Pakistani media organizations cannot formulate a self-disciplined code of ethics
From black and white to a stack of colors, from audio to video, from mini to nano, from wired to wireless, and from newspapers to news channels and social media, you see a big shift in the media of liberation. Communication through technology was one of the most popular discoveries of artificial intelligence in the 20th century, which is now being improved and modified with structural development, technological advancement, and the restoration of industrial progress in the 21st century.
Pakistan, a developing country, is a democratic nation where freedom of expression is considered a human right under Article No. 19 of the constitution. Freedom of expression does not refer to the violent reaction of a point of view or an opinion, but rather refers to the presentation of the point of explanation and one’s thoughts. Along with this right to speak, the media, especially the new organizations that include the hub of social media, new channels, electronic documents, web links, etc., serve as the main source of spreading awareness, speeches, opinions and explanations. . The movie industry, Lollywood, and dramatic television networks are also an important part of media organizations.
There are more than twenty five news channels on the air in Pakistan today. In addition, there are about thirty newspapers that are distributed in various areas of Pakistan. When it comes to newspapers, many of them have sub-editions regarding the language or dialect spoken in a specific region and current events in that area. Social media accounts also deal with the provision of news alerts, breaking news, current affairs awareness, etc. Several television channels also show drama series. The Lollywood industry has made a huge and remarkable effort to reach new heights of success and equivalence to Bollywood and Hollywood in aspects of design, concept, audio, video, dance, songs, dramatization, script and scenery. However, not every time a news is broadcast or a movie/drama is shown, a positive response is expected in return.
Since 2002, the media has the rights of freedom of expression in Pakistan. The media, especially news organizations, have faced yellow journalism in their quest to show and raise awareness. As mentioned above, various news channels are being broadcast, but no more than five of them are known and eminent. Among various newspapers, only a few are recognized and distributed in their respective places. But the problem arises when there is a visible race between these organizations to reach the maximum TV ratings point (TRP) and become a leading news channel or newspaper. Whether it is a news source or an entertainment source in terms of drama channels, movies and songs, it can be clearly seen that a high level is being achieved; however, the more it is standardized, the more a less ethical and biased view is perceived.
Considering Pakistan i.e. the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, from the name it can be determined that Pakistan is a country based on Islamic ideology. Democracy along with an Islamic perspective has to be implemented within the country. The rules, regulations, system of authorities and the constitution must be in accordance with Islamic values. Quaid’s demand for Pakistan was aimed at creating a separate nation where Muslims can easily live their lives with respect for Islam and principles. In addition, this visibility of our identity is now missing.
Ethics in Journalism
Journalism is one of the most honored professions in the world. Journalism is naturally intertwined with honesty, loyalty, responsibility and ethics. As a journalist, it is a great responsibility to provide true and accurate information to your audience, no matter what media is used. But today in Pakistan, journalism has lost its faith, accuracy, seriousness and honor. Yellow journalism has contributed the most to the decline of the ethics of journalism. Liberalization is creating ongoing downturns for news organizations. There is no proper code of conduct formulated to maximize the power of news and news channels in society. There are immature acts in this organization that are not beneficial to the reputation and authenticity of a journalist. There is an ongoing race, as mentioned above, in the transmission and projection of the news at the beginning. While discussing and busy in this race, the media actually forget to analyze and know the origin and source of the news. Today, a minor story also spreads across the country due to this act of downplaying accuracy and proper means of communication. Therefore, this head-to-head competition is contributing to the decline of ethics in journalism.
An adequate framework must be designed to develop a policy to support journalism. There should be a representation of facts rather than opinions and biased statements and reports. A journalist has to be neutral when giving an opinion. He has to mention all the pros and cons of a respective news topic and has to provide contextualized evidence for and against the topic in the hierarchy. Journalism must not be on behalf of any representative community, society, private organization or political party. It should focus primarily on the facts and figures clearly associated with the topic. A journalist must be held accountable for the statement or report of it. You must not violate PEMRA rules and you must not harm people.
Ethics in the Film Industry
Islam, the religion of respect, love, warmth and equality, supports progress and prosperity through its principles and ethics. Pakistan is an Islamic state but has adopted the idea of the West instead of trying to remain the rest and the best. Our religion teaches about gender equality but does not give more dominance to women in our society. Today, the Pakistani film industry has seen technological advances. Technological advances are the new measure of success in a country. However, these technological advances very cleanly violate the policies and rules of Islam. Women are considered equal, but this does not mean that they should be displayed on television half-heartedly, boldly made up, dancing to vulgar songs, as their own choice. Islam has singled out women like a diamond and as Pakistan is an Islamic ideological state, there should be policies that collaborate with the religion despite altering it and letting the West take over. Taboos must be refrained from being forcibly incorporated into the culture and values of Pakistan.
Everyone, whether it is an independent candidate or a representative of a political party, is fighting to get the powers of the country, but no one is giving even a bit of interest in improving the sense of modernization in our country regarding the basic ideology , namely. Islam along with the Holy Quran and the Sunnah. It should be given due attention as it is a major unethical behavior carried out by most people with elite backgrounds.
Ethics and Social Networks
Well, social media, not only in Pakistan, is becoming the latest important court and discussion forum. Many debates, arguments, exchange of statements and opinions are now seen as an active part of human activity. Social networking sites such as “Facebook” and especially “Twitter” have now become a business promotion tool. Everyone has their own personal space and board account, however, this does not allow the ethics of a particular person to violate the terms of security and produce a sense of harm to their fellow citizens. Everyone is entitled to their opinion and should stick to it, but should refrain from retaliating and using verbal violence against a subject. Social networks are the fastest tool for communication and have left news channels and newspapers behind. Therefore, it is the leading tool. However, the tool should be used in a positive way, that is, to raise awareness among people about a certain topic, communicate with those who need it, stay updated on current issues and exchange opinions.
There are many people on these social sites who do not respect the integrity and esteem of the other person. Post things that may offend the audience and be a source of harassment; however, they have the right to express their opinion, but there must be a proper policy and formula to keep the use of social media tools to a limited purpose. One person posts a status and that can reach millions of people who are even unaware of the source. There is a long way to go for social media and it must be immediately taken into consideration for the empowerment of media outlets and media organisations.
It is widely seen that in recent years, Pakistani media organizations have lost their values, esteem and erupted as genocide in a negative way. The lack of professionalism has led to this downfall of the industry. There is a great need to formulate a proper code of conduct that supports the Islamic ethics of the country and is followed. Any organization that does not follow the agreed terms and conditions must be dealt with immediately in accordance with the code of conduct formulated for the welfare and prosperity of the country. There should be proper awareness and training sessions for people associated with the media in order to create an impressive personality so that professionalism can be institutionalized with competent technique and only those competent people, at the head of media organizations, should be given status. official in Pakistani society.