In the present day circumstances, the media has got a vital role to play in our society to format and scan our mindset and push it on to the right direction, more especially, when the entire humanity is faced with the growing challenges like that of terrorism, radicalism, intolerance, majoritarinism, religious bigotry and armed militancy as well as other social syndrome all over the globe. Media is the best tool to spread awareness in our minds and provide insight about what is happening in the world, making us aware about our rights, values of humanity, creating awareness against evils in our society, exposing corrupt politicians and other shams happening around/inside our society and the country. Moreover, liability of media is also to uncover social issues that include matters such as poverty, violence, corruption, bribery, suppression of human rights, rape, discrimination, and crime, killing in the name of honor etc. In the process media’s prime responsibility is to stand by truth and truth alone :’for the truth,by the truth and of the truth.’
So far as combatting terrorism is concerned, the foremost battle confronting the humanity today, media can play a key-role in adopting pro-active measures that can serve as effective ‘soft weapons’ in the fight against extremists and other subversive elements bent upon creating havoc in the world. Media can help stop the dispersion of distorted ideas about religion and its whimsical forms. It is believed that in the terror-manifested regions, more often than naught, charities and donations go into the wrong hands and they find their way into the terrorist and extremist groups. The media can play an important role by raising awareness among the people to donate only through recognized channels that are regulated by the authorities. The media can also expose the suspicious and bogus networks that use such charities to finance and sponsor terrorism.
Again, media need to deny extremist-radicals a propagandist-platform by not letting the so-called religious leaders, who preach hate and violence, to have their voices heard through the media. Also, media can help in exposing the hypocrisy of propagandists, that is, how the so-called religious preachers, fifth columnists and pseudo secularists send their own children to safer places for higher education, while instigating other boys and children to resort to subversive and other destructive activities. For achieving that purpose, media ought to throw more light on the cardinal principals of humanity and on those scholars, sages and religious figures who preach the true spirit of religion: tolerance, forgiveness, compassion and basic human virtues.
Since media is said to be the fourth pillar of democracy, it is imparative on the part of media to propogate and advocate for basic human values and condemn unethical and base values cropping up in the society.
The author is a writer, translator and professor. skraina123@gmail.com
