Importance of media freedom in Pakistan

Media is one of the most powerful tools a country can have since it is easily
available and affects the masses directly. Various forms of media such as
newspapers, magazines, TV, radio, internet, etc are at one’s disposal. Media in
Pakistan is relatively free and unrestricted. There is no censorship on the internet.
Every other day there is some offensive show running on the TV. Magazines and
news papers are at liberty to publish whatever they feel is juicy or provocative and
will increase their sales. Hardly anyone is held accountable for their actions. I
wonder if they even stop to think what reaction their interests may cause.

Media is largely free because of the people itself! Many a people have struggled to
achieve this independence and they have achieved it only recently. Along with this
factor the technological innovations has been a contributing factor to its unrestraint.
How difficult is it to take out your cell phone and record an incident and call a news
channel to sell what you captured? “Amateur videos”.

Media can guide public opinion and there have been several incidents to justify this.
People come out onto the street and start protesting. This is something that cannot
be ignored by the government. The media would do well not to abuse the massive
power they hold. Majority of the people in Pakistan are illiterate and it’s not a
challenge to influence their thinking. The recent assassination of the Governor of
Punjab, Salman Taseer by his own security guard is one of the thousands of
examples that media influences directly. People may debate about the Governor’s
religious morality but, what was the finally come? A man lost his life!

What we are all forgetting is that we are all Muslims. And Muslims do not act this
way. We are not barbaric. We are not savages and we definitely are not unjust. We
are not terrorists and we do not terrorize. The media in Pakistan is truly efficacious
even though it is in the state of infancy. It can enhance the knowledge of the
general public about any and all issues of Pakistan so that they could participate
sensibly to manipulate the mess. Further media should develop its status in the
public by touching the invisible bonds of society by means of Islam. We all belong to
different cultures and sects but we are linked with each other because we are
Muslims. The media can serve as the greatest and most powerful tool to educate
the nation because one of the major reasons why Pakistan is considered unstable is
because the people are gullible and illiterate. Pakistan has a long way to go and
media can be one of its greatest asset in working for the positive image of Pakistan.