Journalism's Role To Defend The Lives

Added: (Sat Mar 04 2006)

Pressbox (Press Release) - Journalism's Role To Defend The Lives

Kamala Sarup

Journalism's role to defend the lives will achieve some good results
for peace activists, but not for the terrorists themselves, who are
too fanatical to be persuaded by propaganda. Some media sends lots of
propaganda and it helps to counteract the terrorist propaganda, but
there is no substitute for eliminating the terrorists via arms. In
the meantime, we should condemn those who are promoting terrorism.

Why would it be important for us to launch such a healthy and peace
journalism? The reason is a simple one. We are being used by freedom
which we believe we do
understand well. There are literally thousands people all around the
globe. Simple people not given to fancy "understandings" or high
politics who simply want to see the killings. The only two things that
are relevant in the utterly boring world we all live in today.
Journalist must think that publishing an articles or interview of a
terrorist is jocking for press freedoms. It is true, journalism have
to play a much more important role in the conflict and terrorism. This
is very crucial and it proves that we don't have to rely on political
factor es for finding the facts. The Journalism's role needs in the
dissemination of correct and fact-based news. Journalist must not
publish to instability and confusion. We want always for the healthy
growth of the
journalism, which has been given a great degree of
democracy.


Is there anything wrong with fighting terror through journalism or
media? Of course not. We as a believer in democracy who is struggling
to understand peace, security and justice in the world should know
that in the opinion of many, not all but many, our current plans seem
to carry such a taint or curse. However, we should write our own
conscience and beliefs. We must proceed, that we are going to do
everything in our power to both defeat the violence and terrorism.
Just so we are clear about things. Therefore, what's the difference
between the healthy journalism and propaganda journalism? Is it a
long division of spoils in the long war on terrorism ? Is it a
rearranging of the people up in arms? Journalism must also deal with
the human security in journalism. We should always try to publish into
peace journalism.

Even on the other side, the journalism has been giving unjustified
publicity to the terrorists. We as a journalists must condemn them
and their activities of violence and terrorism. Thus, the media has to
be very alert.The media, in fact, must be concerned with
developing professionalism.

Even recently, Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld, speaks to the
media during a press briefing at the Pentagon, Feb 2006, in Washington
said " Today we are fighting
the first war in the era of e-mail, blogs, blackberries, instant
messaging, digital cameras, the Internet, mobile phones, talk radio,
and 24-hour news. Media outlets in many parts of the world often serve
only to inflame and distort - rather than to explain and inform.
Still, government must develop the institutional capability to
anticipate and act within the same news cycle. That requires
instituting 24-hour press operations centers and elevating Internet
operations and other channels to the status of traditional
20th-century press relations". He further said "We are fighting a war
in which the survival of our way of life is at stake. And the center
of gravity of that struggle is not just the battlefield. It is a test
of wills and it will be
won or lost in the court of global public opinion".

It is always better for the long war to work with a healthy and peace
journalism. What do we the people think?

A Research Scholar Ms. Kamala Sarup is a editor of peacejournalism.com