TV channels versus common people | Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF)

Pakistan Press Foundation

TV channels versus common people

IN any society the media is ideally the voice of common people. Its main role is to highlight issues of common people. Unfortunately, at the moment we can`t say that the media in Pakistan is representative of the sentiments of common people.

In the current scenario what we see on most TV channels is just a debate about everyday changing political statements.

Round the clock we see there is just discussion about which party gave which statement against which political party and most of the time common people are not at all interested in these parties` statements.

Problems of common people are huge and numerous which are not at all addressed by the current media. People are not interested in whether this party or that party is with the government or not. They are more interested about their own issues like those of transportation, unemployment, electricity, education and medicare.

While the government is not taking care of these issues, the media is also not addressing the main problems of the people.

Similarly, I don`t see any point in talk shows where the media just invites representatives of political parties.

Of course, all of them say they are perfect and correct. That is why all talk shows end without reaching any conclusion. Only a neutral person can say who is right and who is wrong.

Furthermore, people are more interested in listening to intellectuals, subject experts, philosophers and educators of the country so that they can guide the nation what should be done.

The media should not only criticise the government but also give it suggestions on various issues about what it should do. I suggest the media should regularly survey the various issues and questions and show these in graphical presentation.

They should go to people and ask them what problems they are facing in everyday life and highlight their issues. Instead of working for the people, the media works for money.

DR ZAID AHMED PIRZADA
Karachi
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Source: Dawn
Date:1/12/2011