Thank GOD GEO is off the television.
Given the medium I am currently using it would be hypocritical of me to not defend the right of speech. It is one of the fundamental cornerstones of the Human Rights Charter and should thus be an expectation…not a gift. Nevertheless, in the wise words of Spiderman (pop-culture is always a safer route than academia these days): ‘With great power comes great responsibility’.
I doubt our media personnel have heard those wise words, and if they happened to hear them then I doubt they understood them. The same spirder talk was oft referred to during the fiasco about the cartoons based on Prophet Muhammed (pbuh). ‘The right of speech!’ the world yelled… we thought otherwise. Although these cartoons were reprinted in numerous publications, rather than succumb to Islamist pressures, numerous countries left the decision to publications to make. They chose to or not to reprint based upon the needs or beliefs of their readers. Many did not. Why? one must ask… would it not sell more publications? Would it not latch onto public curiosity and further build upon a popular anti-Islamist stance that was already prevalent in many countries? Why yes it would… but would it be responsible? No.
Unfortunately, the media in Pakistan is not that mature.
Despite any vendettas one might have against the current regime, one can not ignore the freedom that the press and electronic media has enjoyed due to Mushi’s tutelage. There have been many criticisms against the regime for many a year. He never once spoke out. He took it in his stride. Although he always had PTV to convey the administrations point of view, he never once succumbed to using propaganda as a tool to better his political position. Attacks were constant. Retaliations less so. This in no way justifes his current !*?$ ups but lets for a minute sit back and view how information is conveyed internationally.
America, the world’s supposed greatest ‘democracy’ does not have any outright controls on their media. True. American media is free to convey whatever viewpoint they hold. False.
Although the American administration does not directly tinker with the media it would be interesting to note that many members of the current administration are also board members of numerous media related companies. A coincidence? Maybe. If you’re not convinced that there are subtle forces at play, then let me delve deeper. Within the past four years, various laws protecting the rights of independent broadcasters have been repealed in the favour of those aforementioned media conglomerates upon which the cabinet members happen to be board members. The biggest media conglomerate, headed my Rupert Murdoch, also happened to be a major financial contributor of the current regime. A coincidence? Maybe.
It would be naïve to assume that the media operates independently in the states because simply put…they have learnt how to properly clothe their propaganda. Knowing that the major sources of information decimation happen to be easily influenced by Washington makes one wonder… what’s the point of having the right to those channels in the first place. They’re all saying the same thing. Why would they yank their television channels off the air if they happen to be saying all the right things? The media is a powerful thing. It builds public opinion. It provides a point of reference. It interprets. This has not been overlooked in other countries. Until now it was overlooked in Pakistan (atleast under Mushi).
Thailand’s former PM: a entrepreneur who minted his money in the broadcasting business
Italy’s former PM: an entrepreneur who minted his money in the broadcasting business
I could quote more examples… but is there really a need. The link between public opinion and the media is explicit. Not implicit. Nevertheless, till date, Mushi was not using the media as a vehicle to form opinion. He was in fact fighting the very opinions that the media was creating, because more often than not our media is such that it applauds mistakes as opposed to recognizing achievements. It does not exercise the power it has with caution. The sensationalism that permeates our media, is such that it informs people of opinions as opposed to reporting. GEO is the epitome of a 24 hour editorial . I despise them… not because I despise information… but because I don’t want to be force fed a point of view. Selective reporting is simply one of its many facets. Nevertheless the freedom of speech is sacred…thus let us mourn the concept. Not GEO.
(I know this is not duly built as an argument and is biased against GEO…but then again im just conforming to our very own media-scape)
