Constructing reality through media
IN the post-industrial societies, where events and occurrences revolve around information. Mass media plays an effective role in the field of constructing and deconstructing social realities.
Be it the politics, terrorism, elections, and morality, Chomsky argues, consent is being built all around, all the time He also cautions that the consent on democratic values, choices, and right person to vote are also constructed, propagated, and injected in the minds of naïve individuals with the help of media discourses which works as a propaganda machine.
War of narratives between government and opposition blocks are nullified or justified by media discourse.
Similarly, the ideologies, demands, and recommendations of the powerful elite are constantly injected in the minds of individuals to construct their consent towards what is being propagated.
Louis Althusser, French Marxist philosopher, similarly, exclaimed with critical way that in the era of media- driven society, interpellation is playing a devastating role in society in which we have lost our individualities; we have been dealt as a subject. We are not free in choices. Our ideas and choices are shaped timely.
Additionally, Althusser criticizes that media is used as an ideological state apparatus through which ideas, ideologies, beliefs, political discourses, and narratives are constructed, shaped and deconstructed.
There is, similarly, a great deal of interests among the several blocks of power to shape the consent of masses for maintaining and sustaining their narratives vis-à-vis quid pro quo.
The bitter irony, however, is, that in Pakistani socio-political landscapes, we not only can observe the distortion of information, but we can also see the construction of biased political narrative.
One news channel is supporting government side while other is following opposition without concerning the actual issues and realities.
No one can deny the fact that in the epoch of information, those who are naïve in the field of critical discourses and intellectual narrative get entangled in the quagmire of political confusion and social uncertainty owing to media narratives.
Today, there is a political hullaballoo in Pakistani socio-political culture. The actual sense of democracy has been lost in Pakistan. We have been diverted from real issues.
As we know that Pakistan has been confronting myriad problems. In this regard, the conundrum of Balochistan is unprecedented.
The puzzle of Baloch insurgency has not yet reached at any solution. Day by day, their attacks and activities are enriched and become more lethal.
The incident of Karachi University executed by the Baloch female suicide bomb blast is a wake-up call for state, its policy makers, its security analysts and strategists, and its media giants.
This incident put a question marks over state- policies at Balochistanand warn that neither the military operation is the solution of Baloch conundrum, nor the media blackout is a sound and prudent strategy anymore.
The ground realities should be studied and uncovered now. In this regard, media could play a vital role by depicting the real picture of Balochistan and its issues.
Externalization of Baloch issue is not the solution of Balochistan conundrum anymore.
We, all state institutions, educated and intellectual class, media personals, are responsible for today’s scenario of Balochistan.
As we know that Balochistan has and has been confronting military operation since the inception of Pakistan, but still the socio- economic and political circumstances are not changed yet over there.
As a results of instability and military operations, we have pushed Balochistan at the point of no return.
According to Pakistan Economic survey of 2020, Pakistan Statistic Bureau of 2021, World Bank reports of 2018, people of Balochistan are confronting various issues: absolute poverty, lowest rate of literacy, poor health facilitates.
Despite that fact, the alarming situation is that the lives of Baloch educated class is under gloomy condition.
According to Voice of Baloch Missing Person (VBMP) report, there are 15634 people are missing in Balochistan. Since last two months, 124 Baloch students become the victim of enforced disappearances.
For two month, Baloch students are protesting before Press club Islamabad for their fellow save recovery ;irked there is a zero coverage from mainstream media.
A common Pakistani don’t know what the real issue of Balochistan is. If media present a negative picture of Baloch and his issue, the layman will comprehend accordingly.
Associating or linking Karachi University and Anarkali Bazar suicide bomb blasts to all Baloc people is not a positive gesture.
Various media channels and social media pages are portraying common Baloch as a terrorist or separatists is not justifiable. Such sorts of yellow journalism would add fuel to fire in this matter.
Similarly, linking the insurgents group issues with the Baloch missing person issue is also not a prudent sign.
However, it is a prime responsibility mainstream media to show or uncover the real issues in this all-haphazard situation.
— The writer is contributing columnist, based in Islamabad
