Freedom of Media in Pakistan Blessing or Bane?

jan 2015

Free media is a double-edged sword which has its

benefits and vices; however, its advantages overweight
the disadvantages.
1.    Introduction
2.    Definition of free media
3.    Media in Pakistan: From censorship to freedom
4.    Role of media in Pakistan: a blessing and curse at the same time
a)     Free media as a blessing:
i. educates and informs masses
ii. increases level of awareness
iii. develops public opinion
iv. supports democracy
b)      Free media as a bane:
i. spreading misinformation: rumours and false news
ii. used for propaganda & sensationalism:
benefits antagonists groups
iii. exploitation of freedom: corruption and influence
iv. commercialisation: serves vested interests
5.    Enrichment and invasion of culture; simultaneously
6.    Media is a medium for socialisation and social isolation;
concurrently
7.    Media is a watchdog but lacking accountability within; contrarily.
8.    Overall role in national development.
9.    Conclusion

Article 19 of the Constitution of Pakistan gives the guidelines

under which the press is supposed to function in Pakistan. This
article says:
Every citizen shall have the right to freedom of speech and expression,
and there shall be freedom of the press, subject to any reasonable
restrictions imposed by law in the interest of the glory of Islam or the
integrity, security or defence of Pakistan or any part thereof, friendly
relations with foreign States, public order, decency or morality, or in
relation to contempt of court, [commission of] or incitement to an
offence.

Media is the fourth pillar of state. It is the institution that disseminates

information on the latest happenings across the globe. Owing to its
multifarious functions, especially being an opinion maker, the media has
to dig out the truth. This is considered the right of media to do whatever
possible to bring reality before the public. However, with every right
comes a responsibility. So there is a dire need to set some standards or
ethics for media.
Ethics are the principles that determine the rightness and wrongness of
an act. These are the self-imposed principles that mainly aim at
maintaining decency, harmony and positivism within the organizations.
Ethics can also be termed as the canons of morality.
Pakistan has not been able to evolve a full- fledged free news media.
The media in Pakistan has not received the nourishment needed for its
full flowering.

However, the electronic media took new form after promulgation of

Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) 2001, by the
autocratic regime of president Musharraf. The authority has been made
responsible for facilitating and regulating the establishment and
operations of the broadcast media and distribution services in Pakistan.
The mandate of the PEMRA is to ensure accountability and transparency
by optimizing the free flow of information.

Despite frequent martial laws, other factors that stand responsible for the
poor growth of independent media could be indifferent attitude
illiteracy, poverty, unawareness, attitude of indifference towards the
political decisions, lack of interest in state affairs, political instability
and political pressures and problems.

Free media is a double-edged sword which has its benefits and vices;
however, its advantages overweigh the disadvantages. It ensures the
right to freedom of speech. Media is said to be free when the media
organisations enjoy freedom to disseminate information without facing
any barriers from the government or any other powerful actors of the
society. Earlier in Pakistan, media had to go through severe censorship
and rigid regulations. However, the laws were enacted in the last decade
to lift curbs on its freedom. This resulted in unprecedented freedom of
expression and provision of information.

Pakistani media is hugely influenced by various state and non-state

actors. Military regimes in Pakistan had a special interest in controlling
the media. The first step in this direction was taken by a military ruler
who promulgated the Press and Publication Ordinance (PPO) in 1960.
The law empowered the authorities to confiscate newspapers, clamp
down on newspaper providers, and arrest journalists. Even civil
governments were no less eager to influence and control media. It was
not until 2002 that media faced a decisive development when new laws
broke the state’s monopoly on electronic media. TV broadcasting and
FM radio licenses were issued to private media outlets. These new laws
opened up a new arena for free media with less regulations and limited
censorship.

Owing to its advantages, the free media brings, can be rightly termed as
a blessing. Firstly; it educates and informs masses. It easily disseminates
important information across the globe. Access to uncensored
information helps educate the masses regarding important societal
issues. In Pakistan, media, especially TV channels, have effectively used
freedom of expression to educate people on essential elements of society
and citizenship. Programmes broadcast on these channels educate people
on social, cultural and political issues and create civic sense and
responsibility among the masses

Secondly; free media stirs a rise in awareness level. This raised level
improves ability to make decisions rationally. Compare Pakistan’s
current generation with their predecessors and you see that when media
faced huge censorship and was not ‘free’, people knew a little about the
societal issues. Previous generations lived with low awareness owing to
inaccessibility to information and, hence, vulnerable to manipulation.
The current state of affairs harbingers a bright future as the masses have
great knowledge about the issues faced by the country.

Thirdly; free media shapes public opinion. Internet, TV and radio

channels, and newspapers are effective tools to serve the national
interests if geared in the right direction. After Mumbai attacks, Pakistani
media broadcast and printed reports and documentaries on the country’s
defence and military strength in a bid to boost the peoples’ morale
against anticipated Indian threat of attack on Pakistan. This helped
appease the international concerns.. Media can play its role to soften the
stance to rea ch an agreeable solution.

Last but not least; media promotes strengthens and champions

democracy. Precisely, democracy is the best system in which both
people and media get freedom of speech. Media helps democracy thrive
by arousing the citizens’ interest in country’s politics. Recent
developments show a gradual but promising shift in Pakistan’s political
system towards true democracy. Where media played an important role
in the ouster of the military ruler Pervez Musharraf, it also highlighted
flaws and lacunae in governance during previous democratic regime.
This caused the annihilation of ‘coalition partners’ of that regime in May
2013 elections.

Positive Aspects
Peoples’  Voice
In Pakistan, media is a source of social modernization and a
simultaneous window to outer world. It’s playing a key role in
highlighting socio-cultural issues of the country. Besides, it is emerging
as an advocate of granting the people their fundamental rights. By
bridging gaps based on cultural differences, it is fostering national
solidarity. Media has gained popularity by vocalizing the public
grievances and problems. It has an ability to influence public by
disseminating awareness especially on political rights and
responsibilities of the individuals. It is like a watchdog for government
as well as non-government institutions.

Presenting Soft Image of Pakistan

Media has a significant contribution in Presenting Soft Image of
Pakistan it harnesses sectarian harmony by presenting different points
of view from renowned scholars from different schools of thought. By
presenting a better image of Pakistan media is helping in attracting
foreign direct investment in Pakistan.

Highlighting Public Grievances

Media is playing a promising role in highlighting socio-cultural issues.
The issues like poverty, inflation, unemployment, illiteracy, inhuman
behaviour of some tribal and feudal lords, etc., are highlighted by media.
It has also been an supporter and advocate of human rights. It’s a
known fact that human rights are being violated all around the world. In
Pakistan, inhuman practice like child labour, gender discrimination, acid
throwing on females, child marriages and honour killing also exist.
Media has raised its voice against such ill-practices as well.

Fostering Inter-provincial Harmony

Media’s role in fostering inter-provincial harmony is also laudable as
well as pivotal. In Pakistan, various programs depicting cultural values
and traditions of each province are aired by different channels. This
promotes customs and traditions of each province and creates a
psychological bonding. People develop more understanding toward their
norms and values. In this way, they respect others’ culture. This brings
harmony which strengthens the social fabric leading to national
solidarity.

Public Trust in Government

Media acts as a channel of maintaining good Public-Government
relations. In Pakistan, it is taken as a source for informing government
officials about the reaction of public related to their policies. It is
performing its role in development of support communication services
as well. The awareness on the projects which are supposed to be initiated
for the betterment of people of a particular area is being disseminated by
utilizing media. This helps in the form of acceptance of that program by
the local residents.

An Independent Watchdog
Moreover; free media is a watchdog over the government and state institutions.
Media keeps a vigilant eye on their doings and wrongdoings. Every good is
praised, and every wrong is criticised. Never in Pakistan was corruption exposed to
such an extent. After the enactment of liberal laws, new corruption scandals are
exposed every day. But this freedom has also exposed the state to new dangers.
There is no proper framework for accountability in the media sector itself. Hardly
has any government taken an action against a corrupt journalist or a media
organisation. Nor has media its own strict accountability mechanism. This
indicates the vulnerability of free media to become a carefree giant, if not properly
regulated.

Negative impact effects on society

The unprecedented freedom of media has, as well, harmed the society.

First of all; there are some instances where media outlets spread
disinformation and created confusion among the masses. The
‘informing people’ function of media is not complete until it guarantees
true and unbiased information

this disinformation damages significant elements of society. For

example, some segments in Pakistani media often resorted to create false
impression about the government, even they started predicting its
departure. These rumours forced the investors keep at bay which harmed
the country’s economy.

. second; Absence of a consolidated accountability system has let certain

elements in media to exploit feelings of the audiences just to get some
‘rating’.

third; freedom without responsibility leads to creation of

sensationalism. Media is a powerful opinion-maker and if not dealt
carefully, it could be negatively used to form opinions which favour
certain organizations or groups. Pakistan is combating the monster of
terrorism but the uncensored and live telecast of the scenes of bomb
blasts and of the bleeding people has caused severe psychological
impacts on the people of Pakistan. Most areas of Pakistan are,
undoubtedly, peaceful but these repeated telecasts create a negative
perception of the country which causes decline in foreign investment
and damages the tourism industry.
This has inadvertently helped the cause of the terrorists.

Fourth; the absolute freedom, like absolute power, leads to corruption.

Unbridled freedom of expression has led media organisations to interfere
in state matters. In countries where legal system is weak but media is
free, media often gets involved in corrupt practices. Lack of strict
vigilance and regulation allows journalists to negatively use the media
power to extort rather than inform.

Last but not least; huge profits in the media sector have given rise to
commercialisation. Media outlets nowadays work only for more and
more profits. Influence of wealthy entrepreneurs has made media drift
away from its real objective of informing, educating and supporting
public. Regardless of what is good for masses, media covers content and
issues which increases their ratings . Certain issues are self-censored.
Newspapers, for example, often censor or skip reports relating to
wrongdoings of the government

Nonetheless; ( in spite of that) despite all the negativity, the unparalleled

contribution of free media in the progress of this nation cannot be
denied. Free media has improved the consciousness among the masses.
People never questioned actions of the government the way they do
now. This is just the result of dissemination of information

, its role in being watchful of important state actions is commendable.

Certain anomalies in media can be corrected by creating a strong internal
accountability and regulatory mechanism. What needs to be above the
board is that freedom of media shall be ensured as free media always
brings greater benefits for the progress and prosperity of nation than the
inadvertent damages it causes. Hence, it is more of a blessing than a
bane.

Current Role of Electronic Media may 2012 (credibility of

media)
1 ‘our media is not playing any satisfactory role as far as political
stability is concerned.’

2 media should be neutral and it must highlight all the aspects of an

issue. Then media can be able to bring political stability in the country,

3 Furthermore, our media is not following the ethics as far as live

coverage of bomb blasts or terrorist attacks are concerned. Thus, all
these factors which are present in the media are producing chaos,
uncertainty .
electronic media must remove its biased image for the political stability
in Pakistan.
4 our media is not promoting the positive image of Pakistan. For
example, if we see the incident of a girl flogged by the two militants in
Sawat, how it had been played up in the media. It showed that our media
is either immature or it does such things deliberately.

. On the other hand, western media does not portray the negative image
of their country but our media does why? Then our media has developed
a criteria that they will remain anti-government they will even not
appreciate the good works of the government.

5 unfortunately in our country journalists are on sale. The reason is that

they toe the policies of the owners of news channels and are not
independent enough to do what they want so; in such a situation media
can produce more conspiracy theories and less political stability.

‘6 Our media is creating confusions among its viewers and readers.

Media must give adequate, authentic and complete information of a
particular issue to the viewers which should cover all the dimensions.

7 media is a watch dog in a country but there should be a counter check

on this watch dog (Media) too, what it is doing? But sadly, in case of our
electronic media there is not any concept or mechanism of counter
checking’.

as a fourth pillar of the state, it needs to play an imperative role for

political stability in Pakistan . In fact, electronic media has important
functions to perform i.e. to inform with objectivity, educate, guide and
entertain the masses. But the media has constraints and limitations also,
like vested interests, corruption, political motives and monetary gains.
Therefore, it has both positive as well negative roles in generating public
opinion on national issues.

On one hand it is influencing public opinion by particularly focusing on

political leaders and working of political parties while on the other hand
the information provided is biased and distorted. The electronic media is
an agent of change but the direction of change depends upon the
reported information. That is why the credibility of media is questioned
most of the time.
flaws in the role played by media

Despite all positive contribution toward society, there are certain flaws
in the role played by media in Pakistan.

Useless Coverage
Unnecessary coverage to events and distortion of contents has become a
trend and common practice now. Lack of farsightedness of breaking any
news story is further aggravating the situation. There is no denying the
fact that media has a hand in every walk of life. These are some flaws
which are destroying its positive image.

Creating Hypes
distorted content is another flaw which is leading the audience and
readers to lose trust in media. In Pakistan, there are many programmes
being aired which try to twist and distort the facts for their own
purposes.. They have only concern with program ratings which never
allowing them to even think about media ethics and responsibilities.

Being Mercenaries(interested only in money)

Acting like mercenary is another negative aspect of media. In Pakistan,
many media persons use this tool to their own benefit. They indulge in
the practice of being on payroll of some politicians. There are many
political parties who have their associations in both print and electronic
media. They use them to achieve their political goals for dragging their
opponents name in the mud. This is against the true spirit of media.

Irresponsible Behaviour
Lack of farsightedness in breaking news is another omnipresent vice in
media. Without evaluating the consequences of some particular news,
every channel rushes in to break it first. For example, a renowned
channel broke news at the time of Mumbai attacks that the culprit had its
belongings to Pakistan without ascertaining the repercussions of their
act. This kind of practice is similar to setting one’s own house on fire.
These are certain flaws which should be overcome by taking concrete
steps. Freedom with responsibility should be the slogan raised and
practiced. Moreover, some image-building measures should be taken. So
that misuse of media should be discouraged. A comprehensive media
policy should be introduced to overcome ambiguities in rules and
regulations. Moreover, Pemra should be invigorated and made vigorous.

recommendations:
1 It is recommended that media should maintain a data bank of eminent
scholars, distinguish educationists, prominent leaders and specialists to
discuss issues related to political stability.

2. Reporters must avoid conflict of interest to report a story . This

includes not taking bribes and not reveal stories which benefits their
personal, economic or political interests.
3. Competing points of view must be balanced and fairly characterized.
Moreover, persons who are the subject of adverse stories must be
allowed a reasonable opportunity to respond before the story is
published or broadcast..
4. Confidentiality of anonymous sources must be maintained.
5. There should be the avoidance of anonymous sources to the maximum
extent.
6. Accurate attribution of statements must be made
7. Pictures sound, and quotations must not be presented in a misleading
manner.
Freedom of press shall not be used as a weapon against any one. Ethics,
canons and moral standards of journalism must be designed in the light
of the Constitution of Pakistan so that journalism could truly be
exploited for materializing positivity in the mindsets of the masses and
constructive approach for all segments of society.
 

Media Imperialism in Pakistan july 2014

Pakistan has a vibrant media landscape. To a large extent, the

media enjoys freedom of expression in spite of political pressure
and direct bans sometimes administered by political stakeholders.
In today’s world media imperialism is a matter of primary
importance especially to the developing world. Pakistan is one of
those developing countries which are suffering from the
imperialism of media.

Media in Pakistan has saw chequered freedom till 2002 when  a military
dictator, General Pervez Musharraf ‘a member of the class of rulers
provided for unprecedented media freedom and permitted the
establishment of private TV and FM Radio channels. Since then, the
electronic media has grown at an exponential rate. But, unfortunately, it
has become unbridled and like a genie out of the bottle, it has become a
conglomerate where media houses indulge in imperialism and
manipulation of public opinion.

Although Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA)

was established to ensure code of conduct for the private media
Channels but ineffective legislation and weak enforcement created a
Frankenstein in form of media. Cross media ownership provided
unrestrained power to the media owners; some of whom exploited this
very powerful tool to further their own aims in this way , vested
interests found a vibrant platform to further their own agenda.
Professor A. R. Khalid, in his book ‘Communication Today’ writes:

‘Pakistani journalists are the worst breed of parasites. Instead of helping

the nation they seem hell-bent to suck its blood, to strip it to last drop
and even to bargain national interests for the sake of personal
aggrandizement.

Their slogan about freedom is only a camouflage to squeeze personal

benefits out of the state officials who spare no effort to out-clever the
journalists. Thus the media men in Pakistan should realize their
responsibilities and try to discharge their duties to the satisfaction of the
people and not to wangle the hypocritical favours of the rulers to secure
lucrative advantages for themselves’.

A considerable portion of the Pakistani press is thriving on

sensationalism. The modus operandi of these sensationalists is that they
pick any small incident, and create a storm to create sensation.

Media has been an effective tool for propaganda

For example India has used media for its heinous aim of brainwashing
the Pakistani viewers in accordance with a devious plan. Sushma
Swaraj, a former information minister of India, once claimed that India
didn’t need to invade Pakistan physically; through its powerful and
effective electronic media, it is influencing Pakistani viewers with its
permissive dances, songs and dramas that Pakistanis would have a
cultural invasion. Regrettably, some private Pakistani channels have
become partners to Indian media and they virulently air Indian content.

Moreover, some anchors are trying tarnish the image of Pakistan, its
armed forces and intelligence agency ISI to weaken the confidence of
the Pakistani nation in its defenders.

Recently, when Hamid Mir was attacked by unknown assailants in

Karachi, his brother blamed the ISI.. The media however went berserk
in its campaign and continuously portrayed the ISI as villainous and
demanded the resignation of the DG of this prestigious institution that
has been a thorn in the side of the Indians.

This is not only contrary to all forms of decorum but tantamount to

conspiring with the enemy to weaken a state institution. PEMRA would
be well advised to ensure media freedom but discourage its imperialism
and misuse to further vested interests.

Media Influence on Pakistani Culture and Identity sep 2012

The role of media is enormous in the extensive promotion of western

brands are forcing consumers in our society to simply reject the local
brands and consider them inferior comparing with the foreign brands.

The programmes telecast through satellite TV channels and on cable TV

networks in Pakistan are predominantly western and Indian. The
promotion of American, European and Indian culture via dramas,
movies, music programmes, etc., escalate change in local culture and
values. Pakistanis tend to be more appreciative of the foreign cultures
being promoted than their local values and trends. Therefore, they prefer
adopting these foreign culture hence leading towards a change in our
society.

Our new generation is so much involved with foreign culture that it’s
getting away from the local dresses.  They cannot differentiate between
the two and ready to adopt whatever is shown to them by the media.
They hardly know their indigenous values, culture and traditions. And
those few who are followe

rs of their own culture are thought to be out-dated or backward.

The undue westernisation is dominating the typical Pakistani culture.

For instance, the extended and joint family system, a hallmark of
Pakistani culture, is slowly deteriorating. The younger generation
seldom cares for their parents and elders. Fascination of English
language is so much that many Pakistanis, who are fluent in English, are
unable to understand Urdu. Therefore, English language is a status
symbol and the people speaking Urdu are considered backward or
illiterate. In this way it is creating inferiority complex among those who
do not have good command on English but speak excellent Urdu.
Further Urdu language is getting distort due to invasion of foreign words
(Hindi and English). A new language which is a mix of Urdu, English
and Hindi words is emerging.
Muslims being in majority in Pakistan are losing their
Islamic/indigenous values and ultra-modern educational institutions as
well as media are gradually inculcating western and Indian values in the
younger generation. It seems that Pakistanis, a nation of 170 million, are
confused about their ideology, culture and sociology, values, religion,
priorities and even enemies.’ Unfortunately our own media is playing a
significant role in this regard.

As the people who control the media, control our minds and probably
the whole of the world.
They have an effective weapon in the form of a worldwide television
network. Today, they broadcast slanted news, tomorrow they will
broadcast immoral contents to corrupt our children and destroy our
culture. They are already doing that in Europe. We can control the
reception today but not in future.
The situation is indeed alarming for the national identity in Pakistan.
Therefore firm steps are needed to be taken on regular basis to preserve
Pakistan’s cultural values and identity. Apart from government to take
measures to control the cultural invasion, the responsibility lies on every
Pakistani to own, respect and love this country. We have to believe in
our own native values in order to secure our identity. Being Pakistani,
we should not forget that our homeland made us stand out in the map of
the world as an independent nation and provide us the freedom, which
many Muslim countries are still striving for today.

If we want to live with honour, dignity and secure our identity, we have
to proudly own and love our country. If we want our upcoming
generation should breathe freely we have to work in the best interest of
Pakistan. We have to rebuild our characters and minds and follow the
track which leads Pakistan to the destination our ancestors had dreamt
of.

Pakistanis and Pakistani media are required to respect the native tradit

ions , abide by the rules and regulations of the federation, support the
minors/minorities  and provide education for all irrespective of their
financial and social background,

To minimize and resist the effects of western and Indian channels, it is

suggested that local channels should be strengthened and programmes
should have better content. These channels should produce and
broadcast quality programmes that could help in the promotion of
Pakistani values and traditions and improve the image of Pakistan at
international level.

Social challenges of Pakistan and Media

2012 The social constitution and safety of the people are

necessary ingredients for a inclusive growth of a nation, but
Pakistan after 65 years of its creation, is still far away from
properly addressing the confronting social challenges.
Resultantly, today Pakistani society is polarised and is beset with social
and economic injustice, religious and ethnic sectarianism, gender and
class discrimination, terrorism and extremism, unemployment and
inflation, illiteracy and health sector problems, high population growth
rate and insufficient food supply, energy crisis and lack of foreign
investment and so on. Although Pakistan, the 7th nuclear power with a
strong army, is the sixth most populous country in the world yet in the
recent UNDP human development indicators, it stands at 154th position.
Keeping in view the current growth rate, it is predicted that Pakistan will
be the world’s third most populous country by 2050. However, the silver
lining is that nearly 67% comprises the youth with We are comparatively
a young, vigorous and energetic nation with loads of potential.
Ironically, no proper strategy has been devised yet to channel the
abounding talent and of youth in the right direction.

Rapidly growing population, internal and external political tensions and

a debt-ridden economy, all serve to thwart Pakistan’s progress that it
needs to develop and perhaps even to survive. Massive foreign debt eats
up half of budget every year. Hence, it doesn’t remain possible to
allocate sufficient funds for economic and social development. This has
pushed a considerable portion (34%) of Pakistanis to live in abject
poverty while the unemployment rate is also on the rise.

With the highest rate of urbanisation in the region, the extent and
intensity of the socioeconomic problems of Pakistan has soared to
alarming level. Due to poverty, unemployment and unmanageable
urbanisation, the basic amenities i.e. shelter, food and clothing are not
being adequately provided. This deprivation has become the apparent
cause of different other menaces. Social evils like street crimes, robbery,
beggary, drug addiction, etc. are becoming common. This state of affairs
has made social reforms imperative for the development of the society
and the masses.

We need to focus on diverse approaches to combat these menaces as the

goal of social stability is unachievable without spreading education
compatible with the requirements of the contemporary world. Media and
can play a constructive role to overcome the social challenges.
It also highlights multiple issues related to education, social crimes,
politics, religion, etc.

Media has effectively highlighted the important issues, particularly, war

on terror, energy crisis, water shortage, social crimes, poverty, etc

The importance and role of media is undeniable especially with

reference to social challenges of Pakistan. It reveals the truth to the
people about all the social issues. Its diverse programmes not only
reflect the social evils but also present solution to them. It is playing a
significant role in changing and reshaping the social attitude of
Pakistanis. The media plays a pivotal role in national identity building
Professional journalists strive to create a sense of belonging in the
disillusioned youth and encourage them to be the responsible citizens of
Pakistan.
However, it is observed that Pakistani media, sometimes, does not
maintain balance between political and social issues rather more time is
given to the politics and political activities. The role of various media
houses, in the recent years, has become quite irresponsible. The
journalists frequently cross the limits and exaggerate the facts

This harum-scarum and irrational approach creates unrest and leads to

chaos which ultimately negates development. TV channels and
newspapers should develop a responsible and balanced approach and
show a responsible behaviour while addressing the social issues. Many
journalists are also blamed for their political affiliation and that they
work on a defined agenda. This state of affairs requires improvement
and professionalism to play its role effectively.

In prevailing situation, media should work to create consciousness and

awareness among the masses through their programmes. It should
motivate and boost up the morale of the public and the government as
well. This motivation and guidance can inspire them to resolve conflicts
and work together for the common interests and resolve the social
problems. The media should refrain from biased criticism and provide
fair and balanced analysis to the public. It should show both sides of the
picture. Programmes of broadcast media should be aimed at providing
guidance to the general public and have solution-oriented approach.

It is the responsibility of media to highlight and project the positive

aspects and activities while discourage the unethical factors of the
society. The sensitive social issues must be reported sensibly and with
great care.

Media should strive toward stabilising and strengthening the country and
play its important role through disseminating information and education.
It should also work to spread awareness and knowledge as only those
societies develop that have a high literacy rate and are knowledgeable.

Social media can be a strong motivator when it comes to mobilise the

youth. The examples of the Tunisian and Egyptian revolution manifest
the impact of social media. Media can be used to sensitise and motivate
the youth for adopting positive attitude towards the betterment of
society.

21st century has turned out to be a century of media war, as it has turned
out to be the most lethal weapon of the contemporary age. Drastic,
cultural, political and social changes can now be seen as a result of
revolutions brought about by media. Media is bursting forth like a
meteor, breaking new frontiers