Print Media Technology and Social Change: The Role and Effectiveness of Right to Information (RTI) Act

"Media" refers to various means of communication. For example, television, radio, print and new media are different types of media. All these forms use technology to propagate the message. Hence we could define all these media as media technology. When behaviour pattern changes in large numbers and is visible and sustained it results in a social change. Once there is a deviation from culturally inherited values, it may result in a rebellion against the established system, causing a change in the social order. Media technology has got a crucial role in everyone's life today. Media has got a great job of bringing social change in whatever the topic it covers from entertainment to all the ongoing issues. Currently there exist revolutions in fighting against corruption in the country. People started realizing that corruption is the element to be eradicated. Internet and social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter, along with traditional media like print and television are powerful weapons that can curb the menace of corruption and lead to greater transparency in public life by publicizing India's situation vis-a-vis economic and governance, highlighting ongoing corruption cases and applying pressure on corrupt organisations and individuals. The free distribution and wide reach of the Internet and social media channels is critical in the fight to reduce corruption and renew the social fabric. This can give rise to a virtuous cycle of transparent policy making, clean government and faster economic growth. One of the most powerful tools in India that have a greater impact in the past seven years to bring social change regarding corruption is the Right to information act (RTI). RTI enables every citizen to access the accessible information from the public body. Citizens include journalists too. We have quite a number of blogs or SNS (social networking sites) that deal with RTI and through these a social change can be created. This paper proposes to study how media technology brings and can result in social change by using the RTI effectively. Keywords— Media, Social change, RTI.