Pak Studies

Section B

The role of media in shaping public's opinion in Pakistan

The media is important for spreading information so that people can better
understand what is happening in the world. The media covers every kind of
news, whether it be about politics or crime, to ensure that everyone is
informed about the world they live in. On the flip side, media has the power to
portray right as wrong and vice versa. In the modern-day world where media,
especially, social media has the immense power to influence people’s thoughts.
Therefore, it has been an important element of fifth generation warfare where
misinformation is propagated to exploit political fault lines in any country
suffering from political instability and polarization. Pakistan, unfortunately, falls
under the same category hence the role of media and checks and balances in
that regard become important in the country.
Media is considered the fourth pillar of the state due to its importance. The 1 st
three being judiciary, legislation and executive.
“If you control the Media, you control the masses.”
The media affects our society greatly and is a part of our daily lives. The
relevance of media is increasing daily as a result of connectivity across the
world. Because of this, it is necessary that we all understand the power of
media. So that we can be critical of every piece of information we get every
day.
“All of us who professionally use the mass media are the shapers of society. We
can vulgarize that society. We can brutalize it. Or we can help lift it onto a
higher level.”
--- William Bernbach. (American advertising creative director)
Media has many positive effects on society such as providing fast and easy
access to news and information, creating social awareness to
underrepresented groups and promoting diversity.
Media is a tool that can be used to prepare the public before a big change or
policy shift by the government. If the public is not informed beforehand, there
is a risk of backlash from the public. This can happen because people may feel
caught off guard or believe that they were not adequately informed before the
change was made by the government.
Moreover, media covers both sides of the story. This allows people to critically
think about the situation and make up their own mind about the situation,
rather than simply accepting a single viewpoint.
However, Media also has many negative effects on society. It can change the
behavior in which we receive news and information and negatively affect our
mental health and wellness.
A free and independent media is essential for a healthy democracy, as it plays a
crucial role in providing unbiased information to citizens. It holds those in
power accountable for their actions. It gives journalists freedom to portray
politicians honestly and accurately.
However, unfortunately in Pakistan Media platforms are being used by
influential people and organizations to propagate misinformation and
manipulating people in their favor. Political parties are using media channels to
influence people’s opinion about them.
For example, Traditional media channels like ARY News and Geo News have
been known to promote specific ideas of particular political parties. ARY News
has been seen to have a bias towards PTI while Geo News tends to be biased
towards PMLN. Both of these media channels are the biggest media outlets in
Pakistan. They have a wide audience that spans across villages to metropolitan
cities. As a result, people's opinions can be influenced by these channels, and
those who follow the views of Geo News may clash with those who follow the
views of ARY News. This leads to conflict between people.
On the other hand, social media is also being used by political parties or groups
to influence the minds of people. Fake bots are used to tweet and retweet
certain hashtags for it show on trending page which can lead to
misunderstanding among public.
External powers also try to exploit Pakistan by spreading false news.
For example: An EU-based NGO called "DisInfo Lab" revealed Indian
misinformation campaign in 2019 and 2020, which was mostly dependent on
false news outlets operating in both social and traditional media and
propagating against Pakistan.
In the light of the arguments provided above, media plays an important role in
shaping the public perception in Pakistan. Moreover, the mainstream media is
divided amid political polarization hence it can be used as a warfare tool in the
wake of hybrid warfare. Pakistan, therefore, needs to implement strict laws and
penalize those flaunting rules and regulations.