The role of media corporates and sega of conflicts between power brokers ..

[SADIA SHAFIQ]

The role of media corporates and sega of conflicts between power brokers ..


A dacade ago , pakistan have no access to free speech . Global trends of free flow of information has been changed which aimed at to target larger massess . In Pakistan , Musharraf had liberalized the media policies and issued licences for Private stock holders . On the other hand , international franchises and NGOs are also working to promote specific agendas and along with providing relief to common public . For example , doctor shakeel Afreedi example proved above fact . Pakistan`s media owners do not have access of capital. In fact , advertisement are blood of mass media that might be the case of print or electronic media . So Media needs money which is filtered by these international franchises and from reputed trusts .

Viewing Pakistan`s information minsitry structure is a great surprise . Ironically , Pakistan `s has media regulator as well as information minsiters . These two are working to normalize the ongoing trends . But incapable to control the over-flooded informations and obscene materials from private TV channels . In Pakistan , for electronic media regulation ,there is an institaution (PEMARA, pakistan electronic media authority ) which come under the information ministry .Comparing it with India , it has only information ministry which work for both ; information and regulation . There are 5-6 countries where information ministry is structured under the government .Apart from such countries , there are only electronic media regulator and no information ministry at all .

Almost , all countries have well defined editorial policy for each television channel . And govenmet can ban channels ,if any of the channel do not follow terms and conditions of these clauses . Unfortunately , Pakistan is the country where there is no editorial policy for each channel . Channels are being dictated . Media owners , anchors and ad provider are in conflict . The matter has further deterioated when role of rating agency is inducted . Anchors or intellectulas are not free from dictation rather these are faces with masks. people believe what they said ,but they said which is actually true but a hot-cake strory .sometimes ,these stories are not based on true fact but work to riase sentiments of larger masses .

Will I or you like to say that media is free in Pakistan ? Not at all ! It is being dictated by media owners and anchors do not dare to deny because they are having 15,00000 lacs salary . Money have pruchased their capabilities and they will work for money which is determined by rating agencies . The channel with higher ratage is given ads . It is international policy to channel ads 12 mins /hour . But , in Pakistan ads are channeled 24 mins/ hour . Many cases have been processed in superme court but no order has been passed due to vested interesets of big politicians as well .

This year , Eric E. Schmidt Executive Chairman of google have to come to define editorial policy of google in Pakistan as well of youtube . youtube banning put the issue behind the burner . It will really add extra revunes in our country . Taking ,the samething in dramas and commercials which just leading us towards consumerism . This is the main reason of our unemployment and we do not know in ignorance ; we are adding extra revunes by purchasing cellular phones ; highly densely country for mobiles .

There should be editorial policy as well as dual -institutions should be removed from Pakistan adminstrative structure . These are the sole cause of conflicts and sort of previlage for private TV channels