Dear Journalists;
Journalism is a sacred job. If education is the backbone of society then true journalism is the body of that
society. True journalism is reliable, so is it's opposite in modern times. But media personals seem to have
forgotten all the humanitarian ethical standards of true journalism turning press into the gory gang of cruel
faggots. Only photography, crispy debates, character assassinations and news reporting is not journalism,
neither is it any handsome profession or trade. It is the pious act of examining and investigating the news a
hundred times before making it news brief and morning/evening headline. It seems we don't perform our
work sincerely otherwise authorities would not have booked an owner of Urdu Daily Poonch for publishing
malicious new reports regarding corona virus in his daily.
However, journalists of day can be seen as hitting sixes at very overpitched delivery thus deriving all the
possible benefits like parasites derive from chubby hosts, applying notions of hook and crook. These
journalists have blurred the line between truth and lies to an extent that it becomes difficult to differentiate
one from the other. In current times media serves as theaters designed for manipulating facts and goods of
history. Existing political system, if wealthy enough, hijack the sole figures of media in democratic countries.
This makes their job easy and glorifies the party image in vivid quality pixels against innumerable bags of
capital. However in countries with dictators in power, media has nothing to say and all their voices sing
authorities. In his book "Truth and lies in journalism" Dorota Probucka writes 'If the mass media gave up on
such a mission, that is deny the truth, this will create a cognitive dissonance and moral disintegration, in
which people and societies can not function for a long time.' This is how actually nations fall and rise in the
hands of potent journalists who sketch today's future as well as sow the seeds for tomorrow. So is said by
James Cooker, an American Democrat that 'press, like fire, is an excellent servant, but a terrible master'.
Nevertheless, only things change in democracies not true journalism. True journalism stands aloft in
combating the evils of society, class and system. In multicultural societies, journalism has a open eye on
offensive and inflammatory sentiments of both minorities and majorities but here we have no glimpse of
that.
There are many who read nothing but our newspapers. These mainly include shopkeepers, business men and
secondary school students. Let avoid polluting their minds which in fact stand nowhere other than the verge
of contamination and who never can think above the horizons of your published editorials. Our vexatious
attitude is such that we keep them in touch with mass ignorance on the name of promoting awareness and
education. Be not propagandists rather remove the junk from heads of people, because you are expected to do
so. I am reminded of an anecdote I had been reading lately. In his book "Alias Grace", Margaret Atwood
writes " The newspaper journalists like to believe the worst; they can sell more papers that way, as one of
them told me himself; for even upstanding and respectable people dearly love to read ill of others." And this
is what holds true for current times. Human nature still has no improvement and loves wholeheartedly to read
ill of others.
Moreover, Journalism in any way should not play with ethnic and religious sentiments of people. Lately,
while surfing over Facebook pages, my sight catched an eye popping sketch wherein corona virus was
sketched in Muslim attire wearing Pathan Coat, the dress generally worn by Muslims of subcontinent.
However the newspaper editors removed it immediately once it became cry of minority in just fractions of
minutes. Journalism should never be like this, it should be neutral as it is not inherited by any particular
religion, community or party, rather it is common platform for all to spread awareness, truth and evergreen
teachings of humanity.
So should we avoid the subtraction and addition of original facts which is another blameworthy tactic applied
to the field by these putative journalists. Mixing of original contents and presenting the news in confusing
garments to as to serve the vexed interests of self or of the organizations they work for, should be prohibited
and noises should be raised against the same. It is our responsibility to present news as it is without any
perversion made in facts.
Good journalism is walking on thorny road with no backdoor exit. It is not easy but yes if we guide our
footsteps on thorny highways, for sure we can derive satisfaction and peace of mind. Serving people in right
way makes you feel proud, provides you with ultimate solace, and makes your work a holy servitude. Our
problem is that we measure truth by ratings, more the news gets rating, more we decorate it in garments of
exaggeration. Let's try to make a remarkable change in the ongoing scenario of conflicts, confusions and
news manipulations. Examine what you're doing with eyelets open. Think in broad how does the wrong
report harm any nation at large. Anyone alone cannot bring the car back to station but together we can.
Journalism is holy, it's ethics are humanitarian and it must be free from the gyves of fear, terror and politics.
We need to change the very basics of journalism; that is the foremost need of the day as well as our prior
responsibility in this times of multimedia and print productions. In the words of Henry Anatole Grunwald
'Journalism can never be silent: That is its greatest virtue and its greatest fault. It must speak, and speak
immediately, while the echoes of wonder, the claims of triumph and the signs of horror are still in the air.'
Conclusion of discussion is crystal clear; if you really want change the scenario, then true journalism is the
immediate and potent weapon.
Author; Aabid Shahin
(Note; Author is studying mass communication and multimedia productions at the University of Kashmir. He
can be mailed at [email protected])