In Nagaland today, public media literacy has become vital. With the rise of digital news platforms and social media along with newspapers, people are more connected to current events than ever before. But this also brings new challenges, such as misinformation, biased reporting, and the blurring of lines between journalism and paid content.
Public media literacy refers to the ability of individuals to critically evaluate and engage with media content. It means recognizing bias, propaganda, misinformation, or manipulation, and how it might influence public opinion. In a democracy, this ability is the cornerstone of informed citizenship.
For Nagaland, the proliferation of media outlets has brought new challenges. While newspapers, local news channels, and social media have created platforms for dialogue and visibility, they have also opened the door to paid news, a form of covert advertising presented as journalism.
Paid news is the practice of publishing or broadcasting content in exchange for money, without disclosing that it is sponsored. It can take the form of promotional interviews, planted reports, or one-sided features that serve the interests of its sponsors. The audience is left unaware that the information has been paid for, believing it to be factual and unbiased.
This is not only misleading but deeply unethical. Journalism has a duty to serve the public interest by upholding truth, objectivity, and accountability. Paid news undermines this trust, turning newsrooms into commercial tools. In Nagaland, where media institutions already operate with limited resources and often under social or political pressure, the temptation to blur ethical lines is real; and dangerous.
To address this, there must be a collective effort involving journalists, media houses, educational institutions, civil society, and the government. First, media professionals must recommit to ethical journalism that prioritizes public good over profit. Editors and reporters need regular training in ethics, verification, and transparent reporting.
Second, media literacy must be promoted in schools, colleges, and communities. Young people especially must be taught to read news critically, spot bias, and differentiate between facts, opinions, misinformation, and propaganda.
Finally, the public must demand better. Consumers of news must not just passively receive it but question it and hold media accountable. When citizens are media literate, paid news loses its power.
As Nagaland evolves, the role of the media must remain rooted in truth, integrity, and service to the public. But for this to happen, citizens must be media literate. Only when the public can distinguish genuine journalism from paid news can the media truly fulfill its role as a pillar of democracy.
