WRITTEN by SARMAD ASHRAF
Depreciation is a term that I have become very used to over the
last decade. However, my TV seems to be depreciation in a very new horizon. My
Hitachi 26 inch TV, by the virtue of a local television, used to show some
eighty channels when we bought it. Over the last couple of years, the
performance has "reduced" greatly. Now it only shows Geo News, Duniya
News, Express News (and similar national news channels); ten sports and cartoon
network. I attribute this change to the war that's being going on between our
national news channels. When I was in school, there used to be just four news
windows that were usually watched at my home (and with minor changes at other
Pakistani homes). A bulletin at 7:30 in the morning, a regional news telecast
at around 5:00 pm, an English news time of 15 minutes at 6 pm and finally a
full half hour news at 9 รณ clock in night. I remember just one or maximum two
programs on political issues in the whole day.
Thanks to 9/11, liberalization of media and a "we are ready to
share everything" approach of political parties, we are now bombarded with
news and current affair programs from all Corners. You are offered news, drama,
comedy, romance, thrill, suspense, horror, brutality, sports and all kinds of entertainment on a single news channel. To keep you interested in watching the channel, breaking news are always on the corner. It is without doubt that a
free media is essential to keep the public updated about their society, country
and the world. But is it necessary rather possible for a human being to absorb
all this information while not becoming insane? I dare to disagree, news are
for informing people what they should be informed about and in a way that does
not burden their souls. But in a total commercial aspect, our news channel will
tell you everything that they know.
But what are the downfalls of this news channel system, what
influence it has on my life and others' life apart from not getting to watch
other channels. Well there are certain important things that needs very careful
attention. Firstly, our national image is being jeopardized every passing
moment. Our channels overly blame everything on politicians, army etc. and
their agendas are not in line with the national policies or for that matter any
policy apart from financial gains. No anchor is told what they should speak and
what they should restrain themselves from. Secondly, the attitude of the
viewers is being changed. When I hear, "Pakistan is on the verge of
destruction", I no longer take as news. I have been molded in a way to
accept this. We are reaching a point where news, of one person being killed,
would stop making us shiver. The children are seeing their country as a lawless
brutal country without rules and regulations. Yes that is true and it should be
conveyed to them, but not in a demotivating and negative pattern, rather in
such a way that they are focused to change everything positively. Apart from
this, we don’t trust anyone anymore. I will not help someone because I am
unsure if he is "good" or "bad". The fact that he/she is a
human does not come to us anymore. Yet another important role played by news
channels is that our youth does not show the level of patriotism it once had.
No matter how corrupt the government is, how hard the situation is or how struggling
it is, our nation was and still is full of patriotism. However, to me it is
slightly changing and in a very negative manner. Our youths emotions are not
that high and most would leave Pakistan if ever given a chance. The things are
becoming very ugly but the acceleration factor in the minds of people is being
controlled by the media.
I would suggest that all the media groups should sit together and
design very formal set of rules and regulation with an important attention to
moral, ethical, social and religious values. Media has it all under its power,
now they have the option to either build this nation or destroy it. It is my
belief that the things in our country have reached their lowest point and signs
of change are emerging. I am positive to the fact that in this culture of
change, media will change as well and fulfil its responsibilities at the
highest level.
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