Role of Media Content - Essay Example

It is true that whatever news we receive through media is in the interest of media owners, irrespective of the fact, what impact the news might have on the layman. The layman is at the mercy of the news boom of media waiting and switching channels to hear and get information and keep one updated with the current affairs of the world. They have to rely on the content of the news media, regardless of the authenticity of the news, falling prey to the media news and spreading them like fire in the woods. The media owners these days taking advantage of the soft censorship policies cover such news which leaves a negative impact on the viewer and listener, creating frustration among people. The news and events which shouldn't be given any media coverage are and importance are shown on televisions just to sizzle and provoke people to react against government, opposition party leaders or any set of lawyers, law enforcing agencies, police etc. Coverage given to violence by media should also be curbed and banned but the media owners are minting money by showing harsh violence on television, giving away unique techniques to the terrorists to adopt cruel styles of inhuman acts. It is in their interest to show acts of barbarism as these clips of news excite and add flame to the existing chaotic societies. Journalism is a very respectable profession. A student before choosing to enter this field should realize the importance of delivering the content of information that he/she has in a right possible manner, as not to inflict panic and confusion among people. The first and foremost quality of a journalist should be honesty, but at the same time he should also be aware of the act to covert and deliver his honesty in such a manner which if not acceptable to the common man at least it would not leave any hard feeling among them. There is a lot of responsibility on the shoulders of a journalist. They are the people who even sometimes risk their lives to get news to the people. Unfortunately threats to the journalists and kidnapping of them are becoming common practices these days by some influential personalities and even by terrorists. Journalists must have the tactics to be able to handle difficult situations, must have patience and should be able to produce reliable and authentic news. In a country like Pakistan, which is in the category of developing countries, poverty and illiteracy are at their peak. No leader is sincere and just wants to fill their pockets in the shortest span of their tenure. Media can serve as an eye opener but unfortunately most of the journalists in such countries are at the mercy of media owners. The media owners are also under the influence and pressure of high-phi personalities, they have no option but to oblige to the interest of the pressures and they join hands with them exploiting the nation and not realizing the repercussion of showing news which are only in the interest of high officials. There are no hard and fast policies in Pakistan as far as media is concerned. Many news channels have mushroomed up during the last decade. The root cause of the unrest of the political situation, economic crisis, problems arising due to people migrating from rural areas and settling down in urban areas for a better living, poverty and issues related to unemployment and illiteracy are not high lighted on news channels. CNN and BBC are two international channels which impact authentic news, but the question here is how many people actually view these channels High illiteracy rate leaves very minimum viewers to view these channels, as the news imparted on these channels are in English; this problem mainly arises in third world countries like Pakistan. An English news channel for the first time is started in such a country known as "Dawn News" - Pakistan's first English news channel, but the problem persists the same. So the literacy rate being very low (especially in the third world countries) gives room to news that is in the interest of media owners with out questioning the source. "Geo" is another local news channel in Pakistan, which has a large number of viewers throughout the country but still does not impact quality news. News imparted on this channel has its effects on the remote areas of the country as well. I would like to quote an example here, a few weeks back a clip was repeatedly shown on media of young women who was being punished and beaten by the Afghan Taliban for going out with her father in law. This clip raised anger and frustration among the masses, people became fearful. Girls of remote areas got confined in their homes and there was insecurity among females of remote areas especially. People calculated wrong messages out of this clip, it was a very threatening video and shown openly in a Country like Pakistan where many questions are left unanswered, and why Just for the channel to gain popularity. It was an irresponsible decision on the part of the media owners to show this clip, but as it was in their interest and it made them gain immense publicity through it they had no guilt what so ever in perceiving the after effects of such news. Showing such barbaric acts leads the nation towards violence and showing such disrespect to women openly will ultimately lead to more disrespect in a society where women are already deprived of their basic rights making life more difficult for them. Pakistan is a country where suicidal attacks of terrorists have become a common feature. Such attacks are a threat for the integrity and sovereignty of the Country. Such suicidal attacks which involves foreign hands leaves thousands dead, homeless and crippled, and the psychological effects one experiences even if one survives after in such an attack leaves a long lasting, negative and depressing psychological effects on one's mind. Showing people screaming for help, shouting with agony and the cameras cover people who are in a state between life one death, people without hands and legs, blood splashed everywhere, pieces of human body are scattered all over and the camera captures such horrified moments and shows them live and to top it all Geo News channel proudly announces that "We are the first only news channel to show and give live coverage to such an event." We should ask ourselves is this something to be shown to everyone, so people become feeling-less by watching such events everyday Shouldn't humanity be given any respect Should we show people in distress on camera Are we feeling less What part is media playing by showing such scenes Isn't there any respect for human parts lying on streets But for all these questions there is only one answer that the media owners are getting huge publicity to their channels which is in their interest. By giving live coverage to even the smallest irrelevant news, sometimes those news, events and personalities come in the limelight and get publicity and fame which they don't even deserve and become something out of nothing due to wrong media policies and coverage. These wrong policies are a result of other holders of power in media market place. There is so much competition, so many news channels but the news source, are the same since same news is revolving around the channels, but how to make to viewer glued to you're channel is a challenging task hence news are twisted and turned and highlighted in a wrong and negative way. (For example: Recently due to mumbai attacks by terrorists in India, tensions between the two countries Pakistan and India were rising, and media was playing an irresponsible role by showing irrelevant news of interviews with the common people, which in turn was making the tension grow between the two Countries). Other holders of power in the media market even use unfair means to keep their business blooming. Journalists are even bribed sometimes, they are at time under immense political pressure by high officials, freedom of writing is even threatened sometimes, all these factors aggravate the situation if imparting quality news which is a right of every citizen. It is a common practice that big fishes eat small fishes. Big fishes always want their monopoly. So fulfill this monopoly and to maintain their power and supremacy media owners and other holders of power in this field put at stake even the safety of their country. Their goal is only and only to fulfill their personal desires putting at stake the interest of their Country and people. The innocent people however do not foresee this and are stuck in this war of this channel fight in the spider's web, where his thinking becomes limited and he takes and accepts whatever the media is trying to veil or unveil to the common man in their own interest, Here a revolution is required which can only be brought by increasing the literacy rate of the Country which can only be achieved by the support of the government, but in the present situation it seems that even the government influences the power holders in the field of media to cover and deliver such news which are in the interest of the government and not in the public interest. Read More