Ijaz Ahmad
Media plays a fundamental role in modern society as a means of communication, information dissemination, and entertainment. It encompasses various channels and platforms through which individuals and organizations can share ideas, news, and creative works. From traditional forms such as print newspapers and magazines to broadcast mediums like radio and television, media has continuously evolved to meet the changing needs of society. With the advent of the internet and digital technologies, new forms of media have emerged, including websites, social media platforms, streaming services, and podcasts. These advancements have transformed media consumption patterns, enabling instant access to information and fostering widespread connectivity on a global scale. Media influences public opinion, shapes cultural norms, and provides platforms for dialogue and expression. It provides a voice for marginalized communities, facilitates political discourse, and showcases the diversity of human experiences. As media continues to evolve, it remains an integral part of our daily lives, shaping our understanding of the world and fostering new opportunities for communication and engagement. In this digital world where media plays a critical role, there is also the dark side of media. For example, a cigarette company advertising its products through celebrities. This advertisement was released at the same time and in different locations so that everyone see their favorite celebrity using a cigarette. So you start smoking because you like their spokesperson. There also comes propaganda in which a particular point of view is promoted, change of behavior, or motivate action. Sometimes that information is facts and ideas. Sometimes it’s just opinion or intentionally misleading or biased. It is often used to manipulate the public into things they might not naturally do like believing harmful stereotypes about others or supporting a war. For example the poster of Uncle Sam”I Want You For US Army” it was a total propaganda for war. Now come to the point of what is media literacy and why it is important. Media literacy education first began in the US and UK as a result of war propaganda in the 1930s. As it is a fact that media is used to manipulate people’s perspectives there is a need to educate people to detect biases, falsehood, and half-truths. Media literacy is the ability to critically analyze the message presented in media and to evaluate their credibility. To better understand media literacy there are some common misconceptions like criticizing the media is not media literacy. Similarly teaching with media and reviewing media from a single perspective are all not media literacy. True media literacy requires both the ability and willingness to view and analyze media from multiple perspectives and positions. Media literacy requires learning critical thinking, identifying other’s perspectives, and being a smart consumer. Media literacy is an essential skill in the 21st century. Anyone who wants to be successful in this modern world must know how to understand, use, and evaluate media. In a country like Pakistan where the majority of the population is youth but the general literacy rate is only 59 percent, media literacy is a very challenging concept to promote. Pakistan is home to 72 million social media users. Which is almost 30 percent of the total population. We all know that every single day there are fake News, and propaganda circulating on social media and main media. So without media literacy, we cannot differentiate between fake News and the truth. There are plenty of examples, like during COVID-19 the propaganda against corona vaccine. Everyone was afraid of vaccines. Similarly the propaganda against the polio vaccine. Some people are against the vaccine and have false theories and due to this Pakistan never became a polio-free state. So in this digital world where people spread hateful and false information, media literacy is very important to understand and evaluate the message presented on media.