Media… the mouthpiece of masses

By wide and large expansion in the Pakistan’s media industry, the questions over the quality of content have been raised so many times in the recent times.

Confessedly, there have been examples, especially in the electronic media, where the limits of civilized discourse have been breached.

A lame excuse what mostly people utter is that the electronic media is still a young industry and the inability of channels to self-regulate its programming.

Considering the situation, the content regulations drafted and approved by the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) last month seem a good initiative in the theory.

According to the proposed draft, all programming should be complied with laws of the land and has nothing derogatory to any religion, community or sect.

In theory, it was a good step taken by the regulatory authority. Question is that when content codes are put in place? The situation will soon be equal to, ‘give an inch and they will take a yard’, vis-à-vis freedom of speech and the ability to freely report and show and visuals.

However, the approved draft is worded so slackly that it is a latent tool for censorship and intimidation of media professionals and organizations.

For instance, a class, which is quite worrying, says “No material can be aired that was against the nation interests, brings into contempt Pakistan or its people or tends to undermine its integrity or solidarity”.

The perturbing point is that who will decide on matters as nebulous as national interest and solidarity.

Such a clause, potentially, can be used to suppress critique. The document, similarly, proposes to ban footage that can cause depression or that ridicules a person or state institution. The process of defining such things is too arbitrary; a matter to be made a coverlet obligation.

Nonetheless, the reality remains constant that no industry ought to work entirely free of regulations, and in terms of Pakistan’s media background there needs to be more self-regulation.

Media outlets need to ensure that their content bonds to the highest editorial and artistic standards, so that the state cannot intervene.

These issues can be settled by forums such as the Pakistan Broadcasters Association (PBA) or through moves such as the ‘code of conduct’ agreed upon by heads of major news networks in 2009 to standardize professional strategy.

Short URL: https://www.newspakistan.pk/?p=15860

Posted by Faisal Farooq on Mar 15 2012. Filed under National, Opinion, Pakistan, Society. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.