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IN modern-age, mass media has assumed the role of a guide in daily life of everybody. It is used as instrument of policy by the Governments and States. Its power, influence and impact knows no bounds. The speed of information communication is just flabbergasting. The volume of output of print and electronic media is simply overwhelming. International electronic media brings us latest news of events, and developments instantly. It continuously shapes and reshapes our opinions attitudes and perceptions.

There cannot be two opinions on the deep, lasting and widespread impact of media on the masses. Being an agent of socio-political, economic and cultural change in our age, media can disrupt a society or can stabilise and strengthen a society. It can lend decisive support to the stability of a country. Until and unless there is awareness among the masses about a policy, programme and actions of the State regarding a problem, there cannot be public participation in the process of socio-economic developments. And it is only an effective media which can bring about and ensure such an awareness in a given country and society.

If the above postulates are reasonably correct, which they we, we in Pakistan must ponder over the role of media in bringing about stability in the country and in making Pakistan a strong and prosperous country. It is generally admitted that media in Pakistan has, by and large, played a positive role in national affairs and certainly helped in educating the masses about multifarious problems facing the country. However, in view of the current situation and various problems, media must be far more productive and continuously orientate the people about various issues confronting us on national and international fronts.

First and foremost, media must help in stabilizing the national institutions and national socio-economic, political and administrative structure by pointing out the flow and appreciating any rod work done by the Government or State institutions and organizations in private sector. Serving the country honestly and sincerely must be projected.

The need to strengthen our socio-cultural and ideological foundations was never so great as it is today. There is cultural invasion from the West and Indian TV channels and Cable TV networks. Our values are being attacked and are in danger. Media must build our confidence and faith in our values. It must create a pride in our glorious past, our culture and our way of living. Pakistan has a tremendous potential and has a status in international community specially it has high stature among the Muslim countries. Pakistan is the seventh atomic power in the world and the only Muslim country, which has achieved this status. This is a matter of great pride and prestige. We have mat beautiful normative and social value structure, which needs to be preserved, promoted and strengthened.

Islamic history reveals that there was a galaxy of researchers, intellectual, scientists and literary figures whom we seem to have forgotten. Our media can fruitfully project Muslim contribution to the march of human civilisation. But for the Muslim contribution to scientific development, the world would have not been what it is today. It were the Muslims who stimulated spirit of inquiry and laid the foundations of modern scientific discoveries.

By creating and building pride in our past, media can stabilise our society. Modern trends in human living and, affairs create conflicts and frictions in the minds of people. Media is friction reliever can offer plausible and viable explanations to the people regarding any confusions and conflicts. Muslim cultural and intellectual heritage is profoundly rich.

Media must help sustain confidence in our national institutions such as parliament, armed forces and our social structure. Erosion of such confidence in our institutional set-up can be dangerous. All problems and issues such as relating to functioning of our institutional framework have to be explained effectively to the people so that they develop a positive opinion and attitude. At present, we are living in a world, which is moving too fast. And in the ensuing din and noise masses must be helped by the mass media to see things clearly so that they are not misled.

The prime objective of media must be national stability in all its dimensions. A social and political climate needs to be created in which people could engage-themselves in positive and healthy activities and could contribute to the overall national development. All negative, fissiparous and centripetal tendencies need to be countered and treated. The feelings of despondency, frustration and deviant tendencies need to be neutralised. Only an effective media, can do this. Masses be given a hope in future and optimistic attitudes must be nursed and developed. A reasonably correct, positive and healthy approach has to be developed among the masses regarding what is going on around them.

To conclude, media can help stabilise and strengthen the country by playing educational and informative role and by imparting knowledge to the masses as knowledge is power and only a well-informed society can develop a positive approach towards fife. As is generally admitted media has become a teacher for society and, has taken over the role of parents as far as children are concerned. By ensuring informative content and news as well as considered views, it can continuously enlighten the masses. If people accept developmental approach and hold clear view on various issues and developments, there will be minimum social and political friction.

Media, is in fact, a mirror of society which can remove negative spots by showing its face in this mirror. Thus media can play a diagnostic role in pointing out the negative tendencies and suggest ways and means to counter such tendencies. Media can stabilise or destabilise a society or a country and Pakistan cannot be an exception.

What role media can play in strengthening and stabilising Pakistan is an important issue. The reason is that media is the ultimate weapon in the hands and it must play, its desired role. Pakistan is at crossroads and in transition. The society and culture are threatened. Patterns of life are changing because of education and media impact and this change has to be facilitated in a positive manner.

We must be on the guard and must also cope with the world. There are challenges and we need enlightened responses. Media must continue to enlighten us.

The writer is former Director General Radio Pakistan.