Western media bias–II
By Arslan Sheikh
This in turn means that the media must reflect the interests, values and prejudices of its general audience and also the interests of the business. Western media adopts multiple techniques in order to grab the attention of viewers. It works so they work it.
One of the vital factors in news coverage is framing widely adopted by US media. Framing technique in mass media is part of the agenda setting. It is a journalistic product, which is presented in a way that influences audienceës perception about an issue in order to formulate public opinion/image either positive or negative of specific interest. Journalists while working with the news frames can play powerful role in determining the success or failure of social movements.
One of the major news framing in the US media is by and large experienced either sensationalized or marginal the foreign country coverage. In addition to that the US media conventionally portray crime, undemocratic values, strikes and protests of the third world countries more often than the developmental issues.
U.S. media coverage of international news is largely based on US foreign policy. Media by and large are supposed to be a co-worker of the government and a tool to endorse national standpoint in international relationships. In principle, the limitations in newsgathering resources frequently drive the news media to rely on government sources for international reporting.
There is little doubt that governments of all countries apply controls over the mass media. American media tend to overlook relevant information in the coverage of international events when it collides with the national agenda.
Media excessively treat governmental sources as priority plausible, therefore allowing domestic leaders to manipulate them.
Moreover a strong representative lobby plays a great role in projecting a countryÃs image. At the moment there are about 56000 Indian PhD scholars working and lobbying for their country in USA comparing with a meager number of 700 Pakistani. Similarly there are Indians who are Governors of few states in America and number of congressmen and senators who look after the interests of their country both in US media and government.
Besides, Pakistani press has also been helpful to US and Western media in projecting negative image of our country, as the frames about Pakistan which are made in US media are usually reflected in western media as well. In most of the developed countries domestic media takes lead from policies of own government and always keep national interest in mind. Here things are vice versa: going against the national interest is the easiest thing in our media. Pakistani media will project anything but the national image.
The western media bias is obviously earning bad name not only for their society but is also a major cause of unrest and frustration among Muslims thus giving rise to extremism. The International Human Rights watch organizations and governments of western countries must play their rightful role to overcome this injustice which is proving to be big hurdle for success in war against terrorism.
Concluded
Source: The News
Date:12/10/2010
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