DOI: 10.36347/sjahss.2020.v08i05.005

Pages: 259-267

The mass media are the carrier of social, political, economic and moral messages to the pervasive populace spread over vast geographical areas with different priorities, practices, mindsets, ego sets and moral or ethical values. The ultimate objectives of the promoters of these messages is to communicate and educate people about socio-political, socio-cultural, socio-ethical and socio-economic development to an information-hungry citizenry that can build an independent, egalitarian, stable, civilized and peaceful state failing which media tend to lose their relevance and significance in a millennium in which, the human race so desperately depends upon them. In this age of information and communication technology, media provide the latest & erudite means of expression facilitating rapid and rabid communication connecting people across the world. Media vehicles are the most popular platforms performing as the facilitator of the free and fair elections and socio-politically accountable gatekeepers to safeguard the transparency in the democratic system. In a democracy different poll players participate in political debate and discussions to explore the adequate information about poll activities, political parties, policies and issues where elections without media freedom considered a contradiction to standardised norms. This paper aims at exploring media attributes in reporting general elections of 2014 with reference to their coverage to various political entities. The paper examines the media responsibilities in a democracy and provides comparative reporting tendencies in Indian media during the general elections of 2014.