KSLU Solved Question Papers
Media and Law (Hons)
Previous Year Question Paper with Solution
B.B.A. LL.B. (Five Years) · Sem 3
2022 Apr Examination
munotes.in
Mumbai
B.B.A. LL.B. (Five Years) Sem 3 Media and Law (Hons) 2022 Apr Question Paper with Solutions
First published on munotes.in on 2 November 2026.
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The question paper reproduced here is the paper as set by Karnataka State Law University at the 2022 Apr examination.
Contents
The questions below are the paper as Karnataka State Law University set it at the 2022 Apr examination, in the order it was set.
MarksPage
MarksPage
The Paper as Set
The questions in this volume are the questions asked at the 2022 Apr examination, reproduced as Karnataka State Law University set them, in the order it set them. Long reading passages are shortened to their first and last lines and our summary; the original paper prints them in full. Only the answers are ours. See the original question paper.
Duration 2½ hours · Total marks 70 · 12 questions answered
How to use this volume
Solve the paper first, under exam conditions and against the clock. Then read the answers here and mark your own. Reading a solution before attempting the question feels productive and teaches very little, because recognising an answer is not the same as being able to write one.
Q1Define mass media and describe its different kinds.[10]
Answer
For full marks, cover: a definition of mass media and its key elements; the kinds of mass media, grouped as print, broadcast (radio and television), film, and new media (the internet and social media), with features, examples, Indian history and the governing law of each; a table comparing them; the constitutional protection of all kinds under Article 19(1)(a); and a conclusion.
Definition
Mass media are the means of communication that carry the same message to a large, scattered and varied audience at about the same time. "Mass" refers to the size and variety of the audience. "Media" is the plural of medium, a channel through which messages travel.
Key elements of the definition:
- a large audience, counted in thousands or millions;
- an audience that is dispersed and unknown to the sender;
- simultaneous or near simultaneous delivery;
- organised production by institutions such as newspapers, studios and channels;
- traditionally, a one-way flow, from producer to audience.
The kinds of mass media
1. Print media. Newspapers, magazines, journals and books. They are the oldest mass media.
- History in India: Hicky's Bengal Gazette began in Calcutta on 29 January 1780; Udant Martand, the first Hindi paper, on 30 May 1826.
- Features: permanent record, detailed reporting, can be read at leisure; needs literacy.
- Law: the Press and Registration of Periodicals Act, 2023 governs registration, and the Press Council Act, 1978 sets up the Press Council of India.
2. Radio. Sound broadcast over the airwaves.
- History: radio clubs from 1923; All India Radio named on 8 June 1936.
- Features: cheap, portable, reaches people who cannot read.
- Law: the Prasar Bharati Act, 1990 for the public broadcaster.
3. Television. Sound and moving pictures, by terrestrial, cable, satellite or internet transmission.
- History: began in Delhi on 15 September 1959; Doordarshan separate from 1 April 1976; private satellite channels after 1991.
- Features: powerful visual impact, mass entertainment and news.
- Law: the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995 and its Programme and Advertising Codes.
4. Films (cinema). Motion pictures shown in theatres and now on television and streaming.
- History: Raja Harishchandra (1913); Alam Ara, the first Indian film with dialogue (1931).
- Features: strong emotional impact on a large audience at once.
- Law: certified before exhibition under the Cinematograph Act, 1952.
5. New media: the internet and social media. Websites, online news, streaming platforms and social media.
- History: public internet in India from 15 August 1995.
- Features: anyone can publish; many-to-many communication; interactive; algorithms decide what users see.
- Law: the Information Technology Act, 2000 and the IT Rules, 2021.
6. Other forms. Outdoor media such as hoardings, and traditional folk media such as street plays, are also used to reach the masses.
Functions common to all kinds
Whatever their kind, mass media serve the same functions. Harold Lasswell named three of them, and Wright added a fourth:
- surveillance: informing people about events;
- correlation: explaining events and helping society respond;
- transmission of the social heritage: passing on culture and values;
- entertainment.
Mass media also set the agenda: they decide what people think about. They give citizens a public sphere in which to debate public issues.
A comparison
| Medium | Main feature | Law in India |
|---|---|---|
| permanent, detailed | PRP Act 2023; Press Council Act 1978 | |
| Radio | cheap, reaches non-readers | Prasar Bharati Act 1990 |
| Television | sound and picture, mass appeal | Cable Act 1995 |
| Film | strong emotional impact | Cinematograph Act 1952 |
| Internet | interactive, anyone can publish | IT Act 2000; IT Rules 2021 |
All kinds are protected by Article 19(1)(a)
Every kind of mass media is a means of expression protected by the freedom of speech in Article 19(1)(a), subject to Article 19(2).
- For the press, in Sakal Papers (P) Ltd v. Union of India, AIR 1962 SC 305, the Court held that the freedom of the press is part of Article 19(1)(a) and includes the volume of circulation.
- For broadcasting, in Secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting v. Cricket Association of Bengal, (1995) 2 SCC 161, facts: Doordarshan claimed the sole right to telecast cricket matches. Held: the right to impart and receive information includes telecasting, and the airwaves are public property to be regulated by an independent authority.
- For the internet, in Anuradha Bhasin v. Union of India, decided on 10 January 2020, the Court held that speech and trade over the internet are protected by Articles 19(1)(a) and 19(1)(g).
Conclusion. Mass media are channels that carry one message to a large, dispersed and unknown audience at about the same time. Their kinds are print, radio, television, film and the internet, along with outdoor and folk media. Each grew in its own way and is governed by its own law in India. But all are protected by Article 19(1)(a), as Sakal Papers, Cricket Association of Bengal and Anuradha Bhasin show for print, broadcasting and the internet.
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