Media and the publicInteractive relation [Archives:2003/642/Opinion]

By Ibrahim Addahan
[email protected]
It is a really a recognized fact that press is the fourth estate in any ruling system in the world beside its executive, judicial and legislative powers. Therefore, the press role is understood to be watching performance of the state and all other social phenomena and write about them for the aim of rectifying ill practices and portraying the good aspects to be followed suit. Press would watch good implementation of laws and regulations in society and pinpoint failures to be overcome and rectified.
In this sense the journalist is the pulse of the public opinion and expresses his pains, worries, agonies, complaints, and satisfaction and dissatisfaction. In the democratic societies the mass media institutions acquire a distinguished place both in the public opinion and the authority and its opinion analyses arouse interests of and express concerns of all sectors of society. It is not a point of criticism which the journalist should point out/arouse as articles, but he should point to those strong as well as those weak ones aiming to guide/direct the public and government toward reforms and modernization. Criticism of any shortcomings and excesses in society should have been within the context of criticism aimed at building up the society.
Criticism should be objective and for the welfare of both the people and the government. I must not involve insult or humiliation or writing something which affects of distorts the facts. In other words, the journalist should be an expression of the conscience of the nation.
On the other hand, the journalist should have a protection of the authorities in order to express his opinion/visions freely and without any oppression for the democratic practices are guaranteed and covered by the constitution of the nation.
What I aim in my article is to see the press and the official media interact positively for the benefit of all and should have a role in the on-going transformations. We want to see our press in a better position with concern of issues that change the face of society. We want the journalists to compact corruption, frivolity, irresponsibility and disorder, but in a constructive way. Today, we see hundreds of issues talking about corruption and else of defects here and there and some of those issues might topple down ministers but they are confronted with coldness and irresponsibility and even negligence. This procrastination and negligence confirm that there is no way to compete it since there is no sponsor/supervision apparatuses to stop them we talk too much about violations, excesses and shortcomings, but no one listens and we point to complains of the citizens and no one is really to see them. The question is that there is an absence of seriousness among some of the apparatuses to combat corruption and listen to the voice of righteousness. The reform package in itself is a complete program to reform administration, economy and finance of the state on sound basis. Besides the authority/government lead a strong campaign against the corruption, the press and official media will publish things about what the authority announced as a program so as to launch the country to the safe side. Otherwise, what is the meaning of writing or disclosing the defects and excesses without any one to follow or to read or even take it into consideration.
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