 |
| Photo Courtesy: Google |
“Politics, politics and politics, I am fed up, what the hell our News TV channels are doing, don’t they have other social responsibilities except giving marathon coverage to dirty politics”, said Hamza Ali,23, one of the university students who were having discussion on media’s role in the society.
There has been electronic media expansion and explosion in our country since the turn of the 21st century with more than 80 TV channels disseminating an influx of information to millions of viewers.
The expansion is good but Mr. Ali, who is studying Journalism and Mass Communication in Islamic International University Islamabad, has rightly raised questions whether the media is fulfilling its functions in society as a responsible actor? Does it regulate and improve itself to be more responsible with the speed it expanded and is expanding? Is it playing its role as the fourth pillar of state and a watchdog of the society?
However, unfortunately, Pakistani media is neither responsible nor people-centric. Prime significance is given to political issues. Over 150 televised talk shows telecasted every day during the prime hours have set their agenda to discuss nothing but so-called political issues.
Moreover, these shows are overcrowded with politicians who deceive the nation with hollow slogans and traditional rhetoric. Politicians have nothing to do with problems; they are concerned only about their political gains and scorings.
Pakistan is in a quagmire of crises. Thus media definitely have something that deserves to be highlighted in the media beyond "dirty politics". Then, why don’t the media divert its focus from politics to people? Why not to give more coverage to social issues?
Media managers have to reprioritize their agenda as ambassadors of Pakistan, a link between government and people of Pakistan and a national image builder, before it is too late to regain its credibility.
No comments:
Post a Comment