The document discusses the history and evolution of media from ancient forms of communication like cave paintings and writing to modern forms like newspapers, television, and social media. It traces the origin of the word "media" to the 1950s and discusses how ancient empires like Persia and Rome developed early postal systems to disseminate information. The document also outlines how media is essential to democracy by ensuring transparency, accountability, and an informed electorate.

2.  The word media is defined as "one of the means or channels of general communication,
information, or entertainment in society, as newspapers, radio or television."[4]
 The beginning of human communication through designed channels, i.e. not vocalization or
gestures, dates back to ancient cave paintings, drawn maps, and writing.
 The Persian Empire (centred on present-day Iran) played an important role in the field of
communication. It has the first real mail or postal system, which is said to have been
developed by the Persian emperor Cyrus the Great (c. 550 BC) after his conquest of Media. The
role of the system as an intelligence gathering apparatus is well documented, and the service
was (later) called angariae, a term that in time turned to indicate a tax system. The Old
Testament (Esther, VIII) makes mention of this system: Ahasuerus, king of Medes, used
couriers for communicating his decisions.[citation needed]
 The word communication is derived from the Latin root communicare. This was due to
the Roman Empire also devising what might be described as a mail or postal system, in order
to centralize control of the empire from Rome. This allowed for personal letters and for Rome
to gather knowledge about events in its many widespread provinces. More advanced postal
systems later appeared in the Islamic Caliphate and the Mongol Empire during the Middle
Ages.
 The term "media" in its modern application relating to communication channels is traced back
to its first use as such by Canadian communications theorist Marshall McLuhan, who stated
inCounterblast (1954): "The media are not toys; they should not be in the hands of Mother
Goose and Peter Pan executives. They can be entrusted only to new artists, because they are
art forms." By the mid-1960s, the term had spread to general use in North America and the
United Kingdom. ("Mass media", in contrast, was, according to H.L. Mencken, used as early as
1923 in the United States.)[5]

4.  The media are essential to democracy, and a democratic election is impossible without media. A free
and fair election is not only about the freedom to vote and the knowledge of how to cast a vote, but
also about a participatory process where voters engage in public debate and have adequate
information about parties, policies, candidates and the election process itself in order to make
informed choices. Furthermore, media acts as a crucial watchdog to democratic elections, safeguarding
the transparency of the process. Indeed, a democratic election with no media freedom, or stifled media
freedom, would be a contradiction in terms.
 In 2005 the yearly World Press Freedom Day international conference produced a declaration that
stressed “independent and pluralistic media are essential for ensuring transparency, accountability and
participation as fundamental elements of good governance and human-rights based development”.
Furthermore, the declaration urges member states to “respect the function of the news media as an
essential factor in good governance, vital to increasing both transparency and accountability in
decision-making processes and to communicating the principles of good governance to society”.[i]
 In order to fulfil their roles, the media need to maintain a high level of professionalism, accuracy and
impartiality in their coverage. Regulatory frameworks can help ensure high standards. Laws and
regulation should guarantee fundamental freedoms essential to democracy, including freedom of
information and expression, as well as participation. Meanwhile, provisions such as requiring
government media, funded out of public money, to give fair coverage and equitable access to
opposition parties, help ensure appropriate media behaviour during elections.
 The media have traditionally been understood to refer to the printed press as well as radio and
television broadcasters. In recent years however, the definition has become broader, encompassing
new media including online journalism, and social media. Citizen journalism is widely gaining traction,
including in countries where traditional media is either controlled or strictly regulated.

5.  MEDIA IS ESSENTIAL IN DEMOCRACY IT
SUPPORTS THE PEOPLE IN THE DEMOCRATIC
GOVENRMENT YO HAVE AN OVERVIEW ABOUT
THEM AMONG PEOPLE