By Sarah Salahuddin
The role and significance of media as a tool, platform and facilitator is ever-growing. Its freedom and expansion stand parallel to other factions as a fourth pillar. From certain responsibilitiesi.e., integrating the society, boosting the economy, identification and portrayal of norms and values, the body becomes a fully functional institute for construction of the national ideals. Furthermore, founding and working on the aspects of social fabrics like education, human resource, the role of youth and social up-gradation, receivingits significant contribution for national development is important. For a developing country like Pakistan, although the role of media is not a key factor, however, its tendency is a pivot for the cognitive balance that ought to be maintained during the procedure.
Introduction: To have emerged as a faction and attained the status of the fourth pillar of the society, the media’s challenges came togetheras a structured orbit. The orbit held the two elements; sustenance of media roles and its position as an entity within the other segments of society. The gradual shifts in the country, especially in political mattersand the strenuous communes, have fused the disciplinary capacity of the media. This resulted in the outcome of the recognition of the ‘interdisciplinary role’ of media that not only aimed at establishing the communication from sources to receivers but also construct the prime significance of the faction.Therefore, to discuss and understand the role of media as a tool in building nationalmotives,its mechanics and functional capacity areanalyzedaccordingly withthe relevant dimensions.
The idea of segments is quite similar to the pandorawhen integration tends to become operational.The media functionality and social sections set the bindings and enable the ultimate or national integration. In this aspect,first, the role of media is categorized as the binary onethat positivelycontributes to the integrationprocess and inversely working as the outcome of self-operation. Secondis the tri-dimensional approach that is adopted by this organ as an entity while enacting.Moreover, the latter illustrates the social classifications that is comprisedlanguage,religion, sects, localities and many other aspects.The official bodies constitute their umbrellas like the offices (privateand government), therebyintegration is made possible by certain factors mentioned below:
• Positive contribution of media in establishing approaches.
• Promoting governmental establishments and serving democracy for being the supreme tool of the federation and provincial governments.
• Providing opportunities to the stakeholders of social departments.
In this aspect, the dynamics are dealt with the tri-dimensional approach that comprises; economy,information and education. Emerging from these areas, the role of media remains a pivot to certain significant questions as mentioned below:
1. Howare the social-economic disparities tackled?
2. Howis the modern system of education pushed to meet the challenges in Pakistan?
3. How the information provision ischannelized towards the audience?
Analysis and Discussion:
1. Elimination of Socio-Economic Disparities: Role of Media
The role of media in tackling the challenges emanating out of the socio-economic gap is significant because of its ability to be in the centric position. The elaboration of the concept explains that as the institution began to develop and grow, it evolved and presents latest technological ideas to meet the consumer’s demand. It is about expanding mediums from the 80s, 90s and then post –
2000 era in which the industrial boom overall categorically opened numerous employment opportunities.The traditional media like newspaperfrom media offices andnon-traditional mediums like internet,laptops and mobile phoneshave engaged other domains in the media outreach. According to studies of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the relative progress of socio and economic domains is directly proportional to the growth capacity of mass media in any country. Asa sector that contributes to the economic growth, itwas observed that Pakistan’s media have generated revenues per year from post-2000. Some figures are as follows:
The electronic media- Rs 8 billion, the advertising industry -Rs 3 billion per annum, private sector investment post-2010- Rs 126 billion to generate jobs of at least 150,000 people. In short, these studies seem to have concluded in 2013 that media contributed 2% into the 7%of GrossDomestic Product (GDP) to the government. Moreover, enhancing the capacity of media reliedon various factors are important. For example,the social fabrics being anessential component of the socio-economic construction is crucial in this aspect. Therefore, the consumers’ demand becomes a focus with the maintenance of a fewhigh-levelobjectives.These objectives tended to injectand nurture the ideals of societal strata, sourcing media as a responsible institute.
2. Revitalization Social,Cultural and Religious Norms
Since independence, the media of Pakistan (Radio Pakistan in specific) has known a significant partof disseminatinginformation. The communication in the earliest methods meant to aware the listeners, readers, and viewers about the political stances until they were enlarged with entertainment segment’s amalgamation. The earliest channels hold immense importance when dramas like Taleem-e-Balighan are meant to politically aware the viewers about the social motives that constitute the national strength.Furthermore, the Newspapershave also contributed to construct the social fabrics and sustain the cultural norms. In 2019, around 540 dailies, 444 weeklies and at least 35% of the internet users depictedmedia’s applicability and its portrayals in all spheres of social lives.
–The author is Research Intern, Center for Global & Strategic Studies (CGSS).
