As the academic and business circles are swearing by Yuval
Noah Harari’s insightful capture of the evolution of “Sapiens” into “Homo Deus”
of the future generation, I am penning down a brief expose on Media. Not the
popular, or rather pop culture influenced media, but primarily the platforms for
consumption of information.
Why do I quote Harari and his arguments, right at the
preamble? Mainly because, in both his much appreciated works, he emphasizes on
the ability of human beings to cooperate, share and disseminate information, as
the key to the species’ ability to dominate evolution in it’s favour, on this
planet for the past 70,000 years. The need for information barter birthed
Media. As we know it today, popular Media is a mouthpiece for information
exchange.
Traditionally media outlets spread as centres of learning,
exchange, scientific inquisitiveness, religious propaganda and also dissent.
One can say that the earliest examples of media hubs were probably, religious
monasteries, temple pathshalas, madrasas etc. With the advent of learning
techniques, speech, writing, documentation, knowledge began to find fits across
geographies. So as knowledge moved through the timelines, so did the form of
traditional media. From religion sponsored research, the torch of this quest
passed on to power centres of ruling monarchies. The rulers patronised
scientists, scholars, poets, composers etc and their courts became the centres
for cultural revolutions. These were phases where religion and nations often
collided, and in select cases blended into one form.
As centres of learning and research began to find
independence from religion and state, the zeal to share began to increase. This
was spearheaded by inventions like papyrus scroll and gradually paper. As words
began to be formed on printed surface, news began to take shape. Take two to
the beginning of the modern era, newspapers and bulletins rose as relevant
power centres. Revolutions sparked off from tables of dynamic thinkers,
reporters and mass leaders. Ideas began to reach every corner of a state and
movements first took their births. Media as we see today has the power to
topple governments, damage reputations, wage information warfare and influence
citizens like never before. Technology has just managed to add fuel to an
already uncontrollable fire.
The pertinent question in today’s times is, “Is media,
serving it’s true purpose or is it increasingly being used as a tool for
propaganda and misinformation?”. From the brief history I outlined before, we
are more than certain that media primarily serves the purpose of knowledge
enhancement and aides and enables the search for information. Perhaps it is,
idealistic to think that media should be used for the purpose of bringing
together, of educating and ultimately to serve as a platform for equal
opportunities. Unfortunately, in the present times, media has inflated itself
into a Goliath of inordinate proportions to which human ethics are but an
insignificant David.
It is mostly an irrelevant and to a large extent widely accepted
fact today, that media as an institution is largely corrupt. There are numerous
examples to bring to front the excesses of media outreaching the boundaries of
moral code, so much so that, we can comfortably compartmentalize media as a
cohort, serving the purpose of entertainment more than anything else.
Take for instance, the raging debate on the #metoo movement
which has become the talk of the country for past few weeks. Irrespective of my
own opinions on the issue, it is nauseating to see how the topic is being
talked upon, enacted on series of popular mediums. Starting from insensitive
discussion forums, to memes, to open letters, to wildly hurled accusations, the
movement is being reduced to a mockery of mudslinging. The citizens or rather
the netizens need to realize the fact that the issue is a highly sensitive one
and should be treated with utmost caution. Safety at workplace, against serial
predators is imperative to proper organizational functioning, irrespective of
the industry and irrespective of gender.
This is not a struggle of women coming to parity with male
dominated world. That is a concept as old as civilizations. What is important
here, is the power abuse in the name of chances, opportunities, advance. And
hence the men should be given a hearing as much as the women finding the
courage to come out and tell their stories.
Equally obnoxious, is the tide of intolerance which seems to
be organically evolving in India. The widespread misuse of popular news
mediums, may it be print-tv-digital to criminalize the student fraternity from prestigious
institutions is highly appalling. The way that freedom of speech is being
curtailed and the influence that troops of marginally educated (if at all),
short totting so called bhakts wield is comical, to say the least. I can
dramatically tell you that the borders between good and evil media trends are
blurring. That doesn’t make this any less tragic and comic at the same moment.
Shakespeare would have turned in his grave.
So,
what exactly needs to be done? I personally feel, the foremost measure that we
as a society should adopt is to stop believing everything that is put in front
of us on a silver platter. Someone very long time back, sagely said, all that
glitters is not gold. And so, don’t be a vessel to all that you are told.
Unfortunate truth in our world is, facts that are out there for public
consumption, barring state records, are largely doctored. It is great to have
an opinion, but not a rushed one. By all means listen to media, but treat it as
a source of information, that needs validation from your own research, and not
something which is set in stone. And lastly, laugh it off, media in today’s
time is meant to be taken with not a pinch but a generous dose of salt.