Private channels talk shows and ethics of journalism

The year 2002 was a eventful year in the history of electronic media. During the Musharraf long regime of nine years many private channels were launched. Before the emergence of Private channels, there was only one government owned PTV channel which only favored the, who  so reigning government and eventually lost its credibility among the masses. The first popular private channel was GEO and after GEO numerous other private channels also came into existence.

 Undoubtedly, the news coverage of private channels was much better than the PTV. But now there are fathomless private channels in Pakistan and unhealthy competition has developed among the private channels for ratings. To ameliorate, the rating of their channels, the management and employees of private channels can go to any extent. Although,  competition is not a bad thing, but in the rivalry of private channels, the ethics of journalism are being badly transgressed. Indeed, the language used in TV talk shows of all private channels is vulgar and non-journalitic .Even the senior anchorpersons themselves use abusive language and when politicians get embroil in dog fight and use derogatory words against one another, the anchors play the role of silent spectators and never interrupt in the argument of their guests.

The prime reason why the anchors don’t muddle in war of words of representative of political parties is that they just want to make their program sensational and earn more ratings than the host of other channels. Due to the cheap competition, anchorpersons have forgotten their prime responsibility that is to impart knowledge and awareness to the general hoi polloi.

In the program of Express News which is one of the leading Tv channel of the country Talal Bugti, head of Jamhori watan party and Barrister Saif ur Rehaman of (MQM) used abusive language against each other and the host Mr. Kamran Shahid remained mum and permit them to use bazaari words against each other  which is indeed very pathetic. In another instance, Firdous Ashaq Awan abused Kashmala Tariq on live Tv program and the outcome was the same, Javed Chaudhry like his co-journalist, Kamran Shahid didn’t breath a word. In the program of Dr.Shahid Masood, a veteran journalist, Marvi Sarmad (a freelance journalist) and Zaid Hamid ( Defence analyst) used extremely harsh and unethical word against each other and the program like the most of our Tv talk shows ended without a conclusion. It seemed that both these intellectual were brought to the program solely to expose each other and not convey intellectual messages and a senior journalist like Dr. Shahid Masood instead of pacifying them added oil to fire which was appalling. Hassan Nisar, who is considered a think tank in Pakistani media abused Mushaid ullah Khan of PML(N) and a senior politician like Mushaid ullah Khans instead of ignoring Hassan Nisar retaliated with even worse utterance. It is said that when you come across nonsense ignore it with dignity, but tolerance seems like a extinct word in our society.

 The above mentioned journalist like Dr.Shahid Masood, Hassan Nisar and Javed Chaudhry are considered as opinion leader, one who can form, mould and change public opinions. The common people, owing to their limited knowledge can’t form a opinion of their own and they bank on these opinion leaders to form a opinion. But one may wonder what sort of opinion the people will form after watching the talk shows of these opinion leaders.

Fights and pejorative language has become a daily routine in the talk shows. But now, I think enough is enough and this nonsense has to be curbed. The objective of talk shows should be to inform and generate awareness among the masses not to earn ratings. If the anchorpersons don’t have the capacity to impart knowledge to the people than they should only abide the ethics of journalism. Its time for Pemra to inculcate the anchorpersons the ethics of journalism and take stringent measures against those who contravene it.