National Officers Academy, Karachi Essay

Media; Ethics & Responsibilities

 Introduction
“Media is the most powerful entity on the earth. They have the power to make the innocent
guilty and make guilty innocent and that’s power, because they can control the mind of masses”
(Malcolm)

“They are only two forces that carry the light to all the corners of the globe. Sun in the heaven
and the associated press down here”
(Mark Twain)

 Ethics of Media
 Fairness
 Ensure accurate information
 High source of confidential information
 Don’t suppress the truth for commercialism
 Avoid personal favors, Bribe
 Avoid intrusion of personal life
 Avoid ethical limits, religion honor
 Respect for gender equality
 Should not identify photo of minor infant victim of sex
 Honesty

 Political Responsibilities of Media

 Project and promote soft image of country
 Access to the politician and proper feedback
 Media watchdog of national interest
 Accountability – Army, Bureaucracy and politician
 Reduced corruption
 Avoid unnecessary criticism over state

“Whoever controls the media, controls the mind”

(Jim Morison)

 Religious Responsibilities of Media

 Project tolerance and harmony among religion
 Highlight Islam as religion of Peace, Pluralism
 Highlight for freedom, religion, expression, necessity, choice which were enshrined in the
charter of Medina
 Avoid criticism over religion
 Avoid carricatcher
 Last sermon of prophet sidelining the Ethno-Linguistic differences

“Live and let others live”

(Al-Quran)

“Speak with them in beautiful manner”

(Al-Quran)

Prepared By: Gohar Yaseen & Syed Nazim Nisar Hussain Page 1 of 2
National Officers Academy, Karachi Essay

 Economic Responsibilities of Media

 Provide proper data for launching economic projects
 Explain markets for FDI (Foreign Direct Investment)
 Advertising local products
 Don’t create hype, regarding crash of stock market and weakness of country

 Cultural Responsibilities of Media

 Promote local culture – Art, Music, Architecture
 Highlight Earth and ecology
 Protect its country’s culture
 Create hindrance in other culture’s progress

“Whoever controls the Media, the image controls the culture”

(Allen Ginsberg)

 Conclusion
Media should neither be embedded nor yellow but it should be balanced.

“Media as a thing which can convert hell into Paradise and paradise into hell”
(Adolf Hitler)

Prepared By: Gohar Yaseen & Syed Nazim Nisar Hussain Page 2 of 2