Role of Media in the integrity of a nation

A Nation can be defined as a body of people having a single communal identity, a historical continuity of union, a common culture and a sense of geographical location. According to the law of Nature, this world does not believe in static mode. It tends to o believe in changes, day in day out, which lets nations enter a new phase where they cope with new challenges. History of nations tells that nations ,in the past, used communication system as a mean of creating integrity within while coping with challenges brought by nature. Through communication system, they would try to reach a pragmatic solution to the posed challenges. Today in this world of globalization, Media has shouldered responsibility to help people in reaching to the solution of a problem. According to Wilbur Schramm, Media is a watcher, a forum and a teacher. It is a watcher ,because it observes world ,and keeps people informed about what is happening around them. It is a forum in the sense ,because it provides for communication system ,which people used in the past to narrow friction among themselves, a forum. It is a teacher ,because it passes on social heritage of a nation from one generation to another. Through its three roles, Media really plays a role in the integrity of a nation. This article focuses on the roles played by Media as a watcher, a forum and a teacher for creating an integrity around the globe and especially in Pakistan. Besides, it also carries some impediments and challenges in its backpack which are disintegrating in nature and needs to be brought before Media’s focus in Pakistan.

Media, being a watcher and a forum, has stimulated many nations to integrate around the globe. Some of the political integrations in which media played a significant role, are mentioned below:

• In 2001, Philippines, who were fed up of their corrupt President, converged themselves against him on Epiphanio Le Less Santas Avenue through flooding of million messages and ousted the President from power.
• Spain also played the card played by Philippines and got rid of the Prime Minister to whom they lost confidence.
• Communist government ,in Moldova, was toppled by masses, motivated through Media (Facebook, Twitter and mobile etc.).
  One recent example, that brought ripple in the world’s political landscape, is that of Arab revolution which erupted from Tunis. In Arab revolution, Media played a significant role, being a watcher and a forum.

In the past, Media would always be monopolized by those in power ,and would be exploited for political interest. Today the intrusion of Media in the political circle ,as a cheque upon the government, has really given many sleepless nights to those in authority to draw a clear line between their words and acts all over the world which is very heartening. The growing influence of Media is treading its way to many countries ,and Pakistan is also one of those countries ,where signs of Media’s influence over its political scenario has started to appear. The position at which Media is today in Pakistan, its credit goes to Print Media which kept its spark of hope lit in hard times ,and never compromised on what it was morally supposed to do.

In Pakistan, Media has always been kept as a puppet ,and has been used for political exploitation. Whenever Media has tried to break the ice, and get out of this puppet like nature, it has faced severe charges. This is evident from the after effects of the attempt made by the country`s publication House ,The Jang Group, to get rid of Pakistan television Monopoly on News and Current affairs by planning an opening of a channel in 1998 when PML-N was in government. Nawaz Sharif ,the then Prime Minister, applied its every tactic to discourage this step and intimidated some of the workers in Jang Group; as a result, the Jan Group did not take this step.

Thanks to Musharraf’s dictatorial rule which proved to be a blessing in disguise in the sense that he opened up air waves for private ownership; thus, Media pluralism ( Radio, Television and Print media) got a chance to grow. During Musharraf’s regime, electronic media dominated print media through the arrival of new channels. Political awareness increased rampantly. During last years of his regime, Musharraf did some unconstitutional acts like sacking of Chief Justice and imposing emergency, the after effects of which in such a politically aware environment he did not survive ,and succumbed to it. Since the last decade, media in Pakistan not only created political integration, but also united people in replying to devastating earth quake that hit Pakistan in 2005 and in recent floods that hit Sind this year.

In this century of globalization, free and fair Media has become inevitable for survival. The journey of nascent Pakistani media has been replete with many obstacles: Some problems created by government and some problems present in its own developmental journey. One of the hurdles that Pakistani media faces today is that the government is too eager to devise laws to undermine media’s growing influence in political circle. It is evident from the creation of press council chaired by government appointee with the power to ban publications and issue other punishments. Secondly, there is no conducive environment for journalists to work so journalists are not properly trained.

Hurdles do provide impediments to Media in performing its duty that is to create integrity ,but only removal of hurdles will not work. Media has to go beyond hurdles that are challenges ahead which are the basis of disintegrity. The big challenge for Pakistani media ,at present, is to play a mediatory role between groups who have dominated our society: Liberals and Conservative. Both are at variance in their approaches to religion. Liberals believe in principles of religion while Conservatives believe in the methods of religion. In other words, liberals ,instead of focusing on method adopted in the religion for something, try to focus on principle for which the specific method had been adopted. Conservatives take religion as it is ,and follow religion blindly considering it the sole purpose of their lives and a sacred duty which they are supposed to do. This clash of approaches with respect to religion has cost us for seven years delay in constitutional development when Pakistan came into being. Till now, this problem has not been curbed and it is clearly evident from the case of Punjab Governor Salman Taseer (Liberal) versus Mumtaz Qadri (Conservative). Both groups are trying to glorify the cases of their heroes which has created chaos. Besides, Media is also under the siege of Cultural invasion of West and India which is also a big challenge for media.

In short, today media in Pakistan has to play a crucial role with repect to its three roles that are: surveillance of environment, co-relation of components of society in responding to that environment and transmission of social heritage. Till now, media has been successful with its two roles that are as a watcher and a forum, but it needs to improve its role as a teacher. Media should play a mediatory role between Conservatives and Liberals, and help in passing on the true message of Islam, a social heritage, to coming generations. Media should glorify our own cultural values among masses. Besides, it should play all its three roles with accountability. Last but not the least, freedom of speech and expression is something which our media should strive for if it believes in integrity of the nation.