Media-Boon Or Bane

INTRODUCTION

India's first newspaper, the Bengal Gazette, appeared in Calcutta on January 29, 1780, an
occasion now celebrated nationally as Newspaper Day. The transformation in the India
media scene in the intervening 230 years, in keeping with the changes in the country as a
whole, has been enormous.

The communications revolution, television, economic liberalization and an expanding

social base ushered in a new phase of media growth.. The media today wields immense
power, shaping the national agenda.

While there are admittedly fine journalists and some excellent writing, there is a lot of
conjecture in place of fact and lazy journalism marked by shallow writing, inadequate
research, ignorance of background and context.

Are your eyes weary of the staggering billboards across every corner in the city? You
might get dizzy over those topsy-turvy rows of pawnshops, dress shops, bakery and stalls
competing for consumers’ attention with their different styles and propriety presentations
along the highways. Most of the ads are propagandas of multinational companies
ranging from clothing lines, fast food chains and the enticing perfumes among others.
Some find them okay because they’re big fan of the endorsers. Others will question,
“Why are those people endorsing those products”.

After a long day at school, you rush going home and go to your room switch on the
radio and let yourself be serenaded by the songs. You might not notice, but the radio ads
consume almost half of the programs. Few ads might be informative and others are just
dangling and irritating. You might want to switch on the TV afterwards to watch your
favorite soap operas. With the very dramatic scene you’re watching, you can’t help but
cry or laugh if the scene is hilarious. Sometimes you feel like your in love again after
witnessing an intimate setting with the actors.

Electronic media — with its pester-power — has increased peer pressure on our children.
They don't always have reasoned decisions for themselves. Advertisers have become
mind-benders, entering their minds just as a knife pierces butter. More than quarter of the
population of India is below the age of 14. They are the advertiser's gun sights. Short
concentrated bursts are presented to catch them young as consumers for life. As a result,
their attitudes are changing. They have begun to associate happiness with acquisition.
In addition, the electronic media has generated a mushroom-growth of neo-illiterates who
are fast forgetting to read and write because of their heavy dependence on visuals.
Talking of commercialisation, even the motherhood is being commercialised with a craze
for 'rent-a-womb'. Cigarettes and soft drinks have reached the remotest villages, while
clean drinking water and electricity have not.
With modern technology, reality is being manufactured. People are manipulated into
believing something. Age of great belief-makers is ending. Era of make-believe is
beginning. Facts often fall into the shredder. With live electronic video-manipulation,
information can be bent out of shape. The viewer may be virtually duped. American flag
was shown fluttering on moon. Somebody questioned how can it flutter when there is no
wind on the atmosphere-free moon. Virtual insertion technology (VIT) can show Saddam
Hussain addressing American senators in the USA. Ananova has already taken over as a
cyber newsreader two years ago.
Shrewd politicians have learnt the art of abdicating in favour of their image or mukhauta.
They realise that the image in the long run will prove to be more powerful than they
could ever become. Electronic lobbying has grown and even degenerated to such an
extent that thousands of fake persuaders lately succeeded in getting even a published
research paper retracted by a famous journal.
The race to get the best shots for electronic media has become formidable indeed. It is
common to see a large number of frenzied TV cameramen, surrounding a 'prey' in a top
event, not unlike an amoeba. An innocent rape-victim may, under the media-glare,
helplessly show a 'deer-in-the-headlight' expression — apprehensive, dazed or wooden.
In such tragic situations, some of the cameramen have been called "birds that sit on
tombstones."
A neat comparison can be made between a deft surgery and some of the electronic media
presentations, particularly covering a programme. While a good surgeon chooses a
minimal incision, a channel may show the worst to grab maximal viewer-attention. While
the first quickly stitches the wound, the latter may leave it open and 'un-stitched' for ever.
Lastly, a surgeon strives for quick healing of the wounds, while an electronic media may
leave several festering sores for social agony.
Photography in high profile disasters is said to have led to tragedies too. While
helicopters were liberally used, both for live media-coverage and for rescuing those
precariously perched on trees during floods in Muzambique, a few victims possibly blew
away by the power of the wind produced by the rotor blades. They would otherwise have
been saved.
Electronic media has woven global industries around icons. Bizarre sights of star-
syndrome are flashed out often, and images of stars haunt the weak viewers for crazy
acts, even including suicides. It is harmful for the growth of creativity. Twilight of icons
is the real dawn of freedom.
Our society should immediately begin resolving some of the most serious problems
created by electronic media — increased violence and obscenity, unbearable
consumerism and greed, cultural erosion, rising intolerance and insensitivity,
monopolisation and twisting of facts, mushroom-growth of neo-illiterates addicted to
visuals and fall in levels of creativity. Let there be no doubt that the gleam, glitter and
power of the digital wonderland will continue to increase in the prevailing 'open sky' era.
The developed countries will multiply and strengthen their 'e-muscles' to flood the
developing countries with their own economic, educational and cultural models. Under
the circumstances, what should we do?
A straight one-point solution is not possible, because of our immense socio-economic-
cultural diversity. We live in a time-warp with patterns of several centuries visible all
around. We have an immense undifferentiated mass of humanity living in the vast
hinterland. Therefore, autocratic cultural policing will not work. It would add to the
disorder and chaos. Jamming of a few broadcasts by knee-jerk reflexes will also not serve
our purpose fully. Healthy regulatory norms will have to be formulated after broad-based,
prolonged open public debates and dialogues at various levels.
As short-term measures, a three-pronged strategy can immediately be adopted. An
autonomous body should initiate self-introspection and auto regulation by the electronic
media itself. The media must continue to remain on the fore-front. It should be more
alert, alive, kicking, fair, non-aligned and responsible in its telecasts. At a second tier, an
aware citizens group can collect viewer-feedbacks and monitor the telecasts regularly at
the regional levels. Lastly, the government may provide an overall control, protecting the
national interests.
For long-term solutions, we will have to bank upon the educational institutions. Nature
has equipped the next generation with better genomic inputs. We should educate, train,
groom and prepare the youth to be more discerning viewers rather than passive spectators
or participants.
We will have to develop better learning environment there so that our students may learn
the art, science and technology to take good decisions with an open and analytical mind.
The institutions should strive to use all the modern media-tools for faster flow of useful
information and elucidation of knowledge. We should have more emphasis on stress-
management, job-oriented training and conflict-resolution so that our youth may develop
a holistic personality. Then alone, they will not only save themselves from the mighty
octopus-grips of the electronic media or its aberrations like duping, but will also become
our true future leaders for better and balanced media-growth and faster national
development.

Another point;

“The mass media has immersed us in violence as well, habituated us to the most
extreme brutality, held it up as a model and surrounded us by images of hateful
terrorists. The media has influenced young children into thinking that violence is
acceptable. Children learn acceptable codes of conduct by imitating their
mentors and others, such as celebrities that they look up to. Society needs to set
a good example for children so that they can build bright futures for themselves.
“Self – regulation is one option media must enforce lest the only answer remains
governmental regulation, if necessary prior to publication—that is, censorship-
till then Media is a bane.
Jihad;

"The Islamic United States will be an introduction to the formation of the global village
of the oppressed and that will be a prelude to the single global rule of the Mahdi"
Jihadwatch

But oh no, the conflict with Iran has nothing to do with Islam.

Note also Kharrazi's appropriation of the language of the Left -- "the global village of
the oppressed." The Leftist/jihadist alliance is one that Islamic supremacists like
Kharrazi -- and others as well -- are consciously fostering.

"Iranian cleric wants creation of 'Greater Iran,'" by Ali Akbar Dareini for Associated
Press, May 15 (thanks to Sr. Soph):

TEHRAN, Iran - A radical cleric called Saturday for the creation of a "Greater Iran" that
would rule over the entire Middle East and Central Asia, in an event that he said would
herald the coming of Islam's expected messiah.

Ayatollah Mohammad Bagher Kharrazi said the creation of what he calls an Islamic
United States is a central aim of the political party he leads called Hezbollah, or Party of
God, and that he hoped to make it a reality if they win the next presidential election....

Kharrazi's comments were published Saturday in his newspaper, Hezbollah.

He said he envisioned a Greater Iran that would stretch from Afghanistan to Israel,
bringing about the destruction of the Jewish state.

He also said its formation would be a prelude to the reappearance of the Mahdi, a revered
ninth-century saint known as the Hidden Imam, whom Muslims believe will reappear
before judgment day to end tyranny and promote justice in the world.

"The Islamic United States will be an introduction to the formation of the global village
of the oppressed and that will be a prelude to the single global rule of the Mahdi," the
Hezbollah newspaper quoted him as saying....

Introduction;

With the curtain lifting to 21st century, we all have entered a new era where information
transfer is faster than wind and even faster than speed of light. The credit goes to
development in the sectors of data transmission, computers and digital processing that
has made information transfer so easy and reliable. Now we can see live telecast of Iraq
war, any sports around the world or any similar incident sitting at home. It does not stop
here, we have internet now a days that proves equally good in terms of reliable
information transfer for those in particular who are not able to spare time for the idiot
box.
Now-a-days, it is difficult for anyone to remain abstained from the news around the
world with media coverage entering into normal life of the people. Starting from radios,
television, newspapers, magazines, not it has come to online news. The scope is so large
that accessing any news, may it be on politics, sports, film industry or administration is a
matter of few minutes for anyone. The media has played the important role of spreading
important messages in tough times, for example -

a)It has warned people well in advance regarding any natural calamities.

b)It has proved very useful in educating people regarding Aids, Polio, Malaria and other
diseases that people have a wrong notion about.

c)The administration gains a lot as it is able to spread urgent messages of criminals,

wrong deeds, alerting people about them and advising steps to defend themselves. In
many occasions, the media has helped a lot in finding mission people, thieves etc.

d)Another important sector is the child education, where children are taught values of life
by easy means. The newspapers especially have contributed significantly towards
educating people with values of science, English and more importantly general
knowledge. Anyone following newspapers regularly is bound to have a good knowledge
of the world as well as good English grasp.

e)History knows in how many situations, the media has proved helpful in uniting people
against any ill subject or matter of concern.

The list is practically endless, however there are certain aspects where the media reaction
makes it a bane for us. Due to rising competition and urge to survive in this complicated
world, even the media has to adopt some unprofessional steps that are against its ethics.
There are innumerable situations where media has unnecessarily hyped some silly
matters just to bring it into notice while they ignore important news. Just for sake of
money, publicity and sponsorships, the media often tends to make a mess of things which
often brings in a bad image.

The worst prey of media creating nuisance are the growing children. They are in the
learning stage and if they come across such media news, the impression created on them
can be really bad. So, in some criteria media has shown sense of irresponsibility, but
comparing them with the good deeds and its contribution to the development of the
nation, we can firmly conclude that media has proved to be a boon to our country.