Posted by
Ali Raza December 7, 2019 -
Filed in
Other
-
695 views
The Media industry is basically the business model of mass media which is based on communicating information and entertainment in audio, visual and other forms to the receiver which is the audience. The media industry is not a single industry it includes different industries which produce, publish or creates the media content. The media industry includes film, print (publishing), television and radio (broadcasting), music and social media.
Film: It includes the production of movies and later distribution of that movies. It also includes documentaries.
Print (publishing): It includes newspapers, books, magazines, novels, journals etc published both in print and digital form.
Television and Radio (broadcasting): It includes all Tv shows, dramas and other programs that are broadcasted on television. Radio broadcasting includes the FM channels and other radio channels.
Social Media or Web: It includes all platforms of internet which are used to by content creators to post their content. Like, YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram. It also includes the web channels that use different online websites to show their content.
Music: It includes production of songs, albums and distribution of that songs albums through record labels.
The media industry like all other industries is basically a business. Just like other industries produce something the media industry produce and creates the media content which is then used for commercial purposes.
The media industry is made up of different media organizations, production houses, studios, media groups or media houses, and news paper chains. For example, BBC, Jang Group, Dawn Group, The Walt Disney, Warner Bros, Guardian and Times etc.
Now, as we know that what is the media industry lets discuss how the media industry effects on the media content.
Most of the media contents are created or produced by media organizations and production houses which are part of media industry.
All of these media organizations or production houses are somehow owned by someone or some company. These owners use their platforms first of all for their commercial and business reasons they want to get as many profit as they can through the media content. Owners also use their media platforms for their own interest or their company’s interest. And they also use it to spread lies or negativity about their competitors For example, let’s take example of Bol media group they used their channel Bol news to safeguard their company Axact which were selling fake degrees all around the world. They used their channel even to spread lies about all other media channels so they keep quiet about their fraud.
The other example is the very famous Geo vs ARY war or we can say it is Mir Shakil-ur-Rehman vs Salman Iqbal. For how many years these two channels are continuously spreading lies and negativity about each other. It crossed all the limits from the allegations of blasphemy to allegations of being anti Pakistan. They do not let any opportunity to spread lies and negativity against their rival media group. So, that their owner becomes happy.
So with that we have established that ownership has a big impact and control over the making of the media content.
The other reason that effect media content is the advertisers. Like we discussed earlier that the media industry is a business so all the media organizations need advertisers to run their channel. We can see advertisers are the life line of media organizations. So media organizations always wants to please and never upset the advertisers by producing any media content that is not in favor of them. In some of the other cases the advertisers dictate or even make the contents themselves. For example, in Pakistan a property tycoon Maik Riaz spends heavily on the media in shape of advertisements. Now any negative news about him or Bahria Town is being censored by news channels. Because if they give a news that is not in favor or against the Bahria Town, Malik Riaz will not give advertisement to that channel. And this is not just limited to censoring the negative news but the media has also given him special time and programs so he can give his version of truth. The biggest example of that was when Dunya news anchors Mubashir Luqman and Meher Bukhari did a planted show with Malik Riaz in which he tried to pressurize the court.
We have established that the sponsors and advertisers of media industry or media organizations have a big impact and control over the media contents.
Media organizations especially the news industry which includes newspapers and news channels needs some sources to run their channels or newspapers. These sources are provided by the establishment or the elite which includes government, bureaucracy, intelligence agencies, political leaders or parties and the big corporations. Like in Pakistan news are leaked at different levels to media, we watch those news with reference to sources. Establishment or elite also provides the commentator or analyst to media. These analysts keep interest of their backers in their analysis on different issues.
So if a news channel or a newspaper wants to keep getting the news from that sources they need to keep the interests of this elite at a priority. They would never want to annoy them otherwise they would not get any news from that power centers.
For example, every news channel or newspaper give the news with the reference of sources. Those sources are these elite and establishment. The other example I'm giving is a very famous journalist Najam Sethi. In his show Aapas Ki Baat he used a term "Chiriya" as a source when he wanted to give a breaking news. That "Chiriya" is from the elite and establishment. Like Najam Sethi all journalists have some sources from which they get news and in return they keep their interest at priority.
So this is how establishment or elite have control over the news industry and its content.
The other factor that has impact on media content is that every media organization fears from the negative response of their content. Like a news might displease the government or other pressure groups like religious groups, different mafias, intelligence agencies and political parties. These pressure groups will protest or if they have power they might try to harm the business interest or by attacking on media organizations. It is not only limited to news but it may also be a movie, documentary or any media content that might displease a pressure group.
For example, the first example that comes in my mind is when MQM was on its prime they used to control the media. If any news that might displease them they used to stop that channel from airing in Karachi and Hyderabad. They also attacked the offices of news channels.
The other example i want to give is when Geo news after an attack on their anchor Hamid Mir they blamed ISI chief for that attack. After that Geo had to face serious financial loses and they were even off aired for few weeks.
When PML N and PTI felt a news channels editorial policy is against them, PML N boycotted ARY and PTI boycotted Geo news.
An example from movies was when Padmavati movie hurt the belief of Hindu Rajput’s they protested and they even attacked the director and producer of movie. The makers had to change uts movie name from Padvamati to Padvamat.
So this is how pressure groups control over the media industry and its content.
Now in the last part, I will discuss that how the developed media content by media industry have impact on the public and audience.
As we discussed earlier media owners treat media as their business. The owners of media sells their audience to the advertisers. Owners keep their interest at the top while making of a content, so audience only knows what media owners wants them to know. For example if a media owner wants to censor a news they will do it and audience can't know the truth.
The advertisers also have the control so if an advertiser gives huge advertisements to a media channel they use it to control the mind of people. Like if they want they can make false image for themselves through media content. The biggest example of this is again Malik Riaz. Malik Riaz is basically a land grabber but just because he is rich on advertisements of media he made false image of himself as a philanthropist who announces to help the needy and feeds poor. The audience who doesn't know the reality will have the false image of him.
As I discussed earlier establishment has also control over media industry. So they use media to divert public attentions to the issues which they want. For example, when establishment wants corruption to be discussed they feed media with corruption news and when they want to divert public attention from corruption towards something else they will feed media with that news. They make people think and talk about what they want, and to divert people attention from the real issues which they are facing.
Media organizations don't want to give knowledge to public or to make society better by making healthy content but the only objective and goal of media Industry is to make money or to save their vested interest or to save the interests of their owners, advertisers, establishment, government or pressure groups.
In the end it’s the audience that has to suffer from all the effects of media.
