ABSTRACT
India is an extraordinary case for examining the relationship between media structure, media law reform, and the expansion of a democratic ideal. India’s media reflects a colonial heritage, the influence of the country’s period of political neutrality, its interest in socialist models, and, now, the major impact of globalism, free market tendencies, and the winds of capitalism. India is a case where the media structure, new policies, and their implementation determine the extent of government control over the information space, the validation or strengthening of various languages, regions, or political groups, and the way in which information shapes participation. Ultimately, the structure and uses of media influence how individuals perceive themselves as citizens, and, therefore, the extent to which democratic aspirations become meaningful to them.
