Even freedom of speech has some caveats
The world was ending. Millions of people were terrified, panicking – some of them fled into countryside – and started praying for their sins and sought mercy. They were doing the same things which one could expect from a person who was about to die in a pathetic way. It was Halloween, October 30, 1938. This whole scene was created due to a drama broadcasted on Columbia Broadcasting System Network radio based on a science fiction book “War of the Worlds” directed and narrated by Orson Welles. The story was about the invasion of the world by the creatures of Mars. The drama was broadcasted in a news style and people thought that actual extraterrestrial creatures had invaded the world. This is the power of media!
This twisted situation was created by the radio about a century ago. It tells us about the agenda setting role of media. The media actually sets the agenda which gradually becomes the agenda of the society. Now we are in 2017 and the media has grown from radio to social media – which has proven much more lethal than the radio.
I write this article because today we are celebrating the World Press Freedom Day. This day was proclaimed by United Nation General Assembly back in 1993. The rationale of the day is to weigh up the extent of media freedom round the globe and to extol the efforts of those who helped in the freedom of media. But in my view apart from celebrating the Press Freedom, now is the time that we should also contemplate the ways to streamline different types of media operating around us.
First of all let us discuss the print media.
Gone are the days in which newspapers were owned by the veteran journalists who had bequest in journalism like Maulana Muhammad Ali Johar, Maulana zafar Ali Khan, Hameed Nizami and others. Now the media is owned by moguls who have made it an industry. Most of the newspapers are there for a mission: to uphold businesses or to gain a regular amount from government in lieu of advertisements. Now newspapers are used as a source of deterrence rather than as a change agent.
In the same manner electronic media – the television particularly – in Pakistan is like a clone which just after its birth transformed into an adult without undergoing the intervening stages – i.e.: infancy, childhood and young adulthood. We have witnessed altogether different media coverage of the same events from different media channels. All these channels present their claims in such a way – by adding voice effect and camera tricks – that it is difficult to ascertain the truth. And they all appear right. The media coverage of the dharnas of the Pakistan Tehreek e Insaaf is an example in this regard. Similarly, there are examples in the history of television in Pakistan that certain anchors were exposed but the other channels hired the same person on almost double salary. Promoting sensational “news”, biased reporting and unethical practices to gain ratings is the norm of the day.
In order to pursue freedom of media, most of the time, these so called journalists bypass the ethics which Article 19 of the Constitution of Pakistan devised for the freedom of the press. The media coverage of the Sakandir incident – that of a psychologically ill person who hijacks a main road in the capital, the coverage of Ajmal Kasab and his relevance issue and the coverage of other such issues has brought an ill renown for Pakistan and its capabilities internationally.
Likewise, in the name of entertainment, these TV channels are showing the content of an alien culture. Most of the dramas which are telecasted on the TV channels are full of glamour. This is creating frustration among the common people of Pakistan. In this way electronic media in Pakistan is a tool of cultural imperialism.
The power of the media especially that of the social media can be gauged by the fact that it was in fact the social media which made and finally killed Qandeel Baloch. It is social media which has shared a great responsibility in the brutal murder of Mashal Khan. It was social media which helped the Turkish Government to avert the coup and many such examples. Most of all the importance of social media is well understood by Pakistan Army as it has appointed an officer of Maj General rank to manage the social media primarily – and that is apart from other media.
Social media ethics are seen nowhere.
The Cyber Crime Act is present and implemented in Pakistan and a few arrests are also made under the act. But it is still highly unbridled. Fake accounts, blackmailing, pornography, misuse of photos and misinformation is on the rise now a days. Many journalists have made websites and in order to raise their clicks they add obscene and unethical material. It is not beyond any risk to leave your child unattended on internet now. And that’s all thanks to these websites.
The discrepancies in the media need drastic reforms but taking a few steps are indispensible in order to steer media in the right direction.
The media claims to be the fourth and the most powerful pillar of the state. Thus, apart from self-acclamation, media should also follow a certain criteria for hiring media persons – as is followed by other pillars of the state. For example if you want to be in the judiciary you have to attain a degree in law first and then have a certain length of law practice on your credit and have to pass certain relevant examinations. Similarly in order to be in legislature, one needs to win elections and if one wants to be in the executive he/she has to attain certain level of experience. And if you want to be a civil servant you have to pass the tough competitive examination. On the contrary there is no set eligibility criterion to be a journalist. Degree, competence and experience are the terms which are considered alien for entry in the media field. Same goes for the media owners. There is no eligibility criterion to be a newspaper owner. All you need it seems, is to have enough money. Thus a strict eligibility criteria should be made for being a journalist or media owner.
As far as the social media is concerned, efforts should be made to make one account for one user. At present SIMs are mostly registered on one’s name by the dint of biometric verification. Similar efforts should be made in the case of social media. By making this a law one should be responsible of one’s own account and content and a person should become easily traceable by this method. And in the end there should be a body comprising of veteran journalists, legislators, media owners, civil society and civil servants to check the performance of the media. This body if made in the real sense, would not be toothless like other bodies and authorities which are there in the field.
These steps are badly needed, in order to bring true professionalism in the media.
