Journalism: the power of suggestion
“The facts fairly and honestly presented; truth will take care of itself” — William Allen White.
There was a time in my life when I had given up on reading newspapers or watching the news channels. The reason was that every media report, whether it was in the newspapers or on the news channels, had nothing but dismal news. But what I did not realise then was that if the media does not highlight such news, how would we ever come to know about such events? This was reality, not fiction. Our society is in dire need of one profession that actually documents reality, and journalism is one such profession. “The job of the newspaper is to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable,” said American journalist Finley Peter Dunne at the beginning of the 20th century. The basic role of a journalist is to bring to attention the events that inflict injustice on the public, create awareness and hope of a time when truth shall prevail.
Journalism is the power of suggestion. If an event takes place that is not in the interest of society, it is the role of journalists to bring it into the limelight and create public awareness. It is a journalist’s role to keep people well-informed in an accurate, comprehensive, timely and understandable manner. The role of a journalist is to form public opinion and create awareness. Through the media, we journalists can give warning to the culprits – be it the government or others. Every newspaper or channel has its own interpretation of an event and they would all give their own perspective about that event. When something extremely disturbing is taking place, the interpretation of all the media outlets converges and makes that event hard to ignore. The convergence makes it apparent that the media is reflecting the opinion of the majority.
Some people argue that media reports do not bear fruit. But one must understand that a journalist has to be patient, because the results won’t be apparent right away. If you are a journalist, you have to keep hammering away bit by bit, because you have no legions at your command. The only way to assault is by reason alone, and for reason to permeate takes time. It might take weeks, months or even years for the result to appear. The issue of the Hudood Ordinances is one such example. It was introduced in 1979 by General Ziaul Haq and since then the media and civil society have raised their voices against the draconian laws promulgated by these vicious Ordinances. Although the Ordinances has not been repealed yet, but the current regime is seriously contemplating this issue. General Musharraf has asked the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) to draft amendments to the Hudood Ordinances. Yes it has taken more than 27 years to get this far, but it cannot be denied that the media’s role has not yet yielded results.
The Supreme Court (SC) has also taken suo motu notice after media reports in various cases. In April, two children who were fettered and handcuffed by Qasimabad police were freed on the orders of the district and sessions court Hyderabad, as a result of the SC’s decision to take suo motu notice of their plight. Also in April, the Sindh High Court took suo motu notice in a high profile case of a woman, the daughter of a retired civil judge, who had married of her own will and was living with her husband in Hyderabad, and suspended the couple’s remand.
In a world where getting information is no longer a problem as the internet and satellite channels have permeated every nook and corner, the responsibility of a journalist has increased. Unlike a gossiper or a propagandist, a journalist sorts through the facts on the ground and other information that is available, and only then does he/she ascertain what is actually reliable and what is undependable. He/she verifies the facts first and only then does a journalist pass it on to the public, because news stories must be accurate. The facts must not be exaggerated or distorted, otherwise there would be no difference between a journalist and a propagandist.
However, not all is rosy when it comes to journalism and this profession too has its fair share of black sheep. There are journalists who are heartless, biased, conceited, out-to-get-you-at-all-costs, who care about nothing else but their petty little interests and will do anything for a sensational story, no matter how damaging it may be to the ethics of journalism. The ethics include honesty, verifying facts before passing them on to the public, not harassing or resorting to blackmail, etc. But such journalists do not fall in the category of ‘professional’ journalism, they are those who promote ‘yellow journalism’, which in laymen’s terms is sensational journalism. These journalists are not creating awareness for public welfare; instead they are only out there to make money. Blackmailing, harassment, scandal-mongering, sensationalism, rumour mongering, jingoism or other ethically flawed reportage are their usual tools. Then there are those journalists who kill a story for bribes. But these journalists are not those who leave their mark on society. Only those who are honest with their profession do justice to the word ‘journalist’.
When any news content is believed, it has an impact on society, culture and politics. Not only does honest journalism have an impact on people’s minds, dishonest reports also influence people. Portraying dictators such as Musharraf in good light was the work of such media-persons who had their vested interests at heart. Such media reports influenced a lot of Pakistanis who mistakenly thought that Musharraf was good for Pakistan, not realising that a military dictator can never be good for a country in the long run. It was left to the honest journalists to bring to light the truth about this regime.
Since the media play a significant role in creating a context for social and political action, the right to know remains significantly important to serve the public in the best possible way. Free flow of information ensures people’s right to know. The right to know is a passage to the right of expression. It is extremely important for a country to have a free press to prosper and keep a check on everyone. Developed nations are shaped by the media and Pakistan must follow in their footsteps. Responsible journalism cannot only expose culprits, but also inform, educate and reform our nation.
There was a time in my life when I had given up on reading newspapers or watching the news channels. The reason was that every media report, whether it was in the newspapers or on the news channels, had nothing but dismal news. But what I did not realise then was that if the media does not highlight such news, how would we ever come to know about such events? This was reality, not fiction. Our society is in dire need of one profession that actually documents reality, and journalism is one such profession. “The job of the newspaper is to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable,” said American journalist Finley Peter Dunne at the beginning of the 20th century. The basic role of a journalist is to bring to attention the events that inflict injustice on the public, create awareness and hope of a time when truth shall prevail.
Journalism is the power of suggestion. If an event takes place that is not in the interest of society, it is the role of journalists to bring it into the limelight and create public awareness. It is a journalist’s role to keep people well-informed in an accurate, comprehensive, timely and understandable manner. The role of a journalist is to form public opinion and create awareness. Through the media, we journalists can give warning to the culprits – be it the government or others. Every newspaper or channel has its own interpretation of an event and they would all give their own perspective about that event. When something extremely disturbing is taking place, the interpretation of all the media outlets converges and makes that event hard to ignore. The convergence makes it apparent that the media is reflecting the opinion of the majority.
Some people argue that media reports do not bear fruit. But one must understand that a journalist has to be patient, because the results won’t be apparent right away. If you are a journalist, you have to keep hammering away bit by bit, because you have no legions at your command. The only way to assault is by reason alone, and for reason to permeate takes time. It might take weeks, months or even years for the result to appear. The issue of the Hudood Ordinances is one such example. It was introduced in 1979 by General Ziaul Haq and since then the media and civil society have raised their voices against the draconian laws promulgated by these vicious Ordinances. Although the Ordinances has not been repealed yet, but the current regime is seriously contemplating this issue. General Musharraf has asked the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) to draft amendments to the Hudood Ordinances. Yes it has taken more than 27 years to get this far, but it cannot be denied that the media’s role has not yet yielded results.
The Supreme Court (SC) has also taken suo motu notice after media reports in various cases. In April, two children who were fettered and handcuffed by Qasimabad police were freed on the orders of the district and sessions court Hyderabad, as a result of the SC’s decision to take suo motu notice of their plight. Also in April, the Sindh High Court took suo motu notice in a high profile case of a woman, the daughter of a retired civil judge, who had married of her own will and was living with her husband in Hyderabad, and suspended the couple’s remand.
In a world where getting information is no longer a problem as the internet and satellite channels have permeated every nook and corner, the responsibility of a journalist has increased. Unlike a gossiper or a propagandist, a journalist sorts through the facts on the ground and other information that is available, and only then does he/she ascertain what is actually reliable and what is undependable. He/she verifies the facts first and only then does a journalist pass it on to the public, because news stories must be accurate. The facts must not be exaggerated or distorted, otherwise there would be no difference between a journalist and a propagandist.
However, not all is rosy when it comes to journalism and this profession too has its fair share of black sheep. There are journalists who are heartless, biased, conceited, out-to-get-you-at-all-costs, who care about nothing else but their petty little interests and will do anything for a sensational story, no matter how damaging it may be to the ethics of journalism. The ethics include honesty, verifying facts before passing them on to the public, not harassing or resorting to blackmail, etc. But such journalists do not fall in the category of ‘professional’ journalism, they are those who promote ‘yellow journalism’, which in laymen’s terms is sensational journalism. These journalists are not creating awareness for public welfare; instead they are only out there to make money. Blackmailing, harassment, scandal-mongering, sensationalism, rumour mongering, jingoism or other ethically flawed reportage are their usual tools. Then there are those journalists who kill a story for bribes. But these journalists are not those who leave their mark on society. Only those who are honest with their profession do justice to the word ‘journalist’.
When any news content is believed, it has an impact on society, culture and politics. Not only does honest journalism have an impact on people’s minds, dishonest reports also influence people. Portraying dictators such as Musharraf in good light was the work of such media-persons who had their vested interests at heart. Such media reports influenced a lot of Pakistanis who mistakenly thought that Musharraf was good for Pakistan, not realising that a military dictator can never be good for a country in the long run. It was left to the honest journalists to bring to light the truth about this regime.
Since the media play a significant role in creating a context for social and political action, the right to know remains significantly important to serve the public in the best possible way. Free flow of information ensures people’s right to know. The right to know is a passage to the right of expression. It is extremely important for a country to have a free press to prosper and keep a check on everyone. Developed nations are shaped by the media and Pakistan must follow in their footsteps. Responsible journalism cannot only expose culprits, but also inform, educate and reform our nation.
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