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The media and peace promotion

That journalists have responsibilities inasmuch as rights, was a key point in a message issued by Mass Communications Minister Imithiasz Bakeer Markar, yesterday, which was International Media Solidarity Day. Of particular relevance was his comment that ".... the role entrusted to the mediaman is very special - to enlighten the masses and remove the obstacles lying on the path to progress."

A striking feature of the debate which has raged in this country in recent years over the issue of media freedom is that it has gravitated more towards the rights of mediamen and less towards their obligations and responsibilities. There was a time when the media of this country operated under the oppressive weight of State-imposed censorships. Such draconian measures were so frequent in the not too distant past, particularly in the area of defence, that sifting the truth from falsehood proved as painstaking as picking a needle in a haystack, in some sections of the media.

We are glad that today journalists are given a greater opportunity to exercise their discretion over the selection and publication of news and commentaries. However, it is up to the media community to use these fundamental freedoms judiciously and in the public interest.

The need is great for the country's media to be self-critical in the exercise of their freedoms and rights, lest they be abused. For one thing, the need is urgent for the mainstream media to reorient themselves towards a more socially-responsible role. There are some central tenets of Development Journalism which have not lost their relevance and which need to be continually applied and with greater diligence in media practice.

While the local media in general have advanced greatly in the adoption of the latest technology in the sector and have progressed considerably from the point of view of production finesse, the same cannot be said of the general content of all sections of the mainstream media and the principles on which the selection of content are based.

For instance, the question could be raised as to how responsibly the ethnic conflict of this country is being handled in the mainstream media. We do not intend to make sweeping generalizations, but not all sections of the media seem to be handling the issues pertaining to the conflict in a dispassionate, objective and unemotional manner. The tendency continues to be great among some sections to sensationalise developments and blow them out of proportion. The result is continuing ethnic antagonisms and friction in the wider society.

This is a time for soul-searching by all media women and men. The question we need to confront is: are we using our media for the greater good of the country or are we using them for the perpetuation of antagonisms among social groups and for the promotion of discord? The media are a nation-building tool. They need to be used wisely.

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