“Facts are sacred
comments are free”. The media while reporting shouldn’t distort the facts of
the incident or event being reported. However, media analysts may put their
analysis for the messes regarding concerned news for better understanding of
event/incident.
Nonetheless, “comments
are free” never means to shift the news towards “yellow journalism”. Yellow
Journalism is a term first pronounced in 1989 when print media used
“Yellow Kid” – a cartoon character – for
sensationalism. Sensationalism distorts the core facts of the news and has
different effects on the messes.
According to a survey
about 60% of the Pakistan population is illiterate which can easily be affected
by media sensationalism. Since the people don’t posses analytical and research
capabilities so whatever they watch they wholeheartedly believe and rely on the
information given by the media and act accordingly. So reporters must not twist
the facts and must avoid sensationalism.
Yellow Journalism and
Sensationalism is causing number of problems in Pakistan. If we classify all
the problems then four major categories would come into point:
1.
Political Conflicts.
2.
Sectarian Conflicts.
3.
Ethnicity Conflicts.
4.
Provincialism Conflicts.
So to achieve stability
in country media must be unbiased and purely factual rather than sensational.
This is the best way to achieve prosperity and peace in Pakistan.
In Democracy “the public opinion”
is the most important thing to be considered. And the only source of public
opinion is media. Media should act as spokesperson of the messes so the
government could work for their betterment and best interests.
The media must
critically analyze the governmental policies to let public know the goods and
the bad out of the policies government has established for them. The intension
of media must be positive while criticizing the policies so it is not for
disgracing government but to make reforms in the current policies.
Media must set some
standards of reporting which must address “the national integration”. Few
months ago an issue of Down Leaks came into notice.
Regardless of what was the source of that news, the Down News Agency must have
declined the offer to publish this news since it goes against the national
integration of Pakistan.
Media always helps
democracy to flourish in all the situations. The media is raising the voice of
messes of Kashmir, who are suffering intense aggression of Indian Military.
Media is helping international people know what is going on in Kashmir and how
India is violating human rights in Kashmir
On the other hand media
helps spreading awareness in the public. It is reported that in election 2013
the turnout of people was highest ever recorded. The credit of this high
turnout goes to Mass Media since it spread the awareness that how important is
their vote for true democracy. Before this awareness the educated class was
less interested in using their voting rights. Hence few families were ruling
Pakistan for last 4 decades.
Article 19 of
Constitution of Pakistan elaborates the freedom
of expression, which is best practiced in media. So “if we chain the press
we chain ourselves”.
To make the nation
prosper and peaceful we must make our economy strong. In this regard media must
take keen interest in propagating Pakistani economy in positive manners.
In the current
scenario, the mega projects undergoing in Pakistan is CPEC [China-Pakistan Economic
Corridor]. It is the highest investment ever made by any of Pak-ally in
the country. Media must project this deal in positive style so the other
potential investors and international media could portray this news in favor of
Pakistan too.
However, it is noticed
that some of the media houses are relating the CPEC with East-India Company of
colonial age. Nevertheless, this kind of reporting is really discouraging and
believed to be sponsored by enemy nations to stop development in Pakistan. So
media must set some standards to ensure the national integration before the
government sets so.
“Pen is mightier than
the sword”
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