As students of media, it is important for us to understand the importance of communication in media.
We use communication for all our activities and the media enables us to communicate with larger audiences across the globe. It is therefore essential to understand how media messages influence audiences and can even change mindsets of the receivers of the communicated message or information.
Media messages convey important influences - Mass media and other forms of communication technology have an enormous influence in helping to shape public opinion and underlying sentiment.
Newspapers, TV, radio, billboards and social media, are important sources of basic information about other people and other places and this helps understanding if presented in a fair, even-handed and non-inflammatory way.
The media is an important accountability mechanism: it raises important issues. For e.g., corruption, that might otherwise never be publicly debated or addressed is now exposed due to the media.
The media has an important role in stimulating governments to take action on social policy: although stories about migrants or refugees might reinforce prejudice, they also expose problems that need to be addressed, for example poor living conditions or lack of access to services, the response of local communities to their settlement and so on.
But the media can also, in some cases, become an instrument for the dissemination (spread) of false and inflammatory messages and values that do not promote respect or well-tempered dialogue and discussion. Negative messages can divide communities and can help perpetuate the stereotypes that nurture violence.
Media portrayals can sometimes serve to exacerbate (promote) the narrative of oppositional forces and irreconcilable, value-based differences.
The media often prefers to dwell on conflict, since conflict and drama sell (newspapers / magazines / social media) and attract an audience. This means that the more extreme points of view get airtime rather than the feelings of the majority of citizens that may have more accommodating and balanced perspectives.
Even when the media are truly independent, there can be a tendency by some (though not all) of the media to oversimplify the complexity of current problems and reduce the news to catch phrases and sound bytes – on the assumption that people want drama and entertainment rather than informed analysis. An emphasis on the constructive role of the media has to go with a realistic recognition of the problems that the media have reason to guard against.
New media serve to shape outlooks more directly - The internet has radically changed the way in which people communicate and connect with each other. As a means of social interaction, the web brings people together – friends, family, young people, or complete strangers that share interests or objectives – and this can foster a sense of belonging and identity.
The web, however, has also been used to target people, mainly young users, to radicalize them into specific belief systems and divisive ways of seeing the world.
Some constructive means of linking like-minded peaceful groups across dispersed regions already exists – including those such as ‘Youth for a Sustainable Future’, an email discussion group founded by young people to discuss issues affecting them and the region.
Sometimes the internet has been used for fomenting (promotion of) group violence. Taking the rough with the smooth, an awareness of this problem is important, while building on the constructive role of the media and public dialogue.
The media can have innovative roles in breaking down conflict and can spread awareness and understanding among the masses.
Media initiatives have been successful at increasing the inclusion of previously marginalized groups by providing them with a means of expressing their views. Positive results have also resulted from the creation of channels through which older disputes can be broken down and re-imagined in ways that highlight common interests that transcend warring boundaries.
An international example: In the occupied Palestinian territory, an on-going Palestinian initiative aims to promote gender equity through media capacity-building and outreach. The programme created networks of local media professionals (male and female) in the different communities, trained them to produce, print and broadcast programmes on women’s lives and issues, and fostered relationships, collaboration and information-sharing between women leaders and media professionals. Training was provided to women leaders in media presentation skills, and to public information officers in media advocacy campaigns. As a result, several long-term relationships were established between women’s organizations and television and radio stations, enabling women to continue sharing information and informing broadcasts. (This initiative for the Promotion of Global Dialogue and Democracy (MIFTAH) is supported by UNIFEM).
A local example, the Narendra Modi political campaigns are an ideal example of the use of media and public relations to promote political agenda as well as reach out to audiences.
The world of journalism provides opportunities to promote understanding in conflict situations.
Media responsibility is the ethical correlative of media freedom.
