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Monday, August 19, 2013 - In todays highly globalised world, media has a major role of creating awareness among the masses of a nation. Therefore, the information communicated through media to the masses needs to be well researched, authentic and presented in a way to create positive image in the society. The projection of events and even the most horrendous and pessimistic incidents should be in such a way that, the society especially the youth get a positive lessons. Indeed, as the most influential and rapid means of communication, media has a responsibility to create a sense of belonging and national integration among the people.
The media of the advance countries like United States, Britain, Russia and most of European countries has demonstrated this sense of responsibility throughout, even during world war-I and II. With regard to the social and national responsibilities, even the Indian media has demonstrated itself as highly responsible and trustworthy. Indian private media channels have always projected issues that benefitted the state of India. The private channels have tried to strengthen the national integration and positive image of India, despite the fact that, there are many problems and serious grievances of the people against the Indian State and its rulers.
For quite some time, there is an ongoing debate in Pakistan, whether Pakistani private and commercial media has really demonstrated its responsibility towards the State and society of Pakistan. There is no doubt that media has created awareness among the masses in Pakistan and highlighted some of the most ignored social and political issues, which remained under the carpet for years and years. Nevertheless, there is a dominant view that, some time some Pakistani private media groups, have neglected the aspects of national interests and social obligations, in highlighting some of very sensitive issues and even some of the minor issues were projected in such a way, that become a cause for defaming the State and society of Pakistan.
In this regards, unfortunately, there is a war for ratings and the competition among various media channels and groups, which indeed is unhealthy. This unhealthy competition, as to who will be the first one to break information or news, Breaking News has been most treacherous for the people and embarrassing for the State. In this regards, what it has been observed that in most of the cases, the commercial and personal interests have outweigh the social and morale responsibilities. As an example, the gruesome picture of what many believed was the corpse of Osama Bin Laden was broadcasted across Pakistani media, but later on it proved to be fake. Then, acts of terrorism, perpetrated by the terrorists are at time portrayed in such a way that, the youth are attracted towards this heinous and inhuman act, which have killed over 50,000 people in Pakistan so far. As per Zaffar Abbas, a prominent media personality, after a carnage where television crews were there, filming the carnage and as medical workers desperately worked to save lives, one cameraman tapped a medic on the shoulder and asked him to remove the victim from the ambulance so that he could film him putting the injured man inside the vehicle, since he missed it the first time.
Very recently, on August 15, 2013, the imprudent act of insanity by an armed man in Blue Area of Capital was given unnecessary media coverage by almost all media channels of Pakistan for almost six hours, as if there was nothing else positive to project. The unintelligent handling of the incident by administration and above all the undesired coverage by media has brought lot of humiliation for the State and society of Pakistan. Soon after the incident, media anchors of the most of electronic media started thrashing the security apparatus of Pakistan and to prove their arguments they opened the history of such incidents. There was a competition among the channels, as to who take a lead in humiliating the security forces as if it was a war and security forces could not fight it out efficiently. Likewise, on 24th July 2013 electronic media aired the breaking news and repeatedly asserted that a PAF Mushak aircraft has crashed in River Indus during a training mission and its crew is missing. At a lightning speed the news was picked up almost by whole media. Needless to say, in this area about 700 pilots belonging to Pakistan Air Force and Army Aviation are involved in flying training as well as operations. These sons of soil have their elderly parents, brothers, sisters, relatives and friends back at home. It was later learnt that the channel concerned carried incorrect breaking news and no such crash took place.
As per details it was an Army Mushak flying in the area which dropped its fuel tank due to technical reasons. The drop thank was later recovered by Army rescue contingent. The media channel never extended any apology from the viewers, disregarding the dismal anxiety created by such an unfounded and baseless report projected through electronic media. After watching such breaking news, they must have felt most terrible spells of misery, anxiety, emotional distress, psychological injury and sense of uncertainty. Many telephone calls were made not only within Pakistan but also from abroad to know the well being of their relatives (pilots) in PAF. One cannot imagine the inner commotion of a family including small kids, elderly and fragile parents whose loved ones might have been the possible victims of such breaking news telecast through electronic media.
Unfortunately, the channels never felt appropriate to confirm the veracity of such breaking news from the real source and then, upon breaking unauthentic news, they did not even tender admission of guilt through their channels after knowing the fact. The need of the hour is that, there should be a clear code of conduct for the private media channels of Pakistan. The basic criteria should be; securing the national interests, promoting honesty, initiating social reforms and fair play. Freedom of media is desired but media has to respect the obligations imposed by the State and also respect the rights of other people. Media should not become a party to wage a war against the State and its institutions. It should promote the Pakistani culture, traditions and norms. Media handlers should be mindful that their acts are not befitting the enemies of Pakistan.
The writer is Islamabad-based IR analyst.
The media of the advance countries like United States, Britain, Russia and most of European countries has demonstrated this sense of responsibility throughout, even during world war-I and II. With regard to the social and national responsibilities, even the Indian media has demonstrated itself as highly responsible and trustworthy. Indian private media channels have always projected issues that benefitted the state of India. The private channels have tried to strengthen the national integration and positive image of India, despite the fact that, there are many problems and serious grievances of the people against the Indian State and its rulers.
For quite some time, there is an ongoing debate in Pakistan, whether Pakistani private and commercial media has really demonstrated its responsibility towards the State and society of Pakistan. There is no doubt that media has created awareness among the masses in Pakistan and highlighted some of the most ignored social and political issues, which remained under the carpet for years and years. Nevertheless, there is a dominant view that, some time some Pakistani private media groups, have neglected the aspects of national interests and social obligations, in highlighting some of very sensitive issues and even some of the minor issues were projected in such a way, that become a cause for defaming the State and society of Pakistan.
In this regards, unfortunately, there is a war for ratings and the competition among various media channels and groups, which indeed is unhealthy. This unhealthy competition, as to who will be the first one to break information or news, Breaking News has been most treacherous for the people and embarrassing for the State. In this regards, what it has been observed that in most of the cases, the commercial and personal interests have outweigh the social and morale responsibilities. As an example, the gruesome picture of what many believed was the corpse of Osama Bin Laden was broadcasted across Pakistani media, but later on it proved to be fake. Then, acts of terrorism, perpetrated by the terrorists are at time portrayed in such a way that, the youth are attracted towards this heinous and inhuman act, which have killed over 50,000 people in Pakistan so far. As per Zaffar Abbas, a prominent media personality, after a carnage where television crews were there, filming the carnage and as medical workers desperately worked to save lives, one cameraman tapped a medic on the shoulder and asked him to remove the victim from the ambulance so that he could film him putting the injured man inside the vehicle, since he missed it the first time.
Very recently, on August 15, 2013, the imprudent act of insanity by an armed man in Blue Area of Capital was given unnecessary media coverage by almost all media channels of Pakistan for almost six hours, as if there was nothing else positive to project. The unintelligent handling of the incident by administration and above all the undesired coverage by media has brought lot of humiliation for the State and society of Pakistan. Soon after the incident, media anchors of the most of electronic media started thrashing the security apparatus of Pakistan and to prove their arguments they opened the history of such incidents. There was a competition among the channels, as to who take a lead in humiliating the security forces as if it was a war and security forces could not fight it out efficiently. Likewise, on 24th July 2013 electronic media aired the breaking news and repeatedly asserted that a PAF Mushak aircraft has crashed in River Indus during a training mission and its crew is missing. At a lightning speed the news was picked up almost by whole media. Needless to say, in this area about 700 pilots belonging to Pakistan Air Force and Army Aviation are involved in flying training as well as operations. These sons of soil have their elderly parents, brothers, sisters, relatives and friends back at home. It was later learnt that the channel concerned carried incorrect breaking news and no such crash took place.
As per details it was an Army Mushak flying in the area which dropped its fuel tank due to technical reasons. The drop thank was later recovered by Army rescue contingent. The media channel never extended any apology from the viewers, disregarding the dismal anxiety created by such an unfounded and baseless report projected through electronic media. After watching such breaking news, they must have felt most terrible spells of misery, anxiety, emotional distress, psychological injury and sense of uncertainty. Many telephone calls were made not only within Pakistan but also from abroad to know the well being of their relatives (pilots) in PAF. One cannot imagine the inner commotion of a family including small kids, elderly and fragile parents whose loved ones might have been the possible victims of such breaking news telecast through electronic media.
Unfortunately, the channels never felt appropriate to confirm the veracity of such breaking news from the real source and then, upon breaking unauthentic news, they did not even tender admission of guilt through their channels after knowing the fact. The need of the hour is that, there should be a clear code of conduct for the private media channels of Pakistan. The basic criteria should be; securing the national interests, promoting honesty, initiating social reforms and fair play. Freedom of media is desired but media has to respect the obligations imposed by the State and also respect the rights of other people. Media should not become a party to wage a war against the State and its institutions. It should promote the Pakistani culture, traditions and norms. Media handlers should be mindful that their acts are not befitting the enemies of Pakistan.
The writer is Islamabad-based IR analyst.
