The Role of Media & Socio-Ethical Responsibility - Analyzing Pakistan

Media as it is commonly seen as an emerging power, now-a-days has already been entered in an environment of conflicts and allegations in Pakistan. Allegations or more clearly should I say, the charges of irresponsibility.

Though media is playing a positive role at many places, but at the same time it has many negative aspects too, due to which we are seeing a societal deterioration now-a-days. Day by day, month by month and year to year the societal norms are changing to the extent that we are forgetting our past. Some changes are good, but some of them are devastating for us and for our generations to come.

Following are some briefly described traits of media, due to which the norms & the values of our society are changing rapidly.

1)      Openness of Media:

It is what we can see as an emerging demand of today’s media i.e. freedom of speech. But, does it mean that there should be no supervisory authority or cultural boundary or some kind of media violation policy for them. Is it what it means that they are free to show everything without taking care of people’s beliefs and culture? Is it what is all about freedom of speech? If yes, then we should say “NO” to it. We should reject it and wake up the authorities in that case. Some examples are as follows:

                                                        i.            A week earlier, we all heard and some of us experienced strange incident on three of Country’s leading channels i.e. GEO, ARY and SAMAA TV. All theses channels has played a Qawwali based on Hazrat Ali (R.A) and Hazrat Fatima (R.A) nikah ceremony for three of the worldly couples, which is a disrespect to those religious deities and a heartfelt emotional & spiritual disturbance for all the Muslims living here and around the world. Now, being a citizen of Islamic Republic of Pakistan, shouldn’t they act responsibly in that matter? Shouldn’t they be aware of their socio-ethical responsibility?

                                                      ii.            Then another example is that we are seeing censorable content freely on our television screens which is very embarrassing and devastating, especially when we are sitting with our family. Like ads of condoms, hair removing creams, feminine sanitary pads and etc. Also, obscene language is being spoken in some of our TV Shows today. Like Kiran Khan (Model) said on Shaista Wahidi’s morning show “Hum larkiyan na hoti toh larkon ki pyas kaun bhujata”, Mathira (Model & Actress) spilling obscenity all around the TV. Apna Channel showing bikini shoots of Indian models. Hum TV and other channels showing dramas with too bold stories openly like “Muhabbat Jaye Bhar Main”, “Ishq Hamari Galiyon Main”, “Main Deewani”, “Bashar Momin”, “Hum Thehray Gunahgar”, “Kitni Girhain Baqi Hain”, “Shab-E-Zindagi”, “Bunty I Love You”, “Zip – Bus Chup” and a lot more. Urdu 1 and Geo Kahani showing Turkish dramas which are an open devastation for our culture. Actresses wearing too bold dresses challenging openly our culture to death. Though some of the shows on different channels are subjective and brought a good societal change like “Zindagi Gulzar Hai”, “Humsafar”, “Dhuwan (PTV)”, “Alpha, Bravo, Charlie”, “Dhoop Kinare”, “Hasb-e-Haal”, “50/50”, “Zaviya (Ashfaq Ahmad Sb)”, “Kaho Pakistan” and many others.

If this is all freedom of speech and authorities like PEMRA, Islamic Ideology Council & Government is not up to any action against them. Then we should change the name of Pakistan, tune out our channels & tune in western channels and kick out our culture to adopt westernization which is already gifted with sexual abuses, lower marital rate, old age homes hence less family life and greater lonely life.

2)      Rationality of Media:

Though media is strengthening day by day, but the rationality of its content is getting a bit questionable. Because, either it is at too much height or either it is too much shadowy, both of which makes it deviating. For example, in TV Dramas, the story sometimes shows too much negativity, like in commonly seen family conflicts; which makes it unrealistic.

Similarly, in this period of social & national turmoil, media should produce development programmes at national level to reduce this societal upheaval e.g. Master Chef, Britain Got Talent, The Apprentice, Tour Guide of Pakistan, Kasuti (Intellectual Quiz Program) and etc. Some programs are already in procession like Master Chef, but there should be more of these programs.

Instead of all this, we are having singing & dancing shows; though it is an industry with full of talent, but we are strongly in need of those professionals & intellects through whom we can bring an industrial revolution for industries far more important than the performing arts.

Then as for the News Channels, it is being irrational of them to speak only about Geo’s mistake, where as ARY & SAMAA did the same and therefore they should also be condemned with Geo. It should be noted here that Team Geo has already apologized for their Qawwali act, where as ARY & SAMAA Teams did not have shown any apology, instead they are part of those who are puking at Geo’s act, which shows a complete irrationality on their part. Also, please be mindful here that it is not about defending Geo, but to realize Media’s role in playing with our minds showing only one side of picture to make us believe it as a whole picture.

3)      Balance of Communication:

The most important thing for a socio-ethical media is its balanced communication i.e. neutrality of media, its personnel’s and obviously its content, especially for a journalist.

Despite of its affiliations, it should be able to point out wrongs & rights of a subject which is being observed by them, even if its affiliated member has some errors in it.

More precisely, what I meant here is that a TV Host or journalist should present both sides of picture without any further emphasis on any single side. For example; we have seen TV Shows on freedom of education in which TV anchors present a picture giving an idea of a deprived society; whereas there are so many educational reforms running all across Pakistan like “Teach for Pakistan”, “Danish School”, “Read Foundation”, “Agha Khan Rural Support Programme” & etc.

Another example is when TV Shows sometimes present a picture in which people of some specified area are not given their rights; like commonly shown issue of Baluchistan. Whereas they have been blessed with Sui Gas & further they are having royalty from government. Also, they have the priceless Gwadar Port & City. Then they have fish exports (Shark Fins), Makran Coastal Highway, Recodec (The Treasure Chest), Coal Power Projects, Juniper Forest of Ziarat (One of the World’s Oldest), great tourist spots and many other things.

Then another example is when on TV screens and in other media channels suppression of women is shown at height, whereas now-a-days much of the work is already done on women empowerment and for that girls are given equal rights in education, in serving the country through defense forces and civil & private service.

One more example is, when on TV screens we are seeing news of Bomb Blasts and right on the next channel there is a fashion show or some kind of fun making show killing our humanity & our socio-ethical norms. This shows how unbalanced our media is and how less socio-ethically responsible it is.

The last example is when TV Anchors probe people (politicians, analysts, actors & actresses and/or civilians) or societal issues. One such program in my memory is that where an Investigative Journalist is probing an issue of a price hike in Khairpur by pointing out some vegetables like Tomatoes & Onions. Whereas if we probe the reality, we will came to know that both of the vegetables are not grown in Khairpur and therefore they’ve been transported from other cities. This obviously adds up the transportation cost including labor, fuel & packing costs. That is why these vegetables get on a price hike and similarly this goes on with other things too. One of the main factors behind this price hike is the increasing price hike of fuel, which has not been probed by these media channels, hence resulting in an unbalanced medium of communication.

This is all I got to say this time and being a common man, the whole of this article is written in somewhat layman style. Hope the theme and context of this article will be focused more than its wording by the readers.

May we all be blessed in all ways always. Ameen Sumameen