Uninhibited access to information is perceivably a right that all human beings should enjoy. Governments that want to project themselves as liberal leaders of their people relentlessly tout how they believe in the freedom of the press and the freedom of speech. This is received positively, as everyone thrives on breaking news items, sitcoms, etc.; in contrast to previous generations that enjoyed more outdoor play time, youngsters today tend to be riveted to their screens. Besides denying themselves some exercise, there is really nothing much wrong in following programs of their choice. And so, everyone, young and old, gets to enjoy all sorts of programs they fancy.
The much awaited media boom in Pakistan took place around 2003. This was a time when the people in general felt that they had been hit by a new wave of freedom. One of the first new channels to pop up was Geo News, which challenged the muffled and controlled state media channel, PTV [Pakistan Television]. Geo News presented itself as a groundbreaking event-reporting hub with a blend of blatant facts and humor that often has a twisted approach. However, it became a trend-setter in much the same way as Fox News has; many more news channels have cropped up since Geo made it on the airwaves, carrying the same mode of operation.
An Entertainment-Deprived Nation:Along with news channels, the last decade has also seen a bunch of entertainment channels bring in music, soap operas and a lot more. For a country that has been starved for entertainment and one that turned to Indian soap operas and movies, the Pakistani people have been rather taken up with the media boom. Many of them believe that this has been a wonderful gift given to them by ex President of Pakistan General Pervez Musharaf. That’s strange! Why would a military man promote freedom of the media? This was a completely alien action for an army chief or perhaps he was mad! However, there is a ‘method to his madness’ that subsequent leaders have followed – No surprises there!
Like other leaders who want to exercise greater control over their people through influencing their thought processes, perception, etc., leaders in Pakistan too believe in doing the same thing. Although many of us would agree that the media is gagged on many fronts, they are, however, allowed some degree of freedom to fulfill their egos. This is a special tactic so that no one can really say that the media is not free. As an example, the media is allowed to mock politicians openly without having to face any consequences.
Programs such as Aaj TV’s ‘4 Man Show’ stands as a typical example of how politicians are bashed, leaving our largely deprived masses feeling satisfied for a while. The more our political leaders are mocked, the better we tend to feel, and this is the tool that keeps us off the streets. Had this been the 1970s when all we had was a solitary state television channel, the masses would have been on the streets many moons ago. However, the ruling corrupt lot knows how to manage the minds of the masses, largely; they allow us to scream in front of news channel cameras when we are despaired, and they even tolerate us mocking them through one TV show or another just to let us feel that we have been heard, and that they have heard us. They might even follow up our hue and cry with some statement about how they are working to curb issues that plague us. Images of their efforts are flashed in the media as well in order to back themselves up. This is how the perception of people sitting in their homes is managed. After all, I don’t know of anyone who’d be willing to go out and conduct a survey or investigation independently if they doubt what the media is reporting. Remember, even the independent corporate media needs to earn money and some outlets are often remunerated handsomely when they serve the leadership’s purpose.
Entertainment Stupefies the Masses:Although what I have briefly touched upon above might not serve as a feasible example of perception management, it is at least a step in that direction. While people may describe the portrayal of events and the management of these events in the media any way they choose, it’s best to see some scholarly viewpoints regarding how the media is used to subdue the masses.
According to Georgoulas [2010], “
entertainment puts a strain on the imagination and deadens it. It draws attention to a threatening monotony which varies only to an extent that it doesn’t become totally boring but which is sufficiently persistent to stupefy and bewitch” [Pp 41]. This is pretty much similar to our people being dulled by what our elders call ‘nach gaanay.’ As long as we remain locked in entertaining ourselves with music, soaps, political buffoonery, etc., it is quite unlikely that there will be any shift in the power structure, which as everyone knows, is in the hands of the elite ruling class — So much for democracy!
Further, Stephens & Leach [1998] state: “…
the most powerful economic class in society shapes the culture (the lifestyle, opinions and values) of the rest of us by using the mass media ….. the ruling class, … employ cultural technicians (journalists, etc.) to stupefy and subdue the rest of society by fabricating a popular ‘Mass Culture’ of entertainment and escapism” [Pp 452]. The latter mentioned here is often witnessed in the shape of musicians yelling out some lines on stage at some concert no one is ever going to remember; many foolishly believe that their lyrics and anguished voices in the now popular rock scene are going to bring about societal change. However, they need to realize that there is nothing but falsehood in following icon rock stars in the west who have done nothing more but yell themselves sore in the throat.
The point that I am making here has nothing to do with rock music or any other particular kind of entertainment being good or bad; it’s about mass culture being imposed on us and propagated to such an extent that we learn to believe it is the right thing for us. We see it all as part of who we are, when in reality, it has very little to do with the self and who we really are as individuals and nations. Yes, this is about everyone far and wide, as it is an issue that cuts across national borders. However, I’d like to narrow this down to our own country, Pakistan, where the masses are being increasingly influenced by the popular mass culture.
Beware of What You See and Hear!We have begun to rely so heavily on what the media feeds us that we are ready to suck up whatever is put before us. The most recent of these include the wikileaks cables, although people across the world have been fed the same thing. How quick we are to believe whatever is reported in these cables without batting an eyelid. Undoubtedly, a lot of what is being dished out is true, but a lot of it is false and meant to create misunderstanding among state leaders, particularly in the Muslim world. However, remember, this is the art of disinformation; you will have a mixture of truth and lies coming at you and you will really have a hard time figuring out what is and what isn’t true.
Coming back to where we started; we know that the media can be used in a number of ways. The liberal leaders of today’s world use it to control and subdue the masses. However, we know that it is a tremendous tool for accessing information too, as it is one of the things that a society relies on for its security. It is also an instrument that ought to be used in our national interest just as other countries use it. Even perception management is an advantage to us if it is used positively. However, everyone should beware of the dulling effect that certain kinds of entertainment may have on us, particularly because scholars established long ago that entertainment is used “ to stupefy and bewitch” the masses.
References:• Georgoulas, Stratos. Critical Criminology of Leisure: Theory, Methodology and a Case Study, LIT Verlag Münster, 2010. Pp 41.
• Stephens, Paul. & Leach, Andrew. Think Sociology. Nelson Thornes, 1998. Pp 452.
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