In today’s busy world when everyone is busy and has no time to read newspaper, the electronic media provides a best platform to update us of happenings around the world. Importance of media cannot be denied. We can get knowledge about worldly affairs by just pressing buttons on our remote controls. However, here is a question that we must ask ourselves, “Is Pakistani media playing its role appropriately?” Whenever I asked this question from myself, I always get the answer “No”. I tried so many times to think like an optimist media student and tried hard to find few positive aspects of media regarding its role but failed every time.

Let’s focus on news channels first. What are they doing? They are doing marketing. Simple but true. They are trying to create panic situation about issues and make people believe that their news is authentic. Sometimes we see there is a race of “breaking news” that who aired a particular news first. Every channel tries to claim that it was their channel which first aired the breaking news. They will stoop to every low level just to keep a large number of audience glued to their channel. Mostly it’s just like beating around the bush and not taking into consideration the real issue of discussion.

Journalists who host current affair programmes, invite guests and then create an environment that lead the guests to fight with each other. Blame game is the key. It’s an old but very effective practice to get high ratings. Journalists try to impose their own point of view as fact and try to manipulate the thoughts of the audience.

Sometimes the authenticity of the news is doubtful but it is discussed in a way that it portrays a situation as if it is happening. News channels are showing the sensitive issues with full spicy language and pictures without taking into consideration the sentiments of the victims. Alas! It is a dilemma of our news reporting that we do not consider the feelings of the victims and their families.

Now come towards the entertainment channels where we can see various dramas in the name of sitcoms that use vulgar and double meaning innuendos that make people uncomfortable. In many dramas respectable relations are portrayed in a very bad way which is far cry from reality. Many dramas show different and unrealistic picture of our culture and society which is not real.

We have less or no knowledge of our beautiful religion. That’s unfortunate though. But instead of increasing knowledge our Ramadan transmissions are screwing the pooch. People with less knowledge are discussing very sensitive issues just to get fame. And they are doing this without hesitation. A religious transmission suddenly changes into a puppet show after Maghrib prayer. No ethics are followed by the hosts of these programs. Hosts are pulling the legs of their audience. Our media is going in a very wrong direction.

This adds insult to injury when we see Indian and Turkish dramas on our TV channels. Here is food for thought. There is a common perception that one can win a war by manipulating culture of nation. India is doing so. Despite banning of their main entertainment channels, their serials are still aired by our own so called private channels. Don’t you think it’s Indian media’s success? We are well aware where we are standing.

The unfortunate result is that our children don’t know how to pray but they know what is the meaning and purpose of “aarti”. Children know when a girl gets married she wears mangal sutar and sindoor. And shamefully, many parents feel happy when their children do this instead of correcting their this wrongdoing. Woman wearing white dress allows them to perceive that she is a widow. Where are we standing?

We claim that India is our biggest and open enemy. Then why we feel proud by showing their movies and dramas. In fact now we observe a new trend in advertising. We see Indian actors in our Pakistani ads. Are all Pakistani actors dead?

In this channel rating war, we are losing our strength which is our culture. Just to grab large number of audience, channels are up to telecast almost anything they can get away with. Is it a minor issue? Why is everyone silent on this issue? Are we dead as nation?

To make a long story short, I must say it is a war, whether within a state or on borders or on cultural grounds through media. We are dividing our nation. It’s propaganda against our cultural values. We may win this war on borders but we are losing it internally and on cultural grounds through Indian media. Wake up Nation.