was limited and only 100 students can not represent the whole university.

– Respondents felt that options given in the questionnaire was limited in some questions.

– Since the study underwent within limited time, budget and other resources, that’s why it might have some limitations.

– Researcher’s study is a master’s level research and it is not a PhD thesis, so some limitations to this research were natural.

As such the interpretation of the limitation is limited. Moreover the small sample size may contribute to the short comings of the study. It is difficult to know whether willing respondents are truly representative. Although every effort has been made to get unbiased responses from the students.

1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

Specific objectives of the study were:

– To trace the media habits of university students in context of all types of media.

– To find out the most preferred medium for obtaining information, news, and current affairs and the reason for choosing that particular medium.

– To find out the trends of university students towards Newspaper, Magazines, Radio, Internet and Mobile phones.

– To observe whether, the media is a part of daily notes of the students.

4. HYPOTHESIS

– All types of Media play an important role in the lives of university students.

– Most of the university students depend on newspapers and television to get

Information.

– Radio is very popular among Punjabi university students.

– Due to the Media revolution it is obvious that media is an important need of all students.

1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

News has emerged a great deal in terms of meaning, concept and scope. Media habits of university students- this particular topic selected by the researcher because under this topic, there is inclusion of many other topics. Especially, university students have been selected for the study because university students tend to be more conscious towards all modes of media. To be conscious towards media is the habit as well as need of the university students.

The purpose of selecting 50 girl respondents and 50 boy respondents for this survey is to have variations in the results. In the title of the study, word habit is used to know whether the university students consider media as a part of their lives. The main purpose of this study is to find out that how our youth look towards media.

1.6 METHODOLOGY

Punjabi university has been selected as the area of the study. Survey method with the use of questionnaire is applied in this study. The questionnaire has been divided into two parts i.e. Girls and Boys. Further, this category is divided into two sub parts i.e. Hostlers and Day scholars. The sample size for this study is 100. 50 were girl respondents and 50 were boy respondent. Hostlers and day scholar students have been selected to have variety in the study.

In this study, some more variables have also been chosen for more elaborate results. Other variables are Science students, arts students, PhD or research scholars, MBA students etc. In addition, since the Questionnaire is distributed and collected personally all the students have responded. That is no questionnaire is missing or lost. This survey can be a fair representative of the population of Punjabi University during the academic session 2010-11.