MEDIA AND FREE SPEECH BY MAHER SHAFIQUE

INTRODUCTION AND OUTLINE S OF THE ESSAY

PRESS FREEDOM ACCORDING to THE US PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT

MEDIA IS AS LETHAL A WEAPON AS A NUKE

MEDIA TRANSFORMED THE GLOBE INTO GLOBAL VILLAGE

THESIS STATEMENT, LEADING TO THE CONCLUSION

STATUS OF MEDIA ACCORDING TO THE ARTICLE 9TH OF THE CONSTITUTION 1973

LITERALLY MEANING OF THE MEDIA, S FREEDOM

MEDIA AND DEMOCRATIC POLITY WORK HAND IN GLOVE WITH EACH OTHER

FLOW OF INFORMATION MAKES THE DEMOCRACY POSSIBLE

ROLE OF MEDIA IN VARIOUS FIELD OF LIFE

ROLE IN IMPARTING EDUCATION TO MASSES

ROLE IN PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN DECISION MAKING OF THE STATE MACHINERY

ROLE IN THE RELIGIOUS AWARENESS TO THE PUBLIC

ROLE IN CREATING CIVIC SENSE IN YOUTH

HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE OF THE MEDIA, S FREEDOM

MANDATE OF PEMRA

FACTORS RESPONSIBLE TO THE POOR GROWTH OF MEDIA IN PAKISTAN

CURRENT SCENARIO

GRIM ASPECT OF MEDIA

CONCLUSION

freedom of conscience, of education, of assembly, is among the very fundamentals of democracy and all of them will be nullified if the freedom of the press is successfully challenged"
(US President Roosevelt)

Media is Regarded As The Most Powerful Weapon Of 21st Century

It is as lethal a weapon as a Nuke. It has the capability to convert day into night and night into day, a hero into a villain and a villain into a hero. it has brought a revolution in the world and has changed the globe into a global village. It has virtually erased the geographical boundaries, removed the barriers of social, political and cultural differences and as a result, this diversified word has been reduced to the remote control. Media's role in education, opinion formation, awareness and entertainment is so diversified in its horizons and domain that one thing is clear and decided that the tides of media cannot be reserved, however, they may be altered and composed.

The status of freedom of the press in Pakistan, ever since Independence has remained semi-independent, despite adequate safeguards and provisions promised by the constitution. The status of freedom according to the article 19th of the Constitution 1973 is given below.

There Shell be freedom of press .it she'll, however, be subjected to any reasonable restrictions imposed by the law, in the interest of the glory of Islam, of the Integrity, security and defence of Pakistan or any part of it, friendly relations with foreign States, public order, decency and morality or in relation to contempt of court or commission or incitement to an offence"

Freedom of press literally means the freedom of expression i.e speech, writing and thinking.it also ensures the credibility to think and act without any restriction and pressure.

A free press and electronic media is an essential attribute of Democratic polity as both works hand in glove with each other.if Democracy is the government of the people, media is the voice of the people. But it is a matter of grave misfortune for Pakistan that due to one factor or the other, ever since Independence, media could not breathe independently. And one of the factors that could be held responsible for this sorry state of affair is the failed Democratic form of government.

The fundamental ingredient that makes democracy possible is the flow of information. If this is restricted in any way, masses will remain ignorant of their rights, their duties to the state and their role that they can play for the betterment of society and the country as well.

Media's role in imparting education to the masses through online lectures of the Scholars is significant. Owing to the mushroom growth of TV channels and newspapers, people today are more aware and educated about the surroundings and the steps taken by the government. This promotes the contribution of the public in law and order situation of the government.

Media also helps in providing religious knowledge by competent scholars. It highlights religious Harmony and promote Sectarian harmony .it guides youth to new opportunities, created Civic sense in them and introduces them to different lifestyles through dramas, films and talk shows.

In the historic perspective, one can safely say that unfortunately, democracy could not flourish here in the true sense. Consequently, Pakistan has not been able to evolve a full-fledged free news media. Media in Pakistan has not received the nourishment that needed for its full flowering.

However, electronic media took a new form after the 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, operation of the broadcast media and distributing services in Pakistan. the mandate of PEMRA is to ensure accountability and transparency by optimizing the free flow of information.

The media shows slow growth due to the lack of interest of many communal and factors like political pressure and political problems, unawareness, illiteracy, poverty and no interest in government affairs and ultimately martial laws are also a strong factor in the hindrance of the media growth.

Current scenario of the freedom of media is not as encouraging as it should be to run the government in a truly democratic sense where the role of media is considered as a fourth pillar of the state. In most of the countries, when the government feels that media is halting their way by disclosing their policies to the masses, the government starts hushing up the rights and power of media through one way or the other. This ruthless behaviour of the governments can be noticed even in developed countries as well as in developing countries. The killing of Saudi journalist " Jamal Khashoggi "on October 2nd,2018 and recently arrestment of "Meer Shakeel ur Rehman" , the editor in chief of 'Jang and Geo Media Group 'in Pakistan and a lot of examples can be quoted in this regard.

At the same time, we cannot turn a blind eye to the grim aspect of media. some selfish people manipulate media to feed their own nests. About such journalists Arnold Bennett a British writer says:

" journalists say a thing that they know is not true, in the hope that if they keep on saying it long enough it'll be true"

In a nutshell, media must not brush aside the national interests.it must get to the truth and reveal it in a truly sensible way. 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.