The Death of Journalism.
The events after the tragic Pulwama attack took many turns and at one point reached to a full-fledged war. It is certain that the political, militarily and diplomatic soul searching will be carried out at all levels. The one we are more concerned and will discuss here is the way media covered the whole crisis.
Media is labelled as the fourth pillar of the state. The most important duty of journalist is to raise the questions and always seek the truth in order to educate the public. In the fog of war, the real victim is the truth. Other than the tragic deaths, the worst part of the recent India Pakistan crisis was the role played by the media, especially the TV channels. Within early hours of the attack, the Indian TV channels and media started accusing Pakistan. All the hawkish and sensational coverage wrapped in patriotism continue till today and probably will end after the Indian general elections.
Instead of asking the questions on many twists and turns of the events, the media mostly followed what they were told to do. The environment on both sides is such that any question probing for complicated answers from security establishments are labelled as a ‘traitor’. The truth which might save us from future disasters seems will never be raised, and the public will always be in the dark. When TV channels and journalist become an instrument for governments to spread their propaganda than the society will no longer trust the fourth pillar of the state.
The media on both the sides serving the interest of their respective security establishment but what about the truth?.
There is a desire in power quarters in both countries to control the public narrative. Whether its Jammu & Kashmir and the troubled North East states in India or the Baluchistan, PTM and the former FATA area in Pakistan, it’s largely blackout from main stream media. With each passing day, it’s already easy to control the electronic and print media. The little trouble, if there was any, was the emerging social media, where people to people information sharing was easy and swift. It broke all the shackles of the traditional source of information centres. Too much free will in these unchartered territories brought some harm as well but also paved the path to independent journalism or citizen journalism. Soon it came under the radar of both the governments and hence started the brutal carnage which still going on. There are many ways to do this, the internet blockade, complex cyber laws, employing and training hundreds of social media activists to promote and control their agenda and troll whoever raise a question.
According to a prominent journalist Mr Najam Sethi, this pro-establishment wave of media will grow and not stopping anytime soon. According to him, the media changing hands from experienced news editors to more corporate owners, the goal is to make money and create influence for themselves. The ethics and the aim of journalism, or any good from it, is not the purpose anymore. The right kind of journalism is too utopian, and neither the country nor the owners can afford it. It is also a matter of survival and growth in trouble times. One cannot survive a day by annoying the big fish in the sea.
From where an ordinary truth-seeking person in India and Pakistan get the information? Isn’t it getting difficult? How controlling the information win us wars or stabilise our economy or feed or educate our poor? I believe this only give advantage for the time being, but some or later the truth will prevail. Controlling information cause more harm in the long term than any good it did for a very short period of time.
Raising questions is the fundamental right under democracy; only the dictators don’t like to hear any questions. When governments coerce the people who raise questions, it is the start of the decline of all forms of progress in the society and the beginning of Orwellian state. One must not stop their right to asking QUESTION.
