By now you are all aware of the protests and violence occurring in Islamic countries around the world due to the recent film which has insulted the Muslim faith. An article in the Express newspaper (dated Friday 28th Sept) puts forward the thought that such violence is an even greater offense to the religion than the video itself. The author suggests that freedom of information is key to educating persons on all issues involved in the matter such as freedom of expression, and delivery of information. However was it not 'freedom of expression that began the problem is the first place. Use the link below to download and read the article. Then comment on this statement that was made in the article:
“ I think
the media should play a neutral role and not take sides. That’s the kind of
environment we’d {also} like to see in the West, where people understand what’s
right and what’s wrong and condemn the mistakes and not generalize it to a
religious issue,” Almasmari said.
Download the article here:
http://www.yourfilelink.com/get.php?fid=822514
I completely agree with the statement made by the publisher and editor in chief of the Yemen Post: Hakim Almasmari “I think the media should play a neutral role and not take sides. That’s the kind of environment we’d {also} like to see in the West, where people understand what’s right and what’s wrong and condemn the mistakes and not generalize it to a religious issue.” [1] The role of the media plays in relaying global issues to the forefront is incredibly important. However, I believed the media must be able to maintain an unbiased viewpoint and strive to provide the truth in every story they print. With Media narrow-mindedness towards particular issues and the reasons as to the origin of these issues, often times the media feeds the public a jumble of misrepresented information. Take for example, the misrepresentation of reasons as to why Egyptians were protesting in wake of the released Anti-Islamic video on YouTube. The media focused on the violent acts committed by a handful of religious extremist outside the US embassy, when in all actually, the source of the protest was demonstrators venting their anger at unmet expectations, unemployment and high prices. This misrepresentation fuels avoidable acts of violence in a region known for intense religious tension. Another prevalent example of the media misrepresentation was sited from Maggie Koerth-Baker’s article (A science editor at BoingBoing.net.) “Scientist: Media misrepresented plastics problem in our oceans!” The article sheds light on the fact that the US media exaggerated the size of the North Pacific Garage Patch (NPGP) claiming that it was the size of their Texas state [2]. In contrast, Scientist-turned-filmmaker Randy Olsen expressed his personal account of the NPGP which he stated added up to less than 1% of the size of Texas [3].
ReplyDelete“It's not a patch. It's a "dilute soup." I think it's a very sad commentary on the state of the U.S. that you have to be made to think of an island of trash in the oceans before you can be convinced to change your day-to-day actions.”
Ultimately, the media must quickly come to the realization of their responsibility to report unbiased and accurately truthful stories in their respected fields. With the slow integration of a globalized “freedom of speech” attitude, more people will feel entitled to voice their opinions and I believe it’s the media role to mediate these inclinations.
References
[1] “Media Freedom and Independence,” Venna-based international Press Institute and Paris based World Association on Newspapers and news publishers, http;//www.filejumbo.com/ DownloadA2AFC453EF8094A8
[2] Thomas M. Kostigen, “Better Planet The World's Largest Dump: The Great Pacific Garbage Patch”, Discover Magazine July 2008, accessed October 5, 2012 , http://discovermagazine.com/2008/jul/10-the-worlds-largest-dump
[3] Maggie Koerth-Baker, “Scientist: Media misrepresented plastics problem in our oceans” BoingBoing.net January 2012 accessed October 5,2012, http://boingboing.net/2011/01/14/scientist-media-misr.html
Sorcia D'Arceuil
809001858
I totally agree with the above posts. The media is very much needed/supported by the public in all its different forms (radio, television, newspapers etc.). It serves as a means for the public to be aware of what exactly happens around us both locally and internationally. People can use the media in its many different forms to voice his/her own opinions as well as report on issues around the world which I think should be allowed in every way possible. However, the freedom to offer responses/thoughts or even to interact with the public through the use of media can lead to misinterpretations and so lead to major disturbances as that which was caused by the film of the Muslim faith.
DeleteI agree with the quote made by Almasmari, where the media should not take sides on any issue occurring locally and internationally.
Another example to add to the above post made by Sorcia in terms if misunderstandings by the public is in the use of newspapers as the media of reporting issues and informing the public on happenings in Trinidad and Tobago. It is very important that the news published in the newspapers is unbiased and only provide information and less opinionated responses so to allow the public to make their own intelligent decisions. Trinidad and Tobago is a democratic nation and the newspapers having more information rather than opinionated responses on issues taking place especially around election time can help the public greatly in making decisions on voting for the different parties. If the news being reported however, seem to be questionable by the public then this affects the credibility of the published article which can lead to the sale of that newspaper.Hence, misunderstandings by the public can lead to the credibility of the newspapers being questioned.
Reference:
Trinidad express newspapers. `Media freedom and independence`. 2012. < www.trinidadexpress.com>. Access 5th October, 2012.
Shavana Rajkumar
ID# 811001352
The main purpose of the media is to educate its target and inform them of the issues that affect their lifestyle. Therefore messages transmitted through cannels should be direct, factual and unbiased. The opinions of the media should be avoided to prevent false information and futher conflict between the media source and the receivers of the messages.
ReplyDeleteThe statement that media should play a neutral part and not take sides is what the author, of who was a victim of criticism of destroying the name of Islam, were making a point on. He said that the media should be brave and not afraid to broadcast certain things. This not only show unreal effects in society but teaches, as this article rightfully said, wright from the wrongs.
The media can be used as a powerful tool to exhibit what society see as acceptable behavior, but giving examples of unacceptable behavior. What this says is that in order for one to know what right is, he must know what wrong is, and this is what the media is trying to do. This leads to receivers of these messages being able to identify good from bad and not justify an opinion or statement of someone, or in an earlier topic, not taking the thoughts of a person and criticizing it, but using the misguided and inappropriate movie to show how not to behave.
We learn from our mistakes, and this is what makes us knowledgeable about being prepared for the situation if it repeats itself. The media is a gateway to the next generation, by using it wisely, we can lead the way to a more educated and understanding society that can learn much more with a thoughts that lead them to problem solving.
DEON M-J YEARWOOD
811000450
I'm honestly a bit confused about your stance, can you please elaborate or enlighten me?
DeleteN'yasha Cabrera
811000731
I absolutely agree with the author’s stance that such actions are more damaging to the image of Islam than the actual video simply because the average viewer watching that video would find it highly offensive whether Hindu, Christian or Muslim and would pay it little or no mind however by carrying out such violent attacks against innocent people (or at the least people who had nothing to do with the publication of the video in question) Muslims have caused more harm than good to the already tarnished image of their religion.
ReplyDeleteTo some extent I agree that freedom of expression (without limits) did cause the problem, however in his statements regarding the necessity for freedom of the press I think that the author was referring to the fact that freedom of expression is protected by the first amendment of the US constitution and that it is not a simple matter of the US government intervening and condemning or acting against the film and that the people in the middle east and Northern Africa who are protesting should be informed of that. That this was not a government sanctioned production as some in these areas believe. And he was calling on those within the media who are in a position to supply credible information to put forth the facts in an unbiased and comprehensive manner so as to help prevent or mitigate similar future occurrences. In essence the author was saying that it is the responsibility of the press to put forth the truth so as to dispel the inaccurate rumors propagated by nefarious people who are out to accomplish their own agendas regardless of the loss of human life and property.
Shallon Roberta Jessop
809000504
Media freedom has always been a major controversial topic in recent times as the members are becoming more and more comfortable with doing and saying what they want. Media broadcast is the main channel in which the news is reached to the people of the world and therefore could and would influence a person’s way of thinking particularly on topics that seems to be most intriguing to the readers and should always strive to deliver fair and unbiased fact to their readers.
ReplyDeleteThe statement that was made in the article suggested that the media play a neutral play a neutral role and not take sides. I personally don’t agree with this statement because by doing this the media would go against all that it stands for and that is delivering opinionative taught on most topics. The reaction of the Muslim community to the video may have just caused a little more controversy as now there treats of violence may further give people the wrong impression and might stray from the fact that there images were tampered with. The issue of violence in the Middle East should not have been put forward as if all Muslim people are violent and this is an example of the media turning a political problem into a religious one. There should be some restrictions but the uniqueness of the media is their ability to critique topics which affects us and taking that away would really sideline the whole purpose of the media.
Akeem Alexander
809002227
Politics and religion are two of the most controversial topics of discussion and the media adds fuel to this fire by keeping them in the limelight. I support publisher and chief editor Hakim Almasmari’s statement in his article about the demonstrations occurring in the middle east.
ReplyDeleteThe media’s role is to present the news in an unbiased manner so that the receivers are able to make informed decisions and conclusions. In spite of this, they were found guilty of not publishing some muslim leaders’ protests against the extremists’ behaviour. The leaders agree that although the film is very offensive to them, the reaction of the extremists was unacceptable. I believe that it was wrong of the media to withhold this since it shapes people’s view that “all muslims are violent people” when in truth, it is the select few who created the stereotype. The media has the power to change those who acknowledge this stereotyping but by choosing to withhold information, they fail in doing so and instead just fuel the controversy. Hence, as Almasmari stated, the media should play a neutral role when reporting news.
In a world where there are many religions, it is difficult to bring about justice when there are so many opposing views. I believe that religion is a person’s private affair and should not be criticized or condemned. While freedom of expression is important, it is more necessary to respect each other’s personal affairs in an effort to maintain the peace. I also believe that religion cannot be used to determine what is right and what is wrong since it was, afterall, created by man. Yet still, there are many who use religion as guidelines to their behaviour. Despite this, I firmly believe that the media should be careful not to make a crime a religious issue since it offends the reputation of other followers of the faith and is also biased against non-followers of the faith who commit the same crime.
809000194
Leean Ramdass
Media groups should remain independent and unbiased in there presenting and broadcasting to the general public. They are able to persuade and inform large populations, countries and nation simply by how they present their information. Therefore with sure persuasive power it is necessary for them to remain independent and strive for accuracy and clarity in their reporting.
ReplyDeleteThis was evident in the broadcasting of the highly controversial film ‘Innocence of Muslims’ which have sparked violent protest worldwide with most of this hatred directed to the US. In this case clarity needs to be shown on both sides, for just as Americans would say one film by some illiterate film maker doesn’t express the views of the many so too is the Muslims in these countries saying that a few who protest violently should not be taken as the stance of the entire society. They also proclaimed that the protest action against the violent attacks should have being given the same exposure as that of the violent attacks.
Freedom of speech in the US is the right, guaranteed by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, to express beliefs and ideas without unwarranted government restriction. This is however found only in Democratic Countries which isn’t the case for most Middle-Eastern counties. Base on all these factors it is the Media’s responsibility to be independent and to broadcast or show the full picture and not only have what attracted more viewers and sells the most papers.
810002377
Darien Jones
I agree with your viewpoint, this then begs the question if we as a nation really belong to a democratic society as we see government interference almost everyday in media matters !
DeleteIt cannot be stressed enough that the media plays a fundamental role on the decisions we make about situations that affect us directly or indirectly. I believe and agree with the comment that the media should retain neutral positions, eliminate biases and report facts to educate the masses on pressing issues that affect the lives of many.
ReplyDeleteThe article clearly states that the only institution with a clear mandate to do so is the independent “traditional” news media. This diverse and critical media has the ability to put the film and protest into political and cultural context, underscoring that the film represented the feelings of a few. The US First Amendment prohibits the US government from taking action that restricts freedom of speech on the basis of religious or ideological sensitivities; however, this is unacceptable in the eyes of Muslim societies and as a result has caused a series of unrest and protest resulting in several deaths including that of an American Ambassador and three of his staff.
The essence of this article is to emphasize the power and importance of media. It is clear that the “innocence of Muslim” video has angered members of the Muslim faith and has subsequently sparked a violent chain reaction. Since no action can be taken by the US government to appease the Muslim Society, it is crucial that media gets involved. According to the article media freedom and independence are more important than ever so that people who promote hatred and violence can be countered not with violence but through discussion and debate in the national and international press.
Shanice Murray
410001400
In today’s world, media has made a very special place for itself in our lives. If I must say, today’s media has become as important as food and clothing. I don’t think I’m over exaggerating, since media is playing a very significant role in making the world smaller, by transmitting news more efficiently from one hemisphere of the world to another. This can impact negative to society, as the media must be careful of what is reported and the how it’s done. To further, one must agree Almasmari statement that the “media should play a neutral role and not take sides,” especially in sensitive matters such as people beliefs and religious issues.
ReplyDeleteYes it’s true, freedom of information is the key to educating persons on all issues involved in the matter such as freedom of expression, and delivery of information. Even the European Union enshrined in Article 11 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights ‘the respect of freedom and pluralism of the media, as well as the right to information and freedom of expression.’ However freedom of information, speech, and expression can go the wrong way if journalists continue to be ignorant to their conscience and ignore people’s ethics, peace, and respect their religion, sex orientation, and other sensitive issues. I mean journalist must remember to show no form of bias when reporting, to only report facts and very little to no opinions, and to avoid stereotyping by not generalize mistakes done to things like religious issue or race. According to Civil Society Report to the United Nations, “Not only does the media ignore the culture of peace, but also they privilege news of the culture of war and violence.” (Adams 2005) Is this the trend today? That is, to cover popular stories and reporting them with your bias, or stereotyping? What ever happened to objectivity as a reporting ethic?
Reference
Adams, David. Culture-of-Peace. December 2005. http://www.culture-of-peace.info/copoj/media.html.
Affairs, Task Force for Co-ordination of Media. Freedom and Pluralism of the Media . n.d. http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/media_taskforce/pluralism/index_en.htm.
Brandon Murphy
811005940
“The media’s the most powerful entity on earth. They have the power to make the innocent guilty and to make the guilty innocent.”-Malcolm X.
ReplyDeleteI support Almasmari’s comment, the media really should not be selective with the information they share with the public. They should allow members of the public to form their own opinions by exposing them to unadulterated news facts. This selectiveness can cause misrepresentation of issues, such as the recent perception of the Islamic faith in the U.S. This problem of media biasness can cause severe global conflicts by strong example of the Adolf Hitler’s Censorship decree in 1933 in Germany. The end of democracy and the beginning of his one party dictatorship effectually depicts the power of media and the destructive nature of media biasness. Hilter’s control over the media, allowed for only “Nazi -friendly” articles to be published in German newspapers, an aired on local radio stations. This one-sided view, brainwashed many German people of that era. If the Western world is supposed to characterize democracy, freedom and equality, and is to stand for Human Rights in its true sense, then the media should be neutral. And by so doing allow readers to assess, understand and form their own opinion of the news through a fair and uninfluenced process unlike the Germans of the 1930’s.
This distortion of facts by media networks can cause simple conflicts to evolve into national wars. I agree with Almasmari that unbiased information is one of solutions to misunderstandings and generalized opinions of religious groups. According to a 2012 Press TV report, a New York analysis concluded that in the US more emphasis was placed on violent acts committed by Muslims than violent acts against them. In accordance with this, a September 27,2012 Express article with the recent escalation of Islamic protest and violence against the American film “Innocence of Muslims” , there are still those Muslims who condemn these actions. However these reports are either omitted from or insignificantly represented in Western media.
With the world-changing power that the media has, the best way to use it, is to correctly represent all peoples by being neutral. And in effect allow readers to have a clearer understanding of global issues.
REFERENCES
Trinidad Express Newspapers. 2012 . “Media Freedom and Independence.” September 27, 2012. Accessed on October 5,2012. www.trinidadexpress.com
PRESSTV.2012. “US Media Display Biased Against Media” August 20,2012. Accessed on October 5,2012. www.presstv.ir
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. 2010. “Nazi Propaganda and Censorship.” Accessed October 5,2012. www.ushmm.org
DONALEE PIERRE
810002489
I most definitely agree with what Almasmari is saying. My take on the media and what type of information they should deliver is this. I think that the information that they make available to us should be factual and free from biases. Individuals depend on the information given by the media to know exactly what is going on not only in their country but also around the world. Incorrect information could lead to citizens all over the world being misinformed and in alter mate cases made the wrong decisions that could cost them a lot financially and otherwise.
ReplyDeleteI also believe that the media should act as a way or means for persons and countries to get their information to and from each other in public view. Persons and countries should be able to say clearly, openly and respectfully how they feel about any issue and it should be up for discussion. This for me is the way I think it should be done as oppose to the media only showing a side of their choice for the world to view. Citizens should have readily available all facts before them. Both sides of any discussion should be up for any and everyone to view.
The media should take it as their responsibility to provide us with unbiased information. This would help prevent some if not many unnecessary rivalry among persons and to large extent countries. Many depend on the media for information and seeing that they are widely used for transporting information that should starting being more unbiased in order to keep persons trusting their information.
JACKIE CHANDLER
810001807
I do believe that the media, especially, in news reporting should not take sides. It should do its best to bring fourth accurate, relevant unprejudiced news so that the public may be fully informed and make their individual assessments from the report. However, the media follows a set of guidelines when choosing the news that they wish to report which may make the media seem as though they are taking sides. This sometimes occur when the media omits information that it deems to not be relevant to the story that they are focusing on, although the omitted information may have some element to do with what is being reported on. By omitting this information the entire story may be viewed differently by the public and this would affect the decision making process of the general public. For example, where the procession of the public might have been one of peace, this may turn to be one of uprising and assassination.
ReplyDeleteTherefore, I agree with some aspects of the comment made above in terms of the media being unbiased. I do not find full harmony in the part of the comment that states the west should be an environment “where people understand what’s right and what’s wrong and condemn the mistakes and not generalize it to a religious issue”. How does one judge what is wrong comes into question? The aspects of right and wrong fall under the status quo and this is the basis that people use to judge their own behaviour and that of others in their society. In some societies, it may be okay under the ideologies of freedom of speech to make “jokes”, comments or to declare views about any issue even to the extent of another’s religion. While in another society this may seem morally wrong. In Islam a person may be killed on the spot for making a comment that shows that they are against the ideologies of the Muslims. In this country it may seem morally right for a person to die for such a heinous crime against Allah. On the other hand, a person may make the same comment or worst in America and not be held on any account for being immoral or unethical because this is not against their norms and values. So that it would be more appropriate, in my opinion to say that persons should be able to discern what is right and wrong to a particular society and follow through with its principles whilst within the boundary of that country so as to prevent hurt feelings that lead to uprising.
Jenelle Nicome
810002151
The main purpose of the media is to inform,to entertain and to persuade its viewers.Despite this the media has a liability to be truthful and unbias in their adverstising services.
ReplyDeleteI strongly agree with reporter Almasari,that the media should play a neutral role and not take sides:Thats the kind of environment we'd(also) like to see in the West,where people understand what's right and what's wrong and condem their mistakes and not generalize it to a religious issue.
Freedom of the press or freedom of the media is the freedom of communication and expression through vehicles,including various electronic media and published materials.The universal Declaration of human rights states"Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression,with this right including feedom to hold opinions without interference,and import information and ideas through any media regardless of frointers".
Thus to prevent controversy the media should portary a neutral role and not take sides,when putting a particular message across;especially if the topic turns out to be very sensitive,such as religion.Thus in this instance the media does not have freedom and independence.
"The journalistic orthodoy...mentions that news reporters and news editors must not have an opinion,an if they must,they must not state them".It is a sense of professionalism.As one's inappropriate personnel thoughts or opinion can get them in trouble,if they are not on guard.
On the other hand journalists are not emotionaless robots,they have opinions and sometimes,they are going to express them, whether or not it is acceptable or not.However ,I think that the media's neutality is very important,so as to refrain from embrassement and violence amongst members who may feel disrespected or insulted by a statement made.
In conclusion ,I think the media needs to be very careful in what they say and how much of a particular topic they stress on,so as to refain from being baised.
Elesha Caton
ID#811000121
Refernces:www.trinidad express.com.Media freedom and independence.27thSeptember,2012.
gigaom.com.Why cant-we-just-admit-that-journalists.31August,2012.
Mediafreedom.com
wikipedia.org.Freedom of the press
ReplyDeleteOver the past years media have grown exponentially and have become part of our lives as us individuals depend on it to receive information and communicate with others. However, media has become very influential over the past years. With respect to the video, "Innocence of Muslims", there has been much uproar in Islamic countries recently as they believe that the Muslim faith was being insulted. As a result of this several lives have been taken. According to the article, the video was offensive to the Muslim faith; however, the violence was not called for. The Author suggests that freedom of expression is the key to educating people. However, media has a way of being very influential on its audience. This can have a negative impact on society as seen with the video that offended the Muslims.
I strongly agree with Almasmari when he said “ I think the media should play a neutral role and not take sides. That’s the kind of environment we’d {also} like to see in the West, where people understand what’s right and what’s wrong and condemn the mistakes and not generalize it to a religious issue,” While everyone is entitle to freedom of speech, media tends to shape the values and beliefs that a person may have. As a result of this, they should not be bias towards any situation or even take the situation personally. Getting personal or being bias can lead to people’s emotions or thoughts on an issue resurfacing and as a result, may cause alot of conflict as seen with the video.
References:
http://www.themediasociety.com/ ( Last accessed 06/10/2012)
“Media Freedom and Independence,” Venna-based international Press Institute and Paris based World Association on Newspapers and news publishers, http;//www.filejumbo.com/ DownloadA2AFC453EF8094A8
Shivani Sinanan
810001322
The U.S. coverage of the protests in the U.S. embassy is highly biased. It paints all the people of Libya in a negative light. The media only covers the violent protests, attacks and murders committed against members of the U.S. embassy. This further enhances the stereotype that all Muslims are violent and harbour hatred towards Americans. All of these events are significant but it fails to cover the protests of Libyans who are against the violence. Many more people protested against the attacks but this seemed to be conveniently left out of the news. The majority of Libyans understood that the film was offensive and the attacks were unnecessary. Only the actions of a few small-minded Muslims were considered newsworthy. Americans already have a negative stereotype towards Muslims since 911 and the media is simply adding fuel to the fire.
ReplyDeleteThe Arabic media however, condemned not just the film but the violence as well. They took a more neutral role in the whole affair. The U.S. media should have broadened their coverage to highlight the people who were against the attacks. The media controls what stories are covered. They can help shape people’s opinions by what they choose to make the news. The fact that they only chose to report the violence of a few Muslims further enhances the mindset that all Muslims are terrorists. In order to change people’s thinking more information should be made available. The integrity of the media needs to be strengthened to ensure the public has a “broader array of ideas and perspectives”.
References:
1)Trinidad Express Newspapers. 2012 . “Media Freedom and Independence.” September 27, 2012.
(Accessed October 6,2012).
Ivana Parsotan
810003896
I agree with the comment made by Almasmari the media should play a natural role and not take sides. I think the media must be unbiased and provide the truth so people would be more informed and able to make better choices. The media is the most powerful tool of communication.It helps promoting the right things on the right time. It gives a real exposure to the mass audience about what is right or wrong. Even though media is linked with spreading fake news like a fire, but on the safe side, it helps a lot to inform us about the realities as well. Therefore messages transmitted through channels should be directed,factual and unbiased.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the author stance that the violent attacks on innocent people made matters worse for the Muslims image. These attack could of been avoided innocent people should not have to pay for others mistakes. The media were found guilty of not publishing the whole story and that's wrong because it shape people view on Muslim people being all violent. Its the media's responsibility to provide us with unbiased information to avoid unnecessary rivalry among persons and countries. I think religion is an important issue and should not be disrespected in any way not even by freedom of expression because it can lead to violence as seen by the Muslims. I agree with freedom of expression but you have to respect others.
References
1)Trinidad Express Newspapers. 2012 . “Media Freedom and Independence.” September 27, 2012.
(Accessed October 6,2012).
http://www.themediasociety.com/ ( Last accessed 06/10/2012)
“Media Freedom and Independence,” Venna-based international Press Institute and Paris based World Association on Newspapers and news publishers, http;//www.filejumbo.com/ DownloadA2AFC453EF8094A8
Earle John
809003547
Media is the most powerful tool of communication. It reaches a mass audience and essentially needs to be reported factually. In society today the media initially can bring an issue to be at the focal point. It is therefore mandatory that the reporting be done real and well informed.
ReplyDeleteIn the newspaper, Almasmari’s stated, “I think the media should play a neutral role and not take sides. That’s the kind of environment we’d also like to see in the West, where people understand what’s right and what’s wrong and condemn the mistakes and not generalize it to a religious issue.”
With respect to that statement, I agree with it and believe that the media should play a neutral role and not take sides when reporting. The media needs to be unbiased and not divert any special attention to certain issues. It is important that the people judge whether something is wrong or right, and not the media.
Misinformation and misrepresentation of many global issues has given rise to rivalry from people. For instance, since the Islamic video ‘Innocence of Muslims’ had been proclaimed, there were mass reports solely on the violence and looting performed by protesters. This has caused much controversy since these stereotypes are highlighted and the peaceful ones are kept in the minority.
Freedom of speech is important, but only when it is the truth. The media therefore need to keep in mind that they shape the opinion of the reader’s and refraining from certain biased opinions can deter further destructive events from occurring.
Nesha Mangroo
809001431
What kind of people would we be if we did not understand what’s right from what’s wrong? The media stands for this understanding, simple because they stand for our right to know what is going on. Thomas Jefferson said that “it is, however, and evil for which there is no remedy, our liberty depends on the freedom of the press, and that cannot be limited without being lost.” I agree with the express in their stating that “the media should play a neutral role and not take sides.” Simply because as representatives of the people, bias should be negated in order to produce an environment that allows the people to be heard.
ReplyDeleteThe press stands as the freedom which represents the information that stands as the key to educating and informing the people on the issues involved in the development of us as a people. Quoting Ronald Reagan where he shines light onto the importance and worth of freedom for a people, “above all, we must realize that no arsenal, or no weapon in the arsenals of the world, is so formidable as the will and moral courage of free men and women. It is a weapon our adversaries in today’s world do not have.”The problem, however, with this freedom of expression for the people is that this freedom can produce a problem.
The express relates the fact that the environment where people truly understand the up’s and down’s in order to avoid the mistakes, hence, not generalizing it to religious issues. Buddha said “just as a candle cannot burn without fire, men cannot live without a spiritual life.” However, the spiritual lives individuals live should not coincide with the voice of a people as expressed through the media, hence, my choice to stand with Almasmari’s statement generalization of media and religion should not exist.
References
BrainyQuote. Freedom Quotes. 2001-2012. http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/freedom.html (Accessed October 4, 2012).
BrainyQuote. Rights Quotes. 2001-2012. http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/rights.html (Accessed October 6, 2012).
BrainyQuote. Religion Quotes. 2001-2012. http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/topics/topic_religion.html (Accessed October 6, 2012).
Yeshantai Thompson
810004022
The media is the fastest growing economy these days. Almost everyone has access to it even if they don’t want to; the media is all around us. The media is meant to educate individuals on current issues. I think that the media should be neutral in their publishing of articles etc. they should not be biased because this will cause up roars from different sectors of the public. Yes I agree that it is the Medias responsibility to show the truth but at the same time it should not be altered so much as to end up being biased to one particular group or cause.
ReplyDeleteThe media can turn small misunderstandings into huge conflicts that can cause riots and even wars. For eg : the incident with the video with the Muslim religion caused many violent acts to be taken against them. The video showed that many acts they commit but in reality many violent acts are taken against the Muslims and are not seen to the public. Reasons for this happening are the media choose what they wanted to bring to light. Thus they were biased to one side which caused even more uproar than it should have caused.
I strongly agree that the media should be neutral and just share the facts of the situation. This will allow the public to choose what their point of view would be and not cause to much of an uproar in any particular religious, political or ethnic group.
REFERNCES:
1) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Objectivity_(journalism)
2) http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/feb/11/google-democracy-movements
MAHESHAWARIE MAHARAJ
810001384
I completely agree with the statement, “I think media should play a neutral role and not take sides. That’s the kind of environment we’d [also] like to see in the West where people understand what’s right and what’s wrong and condemn the mistakes and not generalize it to a religious issue” which was made by Hakim Almasmari.
ReplyDeleteMedia, both print and non-print play a vital role in educating the general public about current events and issues, both locally and internationally. The manner in which the topic is broadcasted influences the decision or view made by an individual. As a result of this, it is imperative for media personnel to convey only the facts of an issue either good or bad and put opinions aside and allow the audience to decide for themselves their take on the topic at hand.
As mentioned in the article, there are many protests and violent acts taking place throughout Egypt and Libya due to the recent video with an offensive and disrespectful portrayal of the Prophet Muhammad. The topic of religion is quite controversial more so that of Islam/ Muslims due to past events. There has been rampant coverage of the violent anti-American acts in the Middle East however, little or no coverage of persons who are protesting against the violence. This in itself goes to show how the media allows an issue to be misconstrued because they focus primarily on the negative and put a blind eye to the positive.
The media must therefore consider their integrity, uphold their morals and ethics and deliver unbiased information, thereby fulfilling their purpose of educating and informing the public.
Reference:
1)Trinidad Express Newspapers. 2012 . “Media Freedom and Independence.” September 27, 2012.
(Accessed October 6,2012).
Amanda Rampersad
809100063
The media plays an important role in society as it informs and educates the people. As it relates to the issues in the Middle East against the Americans on the release of the video “Innocence of Muslims”, I believed the Americans were ill-advised and should have known the consequences of making and posting a video that “insulted” the cultural practices, intentions and motives of others. The video content predisposed innocent Americans to incensed Muslims who felt violated.
ReplyDeleteFor every action there is consequence, and the magnitude of the Americans’ actions was deemed an act of war in the Middle East which have led to the killings and violence in twenty countries.
I agree with Almasmari, as he said that it was wrong of the Muslim people to attack the American ambassadors. Although they are upset it is not right to attack your oppressors.
As the media have access to the coverage of these events they should play a neutral role as the events in the Middle East are affecting everyone not only Muslims. Some of the countries being affected are Britain and Germany. What is freedom of speech? In the United Sates, it is the right guaranteed by the first amendment to the U.S. Constitution, to express beliefs and ideas without unwarranted government restriction. With this “freedom” there are personal responsibilities to respect the rights and dignity of others at all cost, in other words, do no harm.
References
http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Freedom+of+Speech Retrieved 4th October 2012
Trinidad Express Newspapers. 2012 . “Media Freedom and Independence.” September 27, 2012.
Kerri Puckerin
811100631
It may be a dull world if the media didn’t have its way with the news! The media has freedom of expression, why not use it? The media taking sides creates a stir and predicts the response of the public. It entertains, persuades, and excites (actual functions of the media). Why then should the media sit on the fence when reporting news? Maybe the media shouldn’t always take sides, especially with regards to religious and political issues. This WOULD surely influence, to some extent, the views of the public.
ReplyDeleteMedia bias can stir conflict and may cause the viewers to be starved of the REAL story. Take for instance the blasphemy of the movie, “The Innocence of Muslims,” allegedly created by Anti-Muslim Christian Americans. This made big news. It created big business! Even bigger news was the retaliation of Muslims who protested resulting in the harm and death Americans by Muslims in the Middle East. This was almost expected given the relationship of these two nations. However, why didn’t the media largely publicize those Muslims who condemned these attacks, or reveal that some protests were initially born from unemployment and high price grievances? It’d not create as much of a stir as they desire (possibly). Portraying only those captivating (one-sided) stories may heighten the pre-existing rival between the two nations, hence the reason the media should try taking sides regarding such topics.
In closing, the media is free to communicate whatever information they think is necessary to the public, in any manner they please. However this does not mean that it should always be allowed since there can be resulting negative implications as demonstrated above. It may also cloud the judgements of the viewing public by providing one-sided news.
http://jpfinn7.wordpress.com/2010/11/24/does-the-media-take-sides/
http://ckg.runckc.org/Home/Module-III--MEDIA--TECHNOLOGY/session3/activity-two-four-main-purposes-of-media
N'yasha Cabrera
811000731
In today’s society the media plays a major role in broadcasting information worldwide. The media can be referred to as any kind of data including graphics, images, audio and video through typically excluding raw text or executable code. The media can change people belief, decision, action and attitude towards an issue or someone due to their writing skills.
ReplyDeletePeople today are dependent on the media for information on what is going on around the world. These people agree with the views of the media rather than coming to their own decision. Religion is a collection of belief system, cultural system and world views that relates humanity to spirituality and sometimes moral views. In the Middle East, these Arab countries takes there religious views rather serious hence their violent reaction towards the anti-Islam film “Muhammed.” This film caused a chaos and confusion in the Middle East due to the biasness towards the Muslim religion.
The media should play a neutral role when it comes to religious views as they tend to cause confusion when they are bias and choose sides. They should let the people come to their own conclusion, this way the end results would be non-violent. The media should also have a neutral role in the West so the people can understand on their own what’s right from what’s wrong and not make drastic decisions due to the media.
It can be concluded that the media plays a major role on the decision, behavior and attitude of the people in a society. With the media having a neutral role in society the people can now have their own personal views towards issues in the world.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/media
http://www.filejumbo.com/Download/A2AFC453EF8094A8
DAREEM MOORE
811003089
I agree that the media should play a neutral role and not takes sides. When the media becomes neutral they develop an environment where people, readers, etc understand what’s right and what’s wrong, so that they can condemn the mistakes and not generalize it into a religious issue as Almasmari said in this particular article. The media on the other hand has the power to twist the truth and make things look as they would want it to. In reporting news and information to the public, the media needs to be very aware of certain things, for example ethnics, religion, etc as they should not be offensive as this could cause serious problems and arguments.
ReplyDeleteThis was seen in the article where the video portrays the prophet Muhammad inappropriately which was very offensive to the Muslim community. This was not taken quietly by the Muslims as seen in the article as there were reports of violence and looting in the Middle East by protesters. The media is to be blamed for showing only the wrong things being protested for and not the people that are protesting against violence and crime.
The media needs to understand that they have the power to grant the public with knowledge of activities and things happening around them, and if they are not careful as to how they convey the message or information it can be taken wrongly. In conclusion I do agree that the media should be neutral and should educate the people so that they can make better choices and know what’s wrong and what’s right. They should present the news or information being careful of not creating any religious issues but being neutral at the same time.
References:
1) Trinidad Express Newspapers 2012. “Media Freedom and Independence.” September 27th, 2012. (Accessed October 6th, 2012)
Ramiz R.S. Rajack
811001005
When the media puts forth a story that reaches its audience, no one really considers the reactions of the public which is an important factor that reporters thread lightly on and by-pass. Based on the material published within media confines, audiences react mostly with their perceptions and emotions whether the material was clearly conveyed or misunderstood. It is definitely true that the “Media Freedom and Independence” Trinidad Express article presents the idea that the violence of the Muslims in the Middle East was of greater offense to the religion than the film itself. As Almasmari stated, “I think that the media should play a neutral role and not take sides” helping persons to fully understand the truth and “condemn mistakes and not generalize it to a religion issue.” He is correct in his claims because this is exactly what the situation has become- a religion issue. Indeed, the Islamic faith was disrespected however; the viral and large scale effects were uncalled for considering how amateur the film was. Hence, this is the point that most media personnel missed which caused misrepresentations and misunderstandings across the globe.
ReplyDeleteI believe that the media should have been more objective and clear cut highlighting more of the important root of the event rather than the negative implications. Not until reading this article did I discover that there were Arabic reports condemning the film and the violence against the Ambassador and U.S. citizens. Many persons like myself, have been of the view that the “nitty gritty” of the issue was simply that the Middle East were protesting and murdering innocent persons who were affiliated with the U.S or carried the American citizen title. Little focus was placed on the film, the punishment of the persons who created the film, the motive behind the film etc. Reality is that the media chose to magnify the violence and they were within their right to due to the vast number of persons who would have been affected by the reactions of the Muslims. However based on what Almasmari said the media’s role is changing and evolving ever so quickly that they MUST strengthen their news more than ever so that citizen have access to broader array of ideas, perspectives and the truth!
References:
1. http://www.trinidadexpress.com/commentaries/Media_freedom_and_independence_-171639881.html
2.http://www.denverpost.com/commented/ci_21711091?source=commented-news
SHANIECE MITCHELL
811000364
Media plays a fundamental role in informing its audiences about situations going around the world that may or may not affect them directly. I do agree with the comment made where the media should preserve any neutral role, remove all biases and not take any sides and report only the facts and truth during their process of relaying any messages across to its audience.
ReplyDeleteA prime example that was discussed in the article of concern for this discussion is the proclaimed actions taken by Muslims around the world in fight for the removal and rights of their religion against the Anti-Islam film that was made. The media was the medium through which the world came about to know firstly, about the film and secondly about the reactions and actions taken by Muslims around the world. It did portray to the world all the violence that was taking place around the world. It reported fiery protests, attacks on U.S embassies, riots and a massive outrage of those people who were offended. Followed were the criticisms of those same actions where people had the view that their actions were more of a letdown to their religion than the film itself. The media demonstrated and portrayed that all of the violence that were taking place were as a result of the film. However, reports confirm that the violence were a result of the built up anger from unmet expectations, security lapse, unemployment and high prices.
Evidently, from our own perception after seeing the violence broadcasted about the violence, we ourselves were fallen victims to the media as we thought the protests etc was all a result of the anti-Islam film. To conclude, the media who have all right to cover all stores that occur all around the world, should be unbiased and neutral and bring across the true stories behind every protest, battle, election, discussion and whatever else maybe going on around the world.
REFERNCES:
1)retval;}, e(a);return. " Media freedom and independence | Trinidad Express Newspaper | Commentaries ." Trinidad Express Newspaper . http://www.trinidadexpress.com/commentaries/Media_freedom_and_independence_-171639881.html (accessed October 6, 2012).
MEERA MARAJ
809001628
Media-the people who have the capability to drive the whole world! In a normal sense, the media can be defined as any medium which keeps you informed. The article in focus brings to light issues on print media such as newspapers and magazines and broadcast news such as radio and television. In the broadcasting of the controversial video on ‘Innocence of Muslims’ in the United States, it was quite evident that the main purpose of the media in this act was to sabotage the image of the Muslim community especially in their offensive portrayal of the Prophet Muhammad(pbuh) which in my opinion was very disrespectful and absurd. It highlights though, the level of respect the media has for religion and the extent to which they would go to stir up anti-American violence in the Middle East. It was inevitable the way in which the Islamic community responded as a result of the broadcasting of that horrific video. Furthermore, it was absolutely uncalled for the print media to report untruthful stories on the way in which the Muslim community retaliated but it was expected as they always seek to destroy the image of Muslims in every possible sense that they can. As a result of these inhuman acts displayed by the media I would have to agree with the statement made in the article by Mr.Almasmari as I too believe that the media should take a neutral role in the stories they are reporting on because the media is like an individual’s window to the world. This means that the media greatly influence people’s opinions on many topics and they also manipulate what they expose to the world and how they do it. So to be fair to everyone the media should be unbiased and truthful in any form of reporting to the public.
ReplyDeleteName: Tahlia Ali
I.D.#: 810003512
I believe that the freedom of expression should not encourage the media to advertise and speak their mind to the fullest extent but should handle a story or send a message to the audience with consideration to class, gender, race and religion. Media will always have the freedom of speech but with great power comes great responsibilities. Just because the group of people who made the movie COULD do as they please, they are responsible for the reaction that they receive, which in this case was highly negative. Religion is a delicate issue, where people can quickly become offended.
ReplyDeleteAs long as a debate on an issue exists, people would always want to share their ideas and beliefs and it may seem as a’ good or beneficial’ to society, so that media cannot play a neutral role if both sides are right. In this case, most people won’t know the true customs and history of Islam but the crew who made the movie put their interpretation Islam in that form (video). The intention may not have been to cause conflict but targeting a religion, making ‘fun’ of it and on top of that, making the movie accessible worldwide without considering the reaction shows poor judgment.
Other main contributors in today’s excessive freedom of speech in the media are money and modernization. The movie makers used this comedic form Islam to get famous. Most incidents related to freedom of speech in the media are occurring in the modern day. It is the media’s latest excuse for doing as they please to send a story to the audience and is unfair. In conclusion the media cannot remain neutral about a story and when sending a message refrain from a topic such as religion to avoid confusion in the public.
Beena Ramkissoon
810003839.
The role of the media is to get information across to the public and that's it. News or information sent by the media to the receiver should be opinion free. I agree with the statement that the media should take a neutral stance, they should not take sides, if they do then I think it will just corrupt the news. I also agree where he said that Western Society generalizes everything into a religious issue. We often do this because we feel as though religion is one of the most sensitive topics and it would make sense to blame everything on it.
ReplyDeleteThe media's job is to bring issues to light for the general public's knowledge, they should get the truth out there no matter what. Being unbiased is very important although it may be difficult because everyone is entitled to an opinion and they want to express it but when one is presenting the news to the public they need to present the truth and nothing else, it needs to be as unbiased as possible.
In the case of the film and religion one needs to keep in mind that religion on the whole is a sensitive topic and taking a side while bringing it to the forefront would just corrupt the presentation and make it ineffective. One should be allowed to have freedom when it comes to broadcasting information but with that comes a responsibility in that one should know how to use it especially when it comes to what people believe in and what their religious choices are.
REFERENCES:
http://www.yourfilelink.com/get.php?fid=822514
Vijaya Singh
811002001
The primary objective and purpose of the media is to inform, educate and entertain the largest possible audience. However, the media obligates to be biased and misleading at times. Religion and politics are two major topics and highlights which are usually of great interest of the media.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely approve of the statement, "I think the media should play a neutral role and not take sides. That's the kind of environment we'd [also] like to see in the West, where people understand what's right and what's wrong and condemn the mistakes and not generalize it into a religious issue," which was made by Hakim Almasmari.
With respect to the Anti-Islamic video made with and offensive portrayal of Prophet Muhammed, coverage of several violent attacks and protests has been made throughout North Africa, Libya and Egypt. However, there is no exposure of persons protesting for peace and against violence. One does not realize the effects and consequences the media can have toward society.
Everyone has the right to freedom of expression. However, once again a neutral role should be taken into consideration when dealing with religious concerns since this is a very sensitive topic. The manner in which a topic such as ‘religion’ is broadcasted can and may influence a person’s point of view causing stereotypes. Hence, truthfulness should prevail when dealing with this subject. There are several religions and it seems unethical and biased to stereotype one such religion. I certainly believe that everyone is entitled to their own beliefs and should not be condemned but respected and appreciated despite freedom of expression.
Finally, the media should remember its sole purpose to inform, educate and entertain unbiased and accurate topics without having the ability to be disrespectful despite the action of freedom of speech.
Reference:
1)Trinidad Express Newspapers. 2012 . “Media Freedom and Independence.” September 27, 2012. http://www.trinidadexpress.com/commentaries/Media_freedom_and_independence_-171639881.html (Accessed October 6,2012).
Sharmila Ganpat
809002681
The violent attacks in the Islamic countries have been a concern for many people. These attacks all stemmed from the production of a film which insulted the Islamic faith. The Daily Express (Friday 28th September) highlighted the topic in an article (‘Media freedom and independence’) where the issue of this violence was seen as more an offence to the religion than the video. These attacks were not necessary following the release of the video but it showed people’s reaction to such a production. Freedom of speech or expression is entitled to everyone in the United States but it’s only a few who shared this view of Islam. However, violence and death were the results of people’s freedom of expression.
ReplyDeleteIt can be argued that it’s this ‘freedom of expression’ that led to the violent attacks in Islamic countries on Americans. These actions either way are not accepted as innocent people are killed and attacked for a video that they had no responsibility for. The author of the article also added that ‘freedom of expression is key to educating persons on various issues’. This is true since it’s from people’s expressions that different views and thoughts are created in society. It educates many on various topics, issues and events thus, it can be considered valuable in society.
I agreed with Almasmari’s comment from the article that "media should play a neutral role and not take sides”. Media houses and reporters should be neutral in their news articles and bias free as taking sides may result in various reactions. Reporters need to remember that they are conveying a message for and audience and the taking of sides should be left for the audience to do as it may corrupt the message being delivered. This matter has been an issue on the forefront in the Western half of the world. At the end of the day it’s a bias free media that is needed to convey messages effectively.
References:
Trinidad Express, “Media freedom and independence” Friday 28th September, 2012, accessed 5th October, 2012.
Morissa Rodney
811000467
The conservative nature of Islam purports it to be against the freedom of speech. The expression of personal thought and feelings seem not to be advocated by the religion and one may be led to believe that as is evident by the uprising of violent crimes against embassies in the Middle East. These latest developments of violence have been widely covered by the media and appear to reveal the retaliation of a religious group to a western product.
ReplyDeleteThere seems to be a divide on freedom of speech among some members of the Islamic world. Syed Masrur, Managing Director of challengeyoursoul.com states: “I am all for freedom of speech. We value freedom of speech so that we can criticise and debate freely.” On the other hand, an article posted on islamiccentre.org declares: “Muslims who live in the Western world today are in danger of following blindly doctrines of “Freedom of Speech” without knowing or being sensitive to the tradition of “speech” in Islam.”
According to the highlighted Express newspaper article, the author wishes that the media adopts a state of neutrality and that the Western cultures should recognise what is right and wrong. One is to wonder if the West has become numb to sacrilegious events or no longer hold religious figures in high esteem. There are television programmes which portray important Christian entities seemingly without consideration for those who revere them. The silence may act as a sign of approval for those responsible for such works to continue in their foray of disrespect. Nevertheless, whether objection is a deafening shout or a whispered voice, it does not make it right.
It may be possible for one to believe that the creators of such defamatory works have no religious compass or to say the least lack direction. This could be assessed by thinking about the desecration of the ideals and images involving the figures of their own beliefs by others and thus would not commit the act themselves. Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation Mr. Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu stated: “We are not saying stop free speech. We are staying stop hate speech.” The term “hate speech” should be underscored, especially since (and it was noted in the Express article, Paragraph 6) in western societies, even offensive speech is protected. Hate speech seems to encompass any offensive comment whether directed at Islamic, Christian or other religious groups.
It is with this mindset that the media should approach protests and acts of violence as they are retaliations against something wrong. This is especially true since the teachings of Islam are anti-violence. In hindsight, it may be normal to group individuals with common characteristics or interests. However, this typecasting must be avoided since it may paint certain factions in the wrong light. After all, the media is about reporting the truth.
http://articles.challengeyoursoul.com/index.php?articleId=3&categoryId=1
Accessed October 2nd, 2012.
http://www.islamiccentre.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=122:freedom-of-speech-a-true-islamic-view&catid=17:islamic-beliefs&Itemid=42
Accessed October 2nd, 2012.
http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/09/29/muslim-leaders-say-call-for-global-ban-on-anti-islam-hate-speech-is-not-attack-on-free-speech/
Accessed October 2nd, 2012.
Darion Fraser
809004236
Religion is everything to Islamic people. That is why they classify and criticize everything on a religious level. It must be understood that religion is a way of life for those people and their views are greatly affected by this. News reporters in those countries therefore, will be biased and affected in their judgment this way. Freedom of expression is what allows these reporters in the Islamic countries to report on those recent events. However it is the way in which they received the unsettling information in the video made by the Americans. The Islamic people now believe that the video is the view of all American, but this may not be so.
ReplyDeleteTherefore, this reinforces the fact that freedom of information can affect freedom of expression. The way in which one views the information presented to them, affects the way they reproduce the same information. The newspaper article states that media should be neutral and allow the public to make their own judgments. However, the media is allowed to have their own freedom in displaying the information that they sought. Some media is unbiased and neutral, but those in the Islamic countries may not have access to them.
Freedom of expression will be difficult to control, but in essence, it stems from freedom of information and the way in which people interpret and analyze the information that they receive. Newspapers and other media, in my opinion, should be allowed to be biased and unbiased, as the public can still make their own judgments and criticize using their discretion.
LEANDRA RAMOO
811003474
REFERENCES:
1. Media Freedom and Independence,
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MQRHdct1-AM/UGnYcKzMebI/AAAAAAAAAak/dZ7ryu9_TBA/s1600/Article+-+Media+Freedom+and+independence.jpg
2. Freedom of Expression and the Media, Merris Amos, Jackie Harrison, Lorna Woods, Martinus Nijhoff Publishers.
http://books.google.tt/books?id=P_onSJ2zlaAC&dq=media+freedom+expression&source=gbs_navlinks_s
“Media are the storage and transmission channels or tools used to store and deliver information or data. The news media are those elements of the mass media that focus on delivering news to the general public or a target public. These include print media (newspapers, newsmagazines), broadcast news (radio and television), and more recently the Internet (online newspapers, news blogs, etc.).” Thus the media is one of the most important ways of informing a massive audience like the general public of present day situations. It should be taken into consideration that the news media reaches persons of various levels of education, academia background, socio-economic classes and political views. Therefore I agree with Almasmari in that the media “should play a neutral role and not take sides”, the media should remain unbias especially when covering delicate topics like religion and politics. This is because the news media is highly influential and holds the most persuasive power towards the general public. Western media coverage of the protests in the Middle East which were ensued following the release of an anti-Islamic video, Innocence of Muslims, has been focusing constantly on the “violence and anti-American statements released” and not on the protests by the Islamic people. The constant coverage of the protests can lead to more supposed stereotyping of Muslims by persons in the Western world especially after the “terrorism attacks” on the World Trade Center on ‘9/11’.
ReplyDeleteArticle 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that “everyone shall have the right to freedom of expression” and that the exercise of these rights carries “special duties and responsibilities” and may “therefore be subject to certain restrictions”. The release of the anti-Islamic video and the bias news media coverage by Western countries of the protests in Middle East, demonstrates the term ‘freedom of speech’ coming into play however both instances neglect the “special duties and responsibilities” freedom of speech is associated with. The controversial video shows an abuse of freedom of speech however it should be noted that the freedom of expression may be subjected to “certain restrictions”. I believe that these restrictions on the release of the video should have been implemented especially since heavier restrictions exists on alleged controversial entertainment forms like music, art, novels and even in offensive speech in Western countries. Also, the news media should express freedom of speech but not fully where it can influence the public’s views culturally and politically and to not encourage stereotypical thinking. It should solely focus on highlighting current events by remaining unbias however if opinions are needed to be expressed it should be done in the form of debates and discussions between national and international press.
REFERENCES:
1.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_of_speech
2.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/News_media
Sinead Briggs
620022234
Let’s remember that Islam became a “hostile” religion in the world’s view after 9/11. It is also one of the world’s fastest growing religions. Just like Christianity, it has several branches with different practices involved in each. The American and Islamic world relationship has always been unstable. Americans have split views on individuals of this religion: pro- and anti-. Some individuals express their opinions in productions like the one in question. If it were directed to my religion, I would feel the same offense on behalf of my beliefs. Different groups react differently. The extremists demonstrate their feelings in more violent ways. They seek to revenge their injustices regardless of the repercussions. Others may protest the actions of these people but in the end, they are grouped with the actions of others. With respect to the role the media plays on an already volatile situation, it is important. This ‘feud’ attracts attention on an international level. It is through media coverage that many draw opinions on the situation. What they choose to highlight and underplay will influence how much cover the overall reactions of the Islamic people get. When you factor in the loss of life into the equation, a stereotype is given to the protesting on a whole. And as all protestors may be of the same religion, the media is key in differentiating differences. The loss of American life in these geographic areas, generates high media coverage and how fault is presented, will determine the response to a situation. Considering all this, the media’s freedom to bring us news should be modified especially when there is an already existing history of violence among the two worlds. Yes they have a freedom to express their opinions but they should try not to make an already bad situation any more worse. Under the American First Amendment legislations they cannot actively shut down the expressions of the American citizens. But they can consider that corrective actions should be in place especially when situations like these arise. I stand with the fact that religion is a sacred thing and to portray it in a degrading and offensive manner will hurt the people of any religion regardless of who it is aimed for.
ReplyDeleteNELISHA HOSEIN
809001830
http://presstv.com/detail/2012/10/07/265366/muslim-protest-taken-to-white-house-door/
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/pakistan/9555539/Islamic-protests-sweep-Pakistan-over-anti-Mohammed-video-and-cartoon.html
http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2012/09/2012918112920274722.html
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/video/2012/sep/20/pakistanis-protest-against-anti-islam-film-video
The media’s responsibility is to inform, educate and entertain the audience. This topic is of great interest because it concerns religion and the consequences associated with religious beliefs. That is, it is a controversial topic.
ReplyDeleteThe article in the Daily Express highlighted a particular concern “freedom of expression in the media”. I strongly agree with the statement made by Almasmari. The media should play a neutral role and not take sides. That's the kind of environment we'd [also] like to see in the West, where people understand what's right and what's wrong and condemn the mistakes and not generalize it into a religious issue. Considering the video made with the offensive portrayal of the prophet. This video was made with “freedom of expression” in mind.
We have all fallen as victims to the media after we believed that the attacks were a result of the video made when it was reported that the protests were due to high unemployment rates, high food prices, etc.
The media greatly influences one’s trend of thought. With that in mind, when conveying their message, it must not be offensive or misleading. The message should also not involve hatred or invade one’s privacy.
ornella sohun
808000547
Publisher and chief editor of Yemen Post, Hakim Almasmari stated that the media should play a neutral role and not take sides. Today, the media plays a very critical role in society and therefore, any message that is expressed on the airwaves must not be biased. In order to achieve such status, some believe that the media needs to be free and independent in its course.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, Western media coverage of the on-going situation in the Muslim world has been bias. There are many attempts to generalize the situation in relation to the religious film called Innocence of Muslims. While on the other hand, the real issue behind the uproar has stemmed from a long resentment with the United States of America. Its bias issues such as this which caused many conflicts around the world.
Western media has encouraged unfairness in its messages when it highlighted anti-American statements but fail to mention the condemnation of those attacks by Muslims. This clearly shows that there was some level of unfairness in the message. The media should refrain from all unfair reports because of its influence in the world today. Messages should be presented accordingly from both sides of the issue and not just one. This would enable some sort of neutrality in the media and dispel any bias content in the media.
The issue of media freedom and independence is very essential for the media to play a neutral role. There needs to be some level of freedom and independence so that media could perform its duty without interference from unscrupulous agendas. This would prove to strengthen or maintain the media’s integrity at all times.
In closing, the media should play a neutral role and not take sides, according to Hakim Almasmari. This would prevent bias messages from being communicated across the media’s channel.
David Quamina
811000845
Reference:
2012. “Media freedom and independence.” Trinidad Express, September 27. Accessed October 4, 2012.
http://www.trinidadexpress.com/commentaries/Media_freedom_and_independence_-171639881.html.
“Anyone who relies on mainstream newspapers, television or radio for news will have a very superficial and one sided view of what is going on. What masquerades as news is simply a mixture of lies, half truths, spin, counterspin and propaganda. Today the aim of the media is to misinform, to manipulate and to make you afraid.”(Coleman, 2005)
ReplyDeleteI absolutely agree with the statement made in the article, “Media freedom and independence”, whereby “the media should play a neutral role and not take sides. The media is a powerful tool in influencing a persons way of thought and beliefs since in present society most people tend to believe everything fed to them by the media. The media having all this power should however not use it for injustice and biasness. Yet today's journalists have no sense of history and no ability to think for themselves. They are not in the slightest bit interested in truth but by the promise of wealth, fame and success.
In terms of having the freedom of expression without any limits, this may pose a dilemma. Persons in media sometimes fail to use their discretion in editing controversial opinionated issues that can cause conflict and violence. The author makes reference to the necessity for freedom of the press in which case he was possibly making mention to the federal trade commission(FTC)and its mission of protecting consumers by investigating issues raised by reports from consumers ,congressional inquiries, or reports in the media such as false advertising. In light of the anti-Islamic film and the violent protesting in the Middle East, they should be informed that the film was produced by standard persons and not government authorized as some may believe. The media needs to play a neutral role in supplying plausible information and unbiased facts to help diminish similar occurrences of violence, whereby people can condemn the mistakes and not generalize it to a religious issue.
References:
“Media Freedom and Independence,” Venna-based international Press Institute and Paris based World Association on Newspapers and news publishers, http;//www.filejumbo.com/ DownloadA2AFC453EF8094A8
(accessed October 6, 2012).
"Why The Media Can't Be Trusted To Provide The Truth." Vernon Coleman - international bestselling novelist and campaigning author. http://www.vernoncoleman.com/whythemediacant.htm (accessed October 6, 2012).
Rebecca F.R. Sukal
809001960
I absolutely agree with Hakim Almasmari, when he said."I think the media should play a neutral role and not take sides. That's the kind of environment we'd [also] like to see in the West, where people understand what's right and what's wrong and condemn the mistakes and not generalize it into a religious issue." I agree with him because the media should not present and display a contradiction of all Muslims, as not all Muslims are the same.
ReplyDeleteThe information in the film poses a mockery and an insult to the Muslim religion as it portrays their prophet Muhammad as a negative leader. The clip conveys a complete disrespect to the Muslim faith. Despite ones views of another’s religion, one should not disrepute someone else’s faith as this could result in catastrophic chaos.
The video should have been banned from being publicized as it could result in a major catastrophe as the Muslims could react violently because of the video implications about them.
Therefore, the media should be careful when releasing information into the public and must take into consideration the effects of such actions. The information that the media discloses should be factual and clean of any bias as the media tends to shape the values and beliefs that a person may have. Thus, factual news should be given to the public to prevent any rivalries between and among countries.
To sum up, I believe the media needs to be incredibly cautious in what they pronounce and how much of a particular subject matter they stress on, so as to abstain from being biased and promoting people to believe false information and critiques of others which may perhaps result in chaos.
Reference
http://www.trinidadexpress.com/commentaries/Media_freedom_and_independence_-171639881.html
SHANYSE TAYLOR
811000107
Statement:
ReplyDelete“I think the social media should play a neutral role and not take sides. That’s the kind of environment we’d (also) like to see in the west, where people understood what’s right and what’s wrong and condemn the mistake and not generalize it to religious issues.”
The media has a responsibility to convey information to their audience on any matter which pertains to their interest or might affect their lives. Audience denotes groups of mixed individuals whether ethnicity, status and social standing or religious beliefs and might be existing in the same geographic location. With the dissemination of information one need not be partial as there is diversity in and audience and being neutral on a matter shows that the journalist is credible and reinforces the validity of the message. On the basis of these characteristics of the audience I am in agreement that the social media has to play a neutral role in the dissemination of information. It is stated that journalist are the gate keepers for the worthiness of the news, when such a high level of responsibility is placed on these individuals in making such importance decisions human error may become an issue. When the onus is placed on one individual to impact change it introduces issue of biasness, these biases then become hindrances in their news reporting accuracy. Social psychologist Lewin ( 1947) states that gatekeeper being the single decision markers, psychologically presumes the attitude and values favoring certain over others. When our point of view takes precedence over the facts or accuracy of the intended message the message becomes distorted and there is a breech in communication. Some of the characters of a good new story are accuracy, brevity and clarity and does not include personal point of view or opinions. One of the most controversial topics today is religion and not being able to find a balance makes room for opinions and personal point of view to clog our judgment. So there must be some boundaries when one has such a well defined role with attached expectation. There is no room for taking of sides, accuracy must be our first priority and clarity must be given regardless of our opinion.
SHIRLAN RAMEAU
811005616
References:
Clayman, E Steven and Ann Reisner. 1998. Gate Keeping in Action: Editorial Conferences and Assessment of Newworthiness: American Sociological Review. Vol 63 No.2 . http//www.jstor.org
Media Freedom and Independence: Trinidad express newspaper
I agree with the statement, “I think media should play a neutral role and not take sides. That’s the kind of environment we’d [also] like to see in the West where people understand what’s right and what’s wrong and condemn the mistakes and not generalize it to a religious issue” made by Hakim Almasmari.
ReplyDeleteThe main purpose and objective of the media is to educate, inform and entertain the public about current events and issues, locally and internationally. Messages put forth to the public should be factual and unbiased. However, the media tends to be biased and misleading at times. Hence media personnel should put their own opinions aside and allow the audience to make decisions on the topics presented. In this way the audience would not be influenced by the media’s opinion and conflicts between the source and receiver would be prevented. Only facts on the issues presented whether bad or good should be conveyed by the media.
Issues concerning Politics and Religion are the most highlighted by the media. The Daily Express highlighted an article, “Media Freedom and Independence” on Friday 28th September, 2012, following the movie trailer posted on Youtube “Innocence of Muslims”, which had an offensive portrayal of the Prophet Muhammed. This production leads to violent attacks and protest throughout North Africa, Libya and Egypt. In the article it stated, this violence was seen as more an offense to the religion than the video. Freedom of expression is entitled to everyone, however when dealing with religious views a neutral role should be taken as this can be a very sensitive topic. The media may influence one’s point of view when dealing with topics such as religion which can lead to stereotyping. When the media is reporting on issues /topic it is best to remain neutral, and present the topics accurately without their opinions. Trust is only gained by being truthful, therefore the media should be direct, unbiased and factual when educating, informing and entertaining the public.
References:
Trinidad Express Newspaper. 2012. “Media Freedom and Independence.” September 28, 2012. (Accessed October 7, 2012)
Nazirah Padarath
809005015
I completely agree with the author’s statement. “I think the media should play a neutral role and not take sides. That’s the kind of environment we’d (also) like to see in the west, where people understand what’s right and what’s wrong and condemn the mistakes and not generalize it into a religious issue.’’
ReplyDeleteMass media functions as agents of information, education, entertainment and influence to the general public. There are code of ethics, which governs the duties and functions of the media. The code of ethics state that journalist and newspapers should act in good faith and fairness in news reports.
The mass media is very influential in shaping attitudes, behaviour, perceptions, which are projected based on a variety of programmes.
The author argue that, freedom of information is key to educating persons on all issues involved in the matter such as freedom of expression, and delivery of information. Freedom of expression is a key function of the mass media but it should not involve publication of issues, which are likely to promote riots and civil disorder. The Anti-Islamic video triggered revolts and civil disorder. The manner in which a topic such as ‘religion’ is broadcast can influence a person’s point of view causing stereotypes. Hence truthfulness should prevail when dealing with this subject. The media should ensure that information published is based on facts. They should report and promote activities which foster national unity, harmony and economic and social progress of the society.
Finally, the messages transmitted through channels should be neutral. Which will result in national unity, harmony and economic and social progress in society.
Reference:
www.trinidad express.com. Media freedom and independence. 27th September,2012.
Geselle Leacock
ID#: 811100490
The media’s role is mainly to convey coverage of a story that is deemed public importance. Addition to this their coverage should be brought across impartially in such a way that fulfills their objective by capturing the intended reader’s attention. Contrary to this everyone else is free to express their own opinion. According to Article 19, United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers. This statement in my belief is misleading as it is contradictory to the way the media should convey their story. Having the right to freedom of opinion can sway opinion being bias or impartial. This can however be by strengthening the news media so that citizens have access to broader array of ideas and perspectives.
ReplyDeleteQuoting from the Express newspaper on September 28th 2012, “In Egypt, television journalist Shahira Amin told us: "The media have been low key and calling for those responsible to be held to accountable.” She also added,: "[The media] have also been calling for restraint, and there's a lot of condemnation about what's happened in Libya. For the first time, I feel like people are condemning this kind of behaviour and are saying it's unjustifiable, and I've read several columns saying the reaction is a bigger insult to Islam [than the movie]." Its evident that this Egyptian journalist is bias in her coverage and totally condemning the violence portrayed by the Muslims against the controversial film.
The media however should fulfill their purpose by maintaining a neutral stance when reporting their story and mindful of voicing their own opinion when in carrying their story which can be negatively influential on society hence leading to problems.
REFERENCE :
Trinidad Express Newspapers. 2012 . “Media Freedom and Independence.” September 27, 2012. Accessed on October 5,2012. www.trinidadexpress.com
Shah, Anup. “Mainstream Media.” Global Issues. 04 Mar. 2012. Web. 07 Oct. 2012. .
NAME: NATHANIEL THEODORE
ID: 809000034
Siddiq Ramjohn
ReplyDelete811100004
I must agree to my fellow colleague that the media should be impartial in reporting their story to the public and hence have their own opinion.
In my opinion I totally agree with the statement made by Mr. Almasmari. The media has a job to do and it must be performed in an unbias and neural manner. Too often we see the media adding their own twists or views to stories and hence either misleading the public or persuading them in believing what they report. The media has a high level of credibility and as a result whatever information they provide the public with, a large number of people would believe what is said so therefore it is very important an crucial that the media is neutral and do not take sides in reporting their story. Also in my opinion the media has the tendency in making a mall or minor issue into a big or major problem.
Today in our society we clearly see a lot of wrong actions and deviant behaviour goes unpunished and as a result of that more and more of those actions are being committed without having to answer to anyone. On the other hand we see our politicians today whenever a problem arises they turn it into a religious issue and hence create divisions and rifts between communities. That is not the manner in which our problems need to be addressed and more importantly that is not the example needed to be set by our so called politicians or leaders.
My brothers and sisters we need to create a society where people fully understand what is right from wrong and speak out against it in a professional manner and not make a big issue of religious concern. We need to develop love not only for ourselves but all our friends, families and neighbours and then my friends we would achieve the type of society we desire.
Reference... Trinidad Express Newspapers. "Media Freedom and Independence." September 27th, 2012. Accessed on October 4, 2012.www.trinidadexpress.com
“I think the media should play a neutral role and not take sides”. While I am in full support of the statement first we must identify the limits to which the media must being natural. Bases on the article the Islam’s seems to take great insult from the content displayed in the video. However does that mean that the media was bias in presenting the video? Of course not! Although some of the contents seemed to be designed to attack the ‘’Prophet Muhammad” and their religious beliefs and practices, however; I believe it was not the intensions of the media and they ‘the media’ was taking advantages of their privileges to grant awareness to the general public.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand you’d agree that it is of great offence to the embassies which are being attack by the Islam’s. These includes the American and British considering the lines in the article which state that violent protest and attack even resulted in death of an American ambassador ‘Christopher Stevens’. You would agree that those actions were very offensive to the embassies but yet they were presented. This gives rise to the question what do we define as being bias in the media industry?
When dealing with religion most people seem to pay great respect which I am in support of but bases on emotions one can be misguided.
To conclude I believe the media was not bias, and it’s another case of mixed emotions resulting in wrong judgement.
Kerry Jones
811002090
http://mediatrinbago.wordpress.com/about/
ReplyDeletehttp://mediatrinbago.wordpress.com/
http://web.cortland.edu/russellk/courses/prjdis/html/5medlit.htm
http://www.mouse.org/?gclid=CK_8hJXE77ICFQs3nAodWhUA7g
Kerry Jones
81102090
totally disagree with you... in your second paragraph... cause even if some happened to offend you religious beliefs, intentionally or not you will get up set... Trinbagonians have a culture that they keep quite and these people in those countries in the Middle East and Africa tend to stand for what they believe in..
DeleteLeslyn Alexander
811002435
I completely agree that the media should play a neutral roll. It is by far the most powerful institution in society. While, it is mainly responsible for the reporting of information/issues around the globe it is also very influential. For this reason, the media should be very careful as to what they are releasing into the global net simply because the majority of people that will read or see it will most likely believe it.
ReplyDeleteThere is a common mistake that is made when it comes to media. While it has freedom of expression, press and speech it is also supposed to be based on THE TRUTH. Meaning, when something is being reported or published, it is supposed to be based on the FACTS. However, society has shown us that this is not always the case. A perfect example of this is the issue of the "Innocence of Muslims" video. It completely defaced the identity and historical significance of Prophet Muhammad.
What do I mean? When the video was released, many instances of violence occurred after because the Muslim society felt that it was an intentional act of disrespect from the United States. Eventhough, they were aware, that the video was created by a small contingent of American citizens; they believed that the views were shared by most because it was allowed to be released.
What am I saying? I'm saying that the media is a two-edged sword. It can bring about peace and harmony, or create chaos and confusion. It can cause the views of little to destroy or hurt the lives of many. For this reason, the media should be very careful and diligent as to what is released into the societal atmosphere. Whether it is entertainment, politics, sports or even economics, whatever the issue, the media should always stay TRUE!!
811005456
O’jae Jerome King
Everyone has the right to speak their mind regardless of whatever the content may be or whoever the content may affect. This is human nature. However, the reaction taken by the offended would relate volumes. This simply means that the actions taken by the offended would either prove the offender accurate or inaccurate in his accusations.
ReplyDeleteThe film which insulted the Muslim faith is the cause for many protest action as well as the violent attack on the Embassy last Tuesday which was stated in the Express Newspaper article "Media Freedom and Independence" (dated 28th September). This youtube movie trailer, "Innocence of Muslims" had an offensive portrayal of the prophet Muhammed and in turn led to these violent attacks throughout Egypt, North Africa and Libya.
In the article, the author stated that allowing individuals the freedom of speech is one way to pass on information to others but at the same time it could be a dangerous practice since it could offend others and cause them to behave irrationally.
I would agree with the author's statement " I think the media should play a neutral role and not take sides. That's the kind of environment we'd [also] like to see in the West, where people understand what's right and what's wrong and condemn the mistakes and not generalize it into a religious issue".
The media should advertise what was stated and not their opinion on what was stated because a slight change from the original statement could lead to devastating results if it is not what was intended by the speaker.
However, at the same time, the mass media should not involve publication of issues that would promote to protest and violent actions. They should base their published information on facts rather than their opinion since this would assist them if any receiver tries to accuse the media of discriminating them.
References:
Trinidad Express Newspaper. 2012. “Media Freedom and Independence.” September 28, 2012. (Accessed October 7, 2012)
808010645
Hemvati Ramdath
The vehemence of the reaction taken by the Muslims was beyond the tastelessness of the video, Innocence of Muslims. I am in compliance with the belief that all forms of bias should be exempted from the traditional media. The media can largely influence the opinions, perceptions and behaviours of the viewers. It has the potential to make the guilty look innocent and the innocent look guilty as stated by Malcolm X.
ReplyDeleteThe media lies within its rights to circularize the convulsions initiated by the Muslims in the Middle East as it is seemingly newsworthy. The media focuses on the protests and attacks against the US embassies and the deaths of Americans. This in turn, generates a stereotypical antagonistic perception of Muslims. On the other hand, there is a greater fraction of Muslims who are protesting against the violence but not much attention is directed to this side. Therefore, the name of Islam is degraded due to some manipulation of the media.
Freedom and independence given to the media can either be an advantage or disadvantage and usually, it tends to be a disadvantage. In his opinion, freedom would allow for discussion and debate but I think it would simply lead to more hatred and violence. In addition, I believe that people have varying perceptions of what is right and what is wrong. These perceptions are usually based on norms and values which are held by a specific community and determined by a culture. Hence the conflict arises among different societies.
Crystal Mc Comie
811000887
I agree with the statements made by the publisher Hakim Almasmari and I share mutual views. The media is generated as a type of forum and its main role is to educate and inform the public in an unbiased, factual and direct manner about present news and issues. I believe that media should play a neutral part, not taking any sides and their opinions should be avoided when informing the public. Since these broadcast can influence the public’s views and opinions on issues. However I think that the public should have the ability in knowing a good message from an opinionated and misinterpreted one.
ReplyDeleteTo some extent I agree with freedom of expression however there should have some limitations on what can be published or viewed. I believe that writers should be braver to write but these should be truthful publications and should not be an insult to one’s race, religion or gender. Religion, in my opinion is sacred and private to a person therefore one should not criticize and judge one’s belief, morals and values. However the reaction to the Muslim community to the video, in my opinion was very disappointing since innocent lives were taken. Their reactions and threats of violence may have caused more controversy further giving the public the wrong impression.
The media should stop trying to “play up” conflict and perform their duty of reporting accurate, unbiased reports since they are the leaders for the next generation. Therefore this prevents misinterpretation leading to a more positive, peaceful society.
References:
“Media Freedom and Independence,” Venna-based international Press Institute and Paris based World Association on Newspapers and news publishers, http;//www.filejumbo.com/ DownloadA2AFC453EF8094A8
Kavita Rampersad
809000630
“Sticks and stones will break my bones but words cannot hurt me” these are the words that come to mind when reading about this topic. The Words and views of a person or group have affected another group in which they retaliated with force and violence. In the article the Author’s view on this video is very clear, in which the message coming across is not as damaging as the reaction that it has gotten. There are many issues in the Middle East, where religious biases are the centre of all the conflicts. Since that dreadful day on 9th of September 2002, the American people have had their owe biases with the Muslim community. This is seen in many videos and movies on popular sites like YouTube, MySpace it’s also seen in the airport where many Muslims are held back for strict security and denial to enter the US. We in Trinidad have our own views and in some case our own biases since the case in 1990 pertaining to the coup. I agree that the video was offensive, but the reaction that it got was uncalled for. The author is right in his point of view; this Reaction of acts of violence has actually caused more harm to Islam fate than helping them gain the trust of the Americans and other countries. Furthermore punishing the innocent does not really help their case, killing the people in the embassies is very destructive to their religion’s image, as these people were not the ones who made the video. As the views of some Muslims don’t reflects like others Muslims, same case as the views on Muslims to Americans are also not the same.
ReplyDeleteFreedom of speech has been the source of a lot of debates around the world, there are many who use this to their advantage especially the media to broad cast their point of views. The rights of an individual in Americans are totally different from countries in the Middle East. The Video is protected by the First Amendment and so this law is not understood by many in the Middle East as they don’t have Freedom of speech to such strong levels as the USA. The Muslim community is angered at the Americans for not banning the video and that the government should intervene but this is not the case as it is protected by Freedom of speech. The Media is very important to share information, and they may have their opinions on issues but it is the reader’s choice to “pick sense from nonsense”. The Author was right about the media needs to try and clear up some misunderstanding between both groups they play and important role in what people understand about a situation.
Laura Rajaram
809002156
The main functions of the media are entertaining, educating and informing the society. One of major duty of media today is to inform the people about the latest happening around them and the world. They cover all aspects of our interest like weather, politics, war, health, finance, science, fashion, music. In this instance the media has the power to build public opinion. I agree with the statement made by Almasmari, "I think the media should play a neutral role and not take sides. That's the kind of environment we'd [also] like to see in the West, where people understand what's right and what's wrong and condemn the mistakes and not generalize it into a religious issue." There are certain codes of ethics which are supposed to be practiced by journalist. One of these codes of ethics is that they should seek the truth and report it. Journalists should be honest, fair and courageous in gathering, reporting and interpreting information.
ReplyDeleteThe author of the newspaper article argued that the trailer of the anti Muslim film was unbearably stupid, incredibly offensive portrayal of the Prophet Muhammad and this sets a wave of anti-American violence in the Middle East and I agree with this. The film showed no respect for others of different religious backgrounds and this itself is a sensitive issue because of one’s beliefs and way of life. One main function of the mass media is to have freedom of expression so that people are informed and can give their opinions on the matter. However the mass media should take into consideration of the sensitivity of the situation and act in a way that violence and protest can be avoided. The media should act in ways that would uplift society as a whole instead of bring society apart. The various ways in which a message is transmitted should be neutral and unbiased.
Amelia Gonowrie 811001043
Reference
Trinidad Express Newspapers. 2012 . “Media Freedom and Independence.” September 27, 2012. Accessed on October 6th ,2012. www.trinidadexpress.com
The media is allocated freedom of speech and expression which should be done to an extent where they should portray a mutual understanding of all parties involved. As such the absence of biases stories in the media would be highly accepted and praised. Freedom of speech and media independence is important as to manipulate the story to gain publicity, thus this is why writers should have standards which they convey in their articles which appropriately states the wrong and right in society when they are required to be surfaced regardless of the outcome. On the other hand, the media’s aim or responsibility should be to portray the message as it is, without contaminating the already tampered waters of the story by creating unwanted conflict, especially with the use of religion to further cause division amongst humanity where this is constantly displayed in the west where the beliefs of the masses dominate the minority to a unnecessary extent. However, freedom of expression is the main factor at hand which the media uses to disperse news to the public and should be portrayed in a moralistic manner as to maintain peace worldwide.
ReplyDeletePhebe Ramayah
811000694
I totally agree with this writer's statement that "The media is allocated freedom of speech and expression which should be done to an extent where they should portray a mutual understanding of all parties involved." At election time both locally and internationally there is biased statements by writers, with which they channel through different media. Media itself can be very powerful as it can manipulate those persons who are gullible, society, religion and thinking on the whole.
DeleteIn relation to the video/movie trailer about the Muslims, it can be seen as being disrespectful to the Muslim society and religion, this in turn creates conflict both from the creator and the country from which it was created. So for what was said by Almasmari “ I think the media should play a neutral role and not take sides." should be taken into consideration but shouldn't be constant as opinions can be good/bad depending on the situation. This in turn can help with portraying a message properly and not cause any conflict.
Krystal John
811000432
After reading the article and watching the video, it's safe to say we see a clash of cultures and ideas of what is socially acceptable between the West and Islamic countries at large. In my opinion Almasmari is making a somewhat reasonable call for neutrality in the media as their main purpose is to report and shed light on issues going on locally, regionally and internationally. Yet we see them adding slander and creating scandals by taking sides and making subtly opinionated statements in favor of the 'home team'. Though in the 21st century the idea of filtering what can and cannot be said and manipulating the news so that it is neither for nor against seems near impossible.
ReplyDeleteThe video, whose purpose I would like to believe was to teach about the modern Muslim faith, only created confusion and was seen as an insult simply because they failed in having no underlying self opinion needed when giving information(report), especially about religion(one of the two taboo topics at a neighbor's dinner table, or almost anywhere for that matter). In a time of war where the West seems to be targeting anything Islam, that type of video was bound to explode, creating cacophony among the Islamic people, but did that warrant violence? People who were not involved were swept into the fracas and in some cases killed, which makes you wonder what is the mindset of the people who took action. They didn't help the Muslim image, that's for sure. I don't think it's so much the idea of utter neutrality that is needed but more of an understanding of what should be said and how it's said and also the timing of the message. Sadly as long as the West occupies the Middle East and this war on "terror"(Islam) continues anything on Islam produced by the West is bound to seem bias and undoubtedly be followed by violence.
Kriston Banfield
811003836
The author of the article suggests that freedom of information is key to educating persons on issues in society. Yes, the media should be able to do this first and foremost in order to inform its audience about current issues. However, in doing so gatekeepers’, producers, directors, media houses etc. need to exercise caution when feeding information to the public as negative feedback can result in consequences like protests and violence in Islamic countries. Furthermore, religion is a very sensitive topic. Therefore when its teachings are portrayed in a negative light by Westerners (whose main objective is to inform and entertain ) riots and bloodshed are bound to take place. The main goals of the media are to inform, entertain, educate, to set the agenda and to act as a community forum. Media houses have the capability to drive the world because they produce ideologies.
ReplyDeleteJames Tankard defines framing in an ‘agenda setting theory’ as “the central organizing idea for news content that supplies a context and suggests what the issue is through use of selection, emphasis, exclusion and elaboration” (McCombs 381). The intention of the producers of the film is to frame the media message in a way for the viewer to decode it in a certain light. Basically, the editing and cinematic techniques used by the editors’ frame the story. These techniques include the organization of ideas and the use of language that are used to appeal to audience’s emotions. Media houses do this because they have the right. Also because they have freedom of expression to delivery such information, thus, they take advantage of that without thinking about the aftermath.
I agree with the statement made by Hakim Almasmari, that is, the media should play a neutral role and not take sides. Freedom of expression has a major part to play in the riots that are currently taking place. It is a direct reaction of the anger and misunderstood state expressed by Muslims worldwide. The media should strive in all circumstances to maintain a neutral role especially where religion is involved. The author claims that the media should inform the masses that the film had no association with the government of the US in making the film in order to allay the riots and misrepresentations. I also agree because it maybe the only way for the media to reach a large audience in order to mitigate the tension. The media needs to portray that these stakeholders has sought to made the film for the purpose of attaining capitalist means with no consideration for the host religion and the effects it may cause. Also the thought that such violence is an even greater offense to the religion than the video itself is to some extent true because the Muslim protestors are only tarnishing the teachings that their religion has put forward.
References
“Eight functions of mass media.” Last modified 2012. .” Accessed October 6,2012. http://hope.journ.wwu.edu/tpilgrim/j190/190.8functionslist.html
McCombs, Maxwell, Shaw Donald. .A First Look at Communication Theory: Agenda- Setting Theory. 358-371. Blackwell Publishing Ltd, 2009
Trinidad Express Newspapers. 2012 . “Media Freedom and Independence.” September 27, 2012. Accessed on October 6 ,2012. www.trinidadexpress.com
Whitney Katwaroo
810001472
“Recent events have spurred new debates surrounding the coverage of Islam and Muslims in America. An analysis of the news coverage on the attacks at Fort Hood, Somali connection in Minnesota to terror networks and Nigerian terror attempt on a Northwest Airlines flight sheds light on the conflicted terrain journalists face regarding the identity of Muslims in America and the connection of religion to criminal activity. The attacks on Fort Hood drew a complicated response from elected officials and the news media. Some politicians were reluctant to call the tragedy “an act of terrorism,” and one Islamic organization quickly condemned the attack.”
ReplyDeleteIslam has always been amongst one of the most controversial topics around. Media has only made it worse given that it shapes public opinion and public policy. The media often tell the public what and how to think about a certain issue, and stories about Islam and Muslims in America are not the exception.
I agree with Almasmari Statement, “I think the media should play a neutral role and not take sides. That’s the kind of environment we’d (also) like to see in the west, where people understand what’s right and what’s wrong and condemn the mistakes and not generalize it to a religious issue.” The media must be very careful in relaying international issues to their audience. They must be unbiased and have an appropriate way in addressing sensitive issues. Yes, freedom of information is vital in educating people and it is a ‘right to know’ but the media must be neutral and not take sides when publishing information. However messages may mean one thing to us and something else to another culture (islam), it is crucial that we understand and be open to this. People have different ideologies on certain things. This is why we have Freedom of expression, as we ourselves will have our own personal beliefs.
References:
www.euro-islam.info. Muslims in the Media. 26th March, 2010
Shikshamani Dubay
810000221
According to the article, many believe that the response by the Islam community is worse than the video itself, may in fact be true. Although the video is wrong in the way it went about portraying the religious faith and the prophet Muhammed, it must still be reminded that the obvious and main reason for the video was for entertainment purposes. With freedom of speech and furthermore expression, it is obvious that at some time someone will take offense as not everyone has the same opinions.
ReplyDeleteWith that being said, with matters at heart as these and where the circumstances involves violence it would be better if the media takes no sides and stays neutral as Almasmari suggests. In the same way some persons express their views of violence, other express one of peace. It is the job of the media to report what is going on in the world as it happens. Just as they report the violent attacks and looting it must not to be left out that there may be more underlying reasons that goes further than the video but for the reporter to include their own opinions and say what these underlying issues may be can add fuel to the fire hence the reason most, (which should be all) just simply state the facts and statistics of the results of these such violent occurrences. This also brings into play the code of ethics that journalists work by. Although some journalists break the code and include their own beliefs and opinion which can hinder the truth of the issue or matter at hand, it is essentially up to the reader to pick ‘pick sense form non sense’ and be affected by what is stated or to go on their own and become more knowledgeable at the issue being discussed.
Kishalla Floyd
811000301
The media has a great influence on the society because people depend on the media for information, news, etc. Therefore it is agreeable that “…..the media should play a neutral role and not take sides…” (Almasmari 2012). The media should be able to deliver the information, facts and news and let the public decide which side they want to take or whom they want to follow for example, in terms of the US elections. Due to the fact that people are so dependent on the media, it has the power to create biases and anything that is said, people automatically take that as the correct thing and agree with it.
ReplyDeleteAs with everything else, the media also has a positive and a negative side. Positive in the sense that it is trusted by people to get information but negative in terms of biases, influence and in some cases journalism and gossip because some things are always blown out of proportion by the media. And of course, the media also gives incorrect information at times. However, their duty should be only to give the information to the public so that the public could decide based on their own interpretations and perceptions what their opinions are.
References:
Trinidad Express Newspapers. 2012. “Media Freedom and Independence”. Accessed October 6, 2012. http://www.trinidadexpress.com/commentaries/Media_freedom_and_independence_-171639881.html
HubPages. 2012. “Mass Media Influence on Society”. Accessed October 6, 2012. http://rayuso.hubpages.com/hub/Mass-Media-Influence-on-Society
Wikipedia The Free Encyclopaedia. 2012. “Media bias”. Accessed October 6, 2012. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Media_bias
PRIYA .L. BEHARRY
ID# 809004198
I agree with the editor Hakim Almasmari where he states: ‘the media should play a neutral role and not take sides.’ He also goes on to make reference to the west where he wants to see media bias eliminated: ‘That’s the kind of environment we’d {also} like to see in the West, where people understand what’s right and what’s wrong and condemn the mistakes and not generalize it to a religious issue.’
ReplyDeleteThe media’s role is to present news or information in an unbiased manner so that the receivers are able to draw an opinion or conclusion according to their belief. With a bias being present by the media the reader can be influenced greatly and draw wrong conclusions out of the events that are published. This could lead to social unrest or war especially in unstable countries where religion is very important. This is evident in the news article where the media blames the violence and protest occurring in the Islamic countries on the film insulting the Muslim faith. However, according to other accounts these protests are about unemployment, crime and other social issues.
With this misrepresentation of the occurrences in the Islamic countries one can conclude that the media is only fuelling Muslims anger against western countries. Also, the media misrepresents the Muslim society when just presenting to the public the actions of a few extremist since this isn’t the general believe of the lot according to a Muslim leader. These representations can lead the receiver to believe all Muslims are bad forming a stereotype.
Being a publisher the margin for error is very small in a world where people share many different beliefs. One may argue the misrepresentation by the media was an attempt to increase the interest of the story. However, the media needs to have a neutral view on all events and provide truthful and factual information so the receiver is able to draw conclusions for himself.
Samuel Hytmiah
811000554
Possibly one of the biggest ideologies that cause conflicts with respect to these type of events, is due to the fact that we only hear one side of the story thus the information that viewer’s base their perception on as being justified on the media coverage, is in reality an opinion based only upon a fraction of the actual event which inflicts a serious misrepresentation of the agenda. Integrate this with politics, ethics and religion; and what we end up with is a situation like the current tensions between the US and the Middle East.
ReplyDeleteThe media today is a very powerful tool and seems to want to create the news rather than actually reporting it. As mentioned in the article “Media Freedom and Independence” published in the Trinidad Express Newspaper” Sept 2012, the western media coverage on the violent attacks at the embassy, security threats and the anti-American accusations was emphasized in relation to the Muslims promoting an issue of religion. The distortion and exaggeration of these types of facts inflict catastrophic consequences in the mainstream media because stereotypes and biased opinions are created and projected which are very influential to the public and thus causes social, political and even war propaganda. Furthermore these biases are somewhat self-perpetuated, due to the large audience that the media can captivate.
With that being said I totally agree with Mr. Hakim Almasmari regarding his statement that the media should play a neutral role rather than taking sides. The Middle East and the US pose different societies in terms of freedom of speech, culture (norms, values, beliefs) and government. The media must understand these circumstances rather than divulging to what could be projected as the best news report.
References:
Trinidad Express Newspapers 2012 “Media Freedom and Independence” September 27th 2012 - (Accessed October 7th 2012)
Riaz Ali
810004079
The main aims of the media are to inform, entertain and to influence. But I do copiously agree with the statement made by Almasmari, which said that the media should play a neutral role and not take sides in reporting the news. Once the media does their job and tell the story as it is I have no problem. But, the issue is that the media and all persons have freedom of expression and will interpret a message how they like. And as such they will express their feelings in a manner that they deem fit. So in this case it all goes both ways.
ReplyDeleteThe persons that bombed the embassies were just expressing themselves, right? But, this is just in favor of making my point, that persons do have freedom of expression but in many cases that can be harmful and even detrimental to other people. My point is that this cliché of freedom of expression should be a right, should be reviewed and stated in a more conservative manner. In this case to me the fact that the entire controversy was centered around religion made the issue more prominent, but to me a sensitive issue or not the media should just report the news as it is and not blatantly or furtively input their views or opinions in the stories. In most cases they do this to increase sales, which is all in business but still wrong and in other cases the act is not as innocent and is used as a way to stir up the public and leave them wanting more.
The media is a very important part of our lives and as such they are needed around to keep us abreast with what is happening not only in our vicinity but also on a world wide scope. I do agree that there should be some barriers put in place preventing news personnel from manipulating the news for their own profit and benefit.
Patricia Lewis
810002205
Reference:
Mohammed Ghobari, Blair Edmund. “U.S. embassies attacked in Yemen, Egypt after Libya envoy killed” September, 13th 2012. http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/09/13/us-protests-idUSBRE88C0J320120913
I think the media should play a neutral role and not take sides. That’s the kind of environment we’d {also} like to see in the West, where people understand what’s right and what’s wrong and condemn the mistakes and not generalize it to a religious issue,” Almasmari said in regards to this statement published in the express newspaper
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with the statement made by the journalist that the media should not be biased on its reporting as it is the media that influences a big part of the population with unbiased publications. The people who reads and watches the reports would have to find their own perspective on the situation whether they agree or disagree with the news and the media would not be blamed for the influencing of the situations
The article condemns the use of violence saying that it is more offensive than the video .I don’t agree with people being killed over the situation but if the persons who created the film on basis of freedom of expression then the Muslim’s that is acting against would also be considered as freedom of expression
The media should not take sides on the situation as this amplifies the situation in this case where it is delicate where people are losing their lives and other forms of violence being displayed but it also has to be careful on how it is expressed as condemning the situation the persons who believes in one side would be affected by the views of the reporting which could make the situation worse or better in some instances but it would be much safer for the media to report the facts than to add into the situation for an unbiased standpoint on the situation so that it doesn’t provoke the ones that is affected
glen ramcharitar
808011448
http://www.trinidadexpress.com/commentaries/Media_freedom_and_independence_-171639881.html
The freedom of the media and its independence is one of the most fundamental pillars in the protection of democracy in a civilised society. We must understand the role of the media in our society. The media is the informant to the citizenry and would play an essential role for providing information, which would in turn allow citizens a perspective on the issue. The problem is the way in which the media would convey this message across to its audience. If the message is brought about in a bias manner, it may lead to the conclusion of them formulating a bias opinion on the issue.
ReplyDeleteThe opinion of the author of the article states that the media should play a neutral role. He is quite correct in this sense, if the media takes an unbalanced stance it would be evident in its reporting. Therefore, this right of independence is also coupled with the freedom of expression. President Obama in his speech to the United Nations General Assembly September 2012 stated that the removal of the video would be unconstitutional as the right to freedom of expression is enshrined in their constitution. He also condemned the action of the Middle East as there can be no justification for senseless killings.
The author stated that issues should not be generalised into religious issues. The article also stated that the media has the power to remove any stereotypes. In neutral reporting and by stating in instances where the West may in fact be culpable for mistakes should also be highlighted to bring about a balance in reporting since there is a strong perception that much weight is placed on spotlighting the actions of the East.
Therefore the fundamental pillar of media reporting should be its independence lying against a background of neutral reporting.
Reference:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/sep/25/obama-un-general-assembly-transcript
Hana Hosein
810001434
The film ‘Innocence of Muslims’ have created much disagreement and misunderstanding recently. However, it is true, that the portrayal only supports the views of a limited amount of people amongst us. I think that the media have an inclination to report on violence and we even see it here in Trinidad and Tobago, where we are constantly bombarded by violent crimes such as murder. This in turn would force people into thinking that we live in a society plagued by crime. We believe whatever is broadcasted via the media, because it is seen as a primary source for information which is free of bias and subjectivity. However, this trend is changing since the foreign media is being more open and asking the U.S. government for their intervention into matters which are pertaining to their country. An important point to note also is the fact that despite the death of four U.S. personnel, some demonstrators in Libya were against the cruel acts bestowed upon the ambassador and his countrymen, something which the media failed to highlight throughout this incident.
ReplyDeleteI agree that people should be allowed the opportunity to freedom of expression, but not when their thoughts or actions generate conflict in society. Knowing what is right from wrong is something that is addressed as we go through life and the media play a vital role in doing so.
On the contrary, what the author is stating in the text is that there should be reliable information produced by media houses so that occurrences like these would be curtailed in the future.
Cleve Cambridge
810003197
I strongly agree with the statement made by Almasmari "I think the media should play a neutral role and not take sides. That's the kind of environment we'd [also] like to see in the West, where people understand what's right and what's wrong and condemn the mistakes and not generalize it into a religious issue." When it comes to subjects such as religion, I believe that the media should not base their information on their opinion but rather on facts. Their opinion can easily be misunderstood and they may be accused of discrimination and being offensive.
ReplyDeleteThe Islamic society took great insult from the controversial anti Islamic film that was made in the USA. The Islamic society felt that the intention of this video was to disrespect Muslims causing them to be violent towards the U.S. which resulted in the death of the American ambassador, Christopher Stephens. The media should take into consideration how they portray information and the effects that may come with these sensitive issues.
I agree with the freedom of speech and expression but when it comes to issues such as religion, the media should play a neutral role and not take sides. The source must have a thorough knowledge of the subject to command respect from the audience. We live in a world of varied culture and religion and the media should keep in mind that its purpose is to educate, inform and entertain, expressing their opinion and delivering information also holding a standard of respect to others.
References
Trinidad Express Newspaper. 2012. “Media Freedom and Independence.” September 27, 2012. Accessed on October 4, 2012. www.trinidadexpress.com
Kristy Mahabir
810000758
Jim Morrison once said that whoever controls the media controls the mind, and this statement in itself is very powerful because it is true. Those who are responsible for generating information that is to be shared with the public have a duty to ensure that the coverage is unbiased and just a regurgitation of facts produced in a way that could be easily understood by the masses.
ReplyDeleteWith that being said, the statement made by the Hakim Almasmari, editor and chief of the Yemen Post, “I think the media should play a neutral role and not take sides. That’s the kind of environment we’d also like to see in the West, where people understand what’s right and what’s wrong and condemn the mistakes and not generalize it to a religious issue”, is fundamentally right because when the media falls into the hands of those who are selfish and have their own interests at heart, it is then where there is the false knowledge and abuse of power.
It is in the best interest of all citizens to ensure that the media continues to remain a tool of raising awareness and being the watchdog of society. The movie Innocence of Muslims, it was plainly a distasteful attack on the Muslim community and thus, the media should report it as is, and not turn it into a religious fiasco, and those who are behind it should be reprimanded for their thoughtlessness.
Although there will forever be the clichéd “freedom of expression” line, it is important that the media does not take their own twist on things when reporting and should truly just lay out the story without any embellishments. With all the hard hitting facts and unbiased and uninfluenced reports of the media- be it print, videos, websites etc- only then would citizens be able to truly take a stance and formulate their own opinions, as opposed to being brainwashed by those who seek to garner support for whatever their unethical purposes.
References:
Trinidad Express Newspapers. 2012. “Media Freedom and Independence.” September 27,2012, Accessed October 7, 2012.
Ananya Annamunthodo
81002422
“Freedom of the media is the freedom of communication media and published materials.” While suck freedom mostly implies the absence of interference from an overreaching state, it can also extend to privileges of biasness and self expression through its editorials and published articles.
ReplyDeleteHakim Almasmari’s statement “I think the media should play a neutral role and not take sides. That’s the kind of environment we’d like to see in the West, where people understand what’s right and what’s wrong and condemn the mistakes and not generalize it to a religious issue”, is perfectly received by any positive-minded persons seeking fairness to any form of mankind.
The media has a role to deliver the news and information to the public in an unbiased way, and to allow the public to decide and form their own views and opinions. By the time a reported is through with an article or interview, it is quite clear by his expression or choice of words of whichever side he has decision the public forms in their minds.
Religion, particularly the Muslim religion is a very sensitive matter worldwide as Muslims are easily offended by any negative expressions against them and most believe in violence to solve issues. Therefore, the media in reporting on religious issues, knowing that religion is a personal thing, should be unbiased and more positive in their expressions and attitudes.
The media therefore, in doing their job should be more responsible for the ways the news is received by the public and know that people trust in what they say, and to what length and breadth they stress on particular topics rather than others.
Rayhaan Mohammed
808013362
References:
Trinidad Express Newspapers. 2012 . “Media Freedom and Independence.” September 27, 2012. Accessed on October 5,2012. www.trinidadexpress.com
Error of omission was made in paragraph three. This is the corrected version.
DeleteThe media has a role to deliver the news and information to the public in an unbiased way, and to allow the public to decide and form their own views and opinions. By the time a reporter is through with an article or interview, it is quite clear by his expression or choice of words of whichever side he has taken, and this in itself influences the decision the public forms in their minds.
Rayhaan Mohammed
808013362
I approve with the statement that was made by Almasmari where he said “I think that the media should play a neutral role and not take sides. That’s the kind of environment we’d [also] like to see in the West……..”
ReplyDeleteThe mass media undoubtedly has the power to influence the public, nationally and internationally. They have the right to present the public with the truth without being biased according to their standards of journalism. Biased Media deals with the prejudice of journalists and news producers within the mass media in the selection of events and stories, usually those of conflict. These stories and events are usually covered in a persuasive manner and as a result infringe on the standards of journalism.
When one is covering a story in the media, they should ensure to present the sides in such a way that with the reader can decide for themselves what direction they want to take because the media is not there to make up the readers’ minds for themselves. This could lead to stigmatization and cause further damage which is seen in the article “He voiced his hope that ‘if Muslims are attacked by being called terrorists,’ that the people in the West would condemn that.” Everyone has an opinion and these opinions may not be the same for numerous reasons.
One-sided coverage by the media is a robbery of the coverage that should presented. For example in the article, it was mentioned that the violence towards the US embassies across the Middle East are the main focus rather than protests made by the Muslims there. Although the media wants to sell stories based on immediate violence, they need to realize that some things are more sensitive than others and that they need to stop sweeping the less sensitive stories under the carpet per say.
Kherdine Sandy
811000828
Reference
Trinidad Express Newspapers,2012. “Media Freedom and Independence.” September 27, 2012. Accessed on October 7,2012. http://www.trinidadexpress.com
I agree with Almasmari’s statement, “I think the media should play a neutral role and not take sides. That’s the kind of environment we’d {also} like to see in the West, where people understand what’s right and what’s wrong and condemn the mistakes and not generalize it to a religious issue.”
ReplyDeleteAs I stated before in my answer for Question 3 last week, it is the right of the media to deliver the truth to the public in an ethical, responsible, and impartial manner. It is important that the media bring both sides of the story or case to the table. Through proper investigative, fair and unbiased reporting, and allow the public to make an informed decision on their own. It is not their role to skew public perception whether negative or positive of a particular religion, race, people, or country. Albeit the media do shape public’s opinion. Discrimination and biases should never be fostered or germinated by the media.
My above statement supports Almasmari’s viewpoint. The North American media should have shown to the World the protests against the violent attacks on the US embassies. In addition, the Western media needed to publish the various leaders speaking out against said attacks from these nations. It would have demonstrated a positive message to the world that this is not what Islam stands for – killing innocent lives in a violent rage over an amateurish movie.
One can now argue that if the Media had done a proper job in relating the message on both sides to the public, maybe people’s reactions would not have been so intense and negative towards all Muslims.
Name: Jovienne Lawrence
I.D: 01072604
References:
"Media freedom and independence," Trinidad Express Newspapers, http://www.trinidadexpress.com/commentaries/Media_freedom_and_independence_-171639881.html
The YouTube movie Innocence of Muslims was a poorly portrayed and insensitive concept of the Islamic/Muslim society and such, the media should report the facts without any grandeurs or attempts to turn it into a religious debacle.
ReplyDeleteIt is important to always remember that the media is the chief conduit of the information and one of its main purposes is to educate and inform. With that being said, the media should not be manipulated by any one person, organization or government to ensure that that the masses are not subject to opinion and other forms of prejudice.
The editor and chief of the Yemen Post, Hakim Almasmari states “I think the media should play a neutral role and not take sides. That’s the kind of environment we’d also like to see in the West, where people understand what’s right and what’s wrong and condemn the mistakes and not generalize it to a religious issue”. This statement is essentially true not only in this situation, but in all others where the “freedom of expression” clause is abused and manipulated to mislead others and insult various groups in society.
The media in the instance of Innocence of Muslims should not add insult to injury by barraging the masses into an unnecessary religious ignominy. They need to however, bring awareness to the situation as well as ensure that all the facts are given to the public so that the latter can formulate their own opinions and deal with the situation in their own way. It is important that the wrongs be righted but it is not for the media to choose sides or decide on behalf of the public how the situation should be dealt with. However, it is the duty of citizens to use the information and facts produced by the media to make educated decisions and ensure that those responsible acknowledge their actions and are admonished.
References:
Trinidad Express Newspapers. 2012. “Media Freedom and Independence.” September 27,2012, Accessed October 6, 2012.
Nathan Maharaj
810002242
The role of the media is to inform the general public of important issues that are occurring. In order for such information to be as accurate as possible however it is important that the media remain as neutral as possible to retain the accuracy of the issues when informing the public. As suggested in the statement western media in some cases then to be unbalanced in their reporting, especially on issues relation to america and its foreign interests. Considering the media has the ability to sway public opinion on matters based on how the issues is reported however the media's role is not only to pass on information but also breakdown and analyse the issues as to what is behind events. As related to the innocence of Muslims video the media was within its role to look at religion as a factor, despite that however the actions of the director and especially that of the protesters was definably condemned by the media and the general public.
ReplyDeleteNicholson George
809000078
After interpreting the article and watching the video, I strongly believe that Almasmari’s call for neutrality in the media was justified. While freedom of expression is often times encouraged among the mass media, their intentions should be to communicate accurate information to the public. This ensures that incidents such as the “Innocence of Muslims” video do not create upheaval among societies. Therefore the media should always be mindful of the content of their material and the effects that it may impose on various groups. With regards to the release of the video; the media’s reportage of the predicaments in Islamic nations has been bias. Furthermore, the existing controversy between the West and Western Asia makes the situation a volatile one, but the violent retaliations that followed were totally distasteful. I believe that it caused more harm to the Muslim faith than the actual content of the video. To conclude, I am of the opinion that both parties were at fault. The media has an incontestable influence on its audience and should ensure its neutrality to prevent bias messages from circulating thereby preventing chaos.
ReplyDeleteKristal Maharaj
811002589
Media is one of the most important way of gaining information which is necessary for public use. Freedom of the media has always been a debatable question which has always been based on the elites of society.
ReplyDeleteThe article posted September 28th, 2012 " I think the media should play an important role and not take sides... and not generate it into a religious issue" by Almasmari is totally a statement to agree with. Media should never take sides but be subjective and truthful to have their viewers always thinking and make them react to a situation. Media should not be biased and speak the truth because a little twist in the story can make a big controversy and scandal to situation which may get out of hand. Media should have the view of what is really going on with both parties, example the video "Innocence of Muslims".
In this video their is bias towards the Muslims in Middle East as they are being stereotyped as really dangerous people who only do harm and violence in society. However the media job is to bring news that were hidden to public awareness for them to react and face truth of what is going on behind closed doors. I think that media should not take sides in airing information and publishing them as this may cause conflict to groups in society as we see here, religion. They should speak the truth and on both parties.
This leads me to the question as to why a media should take up sides. To me this clearly shows that in today's society media is being ruled by the upper-class and those who have power such as politicians, religious groups as well as businesses. They totally own the media so that things can be hidden from public awareness and many groups can be stereotyped such as Muslims are bad people.
In the Middle East the Muslims are described as terrorist and war fighters but many do not ask the question as to why they are fighting. To me if they get what they wanted from the America's they may have a resolution and the matter can be resolved. The media is such a powerful tool that it makes it viewers get only the negative side of the situation and this will cause religious parties to react such as in the video which is very scurrilous.
According to the statement made by Almasmari we need to understand what is right and wrong and not jump to conclusions as our media itself is influenced by the America's for instance Bin Laden is a terrorist so that makes all Muslims bad in Trinidad as well as Yasin Abu Bakr which also stereotype muslims as advantageous in Trinidad. To me media is based on what "them" and "they" say and not considering what one persons states. We do not think for ourselves but only what politicians say and oppose and fight against that. The media is right in a sense that they brought hidden information to public awareness in the video but taking sides on issues makes the story scandalous and it looks like bribe is being taken for matters to arise which would cause chaos in society.
Media is the most important tool for delivering information to public eyes so they must be reliable. Taking sides will totally cause controversy in society and may lead to some form of inaccuracy in the information gotten.
REFERENCE:
Trinidad Express Newspapers. 2012. “Media Freedom and Independence”. Accessed October 6, 2012. http://www.trinidadexpress.com/commentaries/Media_freedom_and_independence_-171639881.html
Shah, Anup. “Mainstream Media.” Global Issues. 04 Mar. 2012. Web. 07 Oct. 2012.
PRESSTV.2012. “US Media Display Biased Against Media” August 20,2012. Accessed on October 5,2012.
811002650
Lizanda Gookool
I applaud what Hakim Almasmari said with respect to the violence which arose, as the statement gives a clear idea of what is expected of the media and that different people will interpret and react differently to a situation. Apart from interpreting tings differently the he said that that the people from the west should not base everything thoroughly on religion and make a big issue out of the situation by killing innocent people at the American embassy who had nothing to do with the short film.
ReplyDeleteAnyone watching the short film no matter what religion they belong to, if they have some understanding of islam would find the video offensive but the violent actions against it is really worst than the video itself.
“As a filmmaker the film is offensive because it's so poorly made. This is a trailer that is a provocation . It is very political from beginning to end. It's not about free expression; it's about propaganda and the United States is not in a position to criticise the propaganda of others when we have so much propaganda posing as news on our own airwaves. It's not information, it's not filmmaking and it's really intended as a technique of war-making, not a technique of information-sharing.” These were the words of Danny Schechter, an independent documentary and filmmaker. I totally agree with what he said as it gives a summary of the entire situation as it is happening.
The writers should be producers of the short film should be punished for their act and also the muslims should not make such a big issue and kill innocent people but take better measures in alleviating this situation
References: http://www.yourfilelink.com/get.php?fid=822514
http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/insidestory/2012/09/20129131711517977.html
http://www.alislam.org/response.html
Keron Springer
808014702
The statement made by Almasmari in the article reflects those of many globally, who believe that the media tends to be biased when reporting in order to incite conflict and increase readership.
ReplyDeleteWhen reporting on issues which may have differing public opinion, journalists sometimes tailor their articles to reflect their personal opinion or an opinion which may be most popular at that point in time, or sometimes an opinion which may be least popular. These opinions should be omitted when reported as good journalism dictates that facts and not the reporter’s personal opinions be conveyed when reporting (objectivity).
“Objectivity is a standard that requires journalists to try to put aside emotions and prejudices, including those implanted by the spinners and manipulators who meet them at every turn, as they gather and present the facts.” (Berry, 2005).
“Western media coverage of the protests has been intense, focusing on violence, anti-American statements and on security measures taken at the embassies. There appears to have been less coverage of protests by people in Muslim countries, who were condemning the attacks.” (Trinidad Express, 2012). This statement shows that media have focused mainly on reporting the attacks and its negative effects and not on the response of Muslims who have publicly condemned the attacks and violent response by others outraged by the video.
Middle East media have also lapsed in sufficiently reporting on the American constitutional rights to freedom of speech and its effects on their culture and resulting expression.
Had media reporting on both sides of this conflict been more neutral and informative when reporting then perhaps the resulting effects of the controversial video would not have been as violent.
References:
Berry Stephen J, “Why Objectivity Still Matters”, The Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard, (2005), accessed October 6, 2012,
http://www.nieman.harvard.edu/reports/article/101090/Why-Objectivity-Still-Matters.aspx
Trinidad Express Newspapers. 2012. “Media Freedom and Independence”. Accessed October 6, 2012.
http://www.trinidadexpress.com/commentaries/Media_freedom_and_independence_-171639881.html
Rajesh Rattan
ID# 01725871
While I agree with Almasmari’s statement, “I think the media should play a neutral role and not take sides. That’s the kind of environment we’d {also} like to see in the West, where people understand what’s right and what’s wrong and condemn the mistakes and not generalize it to a religious issue,” it am off the opinion that the media cannot always remain unbiased. As I stated in the previous blog, what is right for someone will always offend someone else. The media must however remember that there are ethics involved and acknowledge these. Readers must also take the responsibility of sifting out information as they see fit and not be too hasty in generalizing.
ReplyDeleteReligion is and always will remain a sensitive issue. While the video may have been degrading to the Islamic community, they should not use it as a way to enact violence. It is as the saying goes, ‘don’t fight fire with fire.’ They should have used the opportunity to bring awareness to the ignorance that still exist in this so called modern day.
While we all want freedom of expression, it comes at a cost. Like everything else it is about moderation and if we acknowledge that we have this freedom, it must be use to benefit individual and enlighten the world. It is as the saying goes, “with great power comes great responsibility.”
The media itself does some questionable acts and in most cases their reason being is ‘freedom of speech’, for example, bending the truth and twisting information and invading privacy in order to acquire sales. Unfortunately by doing so, they lack to consideration of their audience. Sometimes we wonder, ‘Did the media go too far this time?’ As in the case of the movie, ‘Innocence of Muslims’ which resulted in numerous acts of violence, where the media is taking sides. I totally agree with the statement made about the media being neutral.
ReplyDeleteIs that freedom of expression? One initial thought is that the media itself is supposed to be objective. Simply taking the information and relating to the audience being objective and unbiased as possible. It should be understood that the audience can be persuaded easily by the media. It is wrong to be taking sides at such a crucial time in the world, however, it is correct that the violence is wrong in fact disgusting in nature. Media personnel SHOULD NOT get involved between countries of different status, religion and background.
As stated before, freedom of expression claimed by the media should in fact involve the consideration of the audience. In this case, the Muslims were outraged by the film and it sparked a negative reaction. It is known that everything is not the same around the world. People of different religious backgrounds and history have very DIFFERENT views and opinions as well as reactions. These Muslims have great pride in their religion and this film was disrespectful and disgraceful towards them. As is the history between U.S.A and Muslims in the mid-east, both have a violent history together, for example, September, 11th 2001 and American soldiers invading these countries. This means that the media should not call on the U.S, “They want the US to take action. I think a lot of people don't understand the free expression, and they're asking the US, thinking the US can do more to crack down on this kind of behavior." Since it would only spark more controversy.
Media is a good means so communicating information as ‘the media’ but it should be clearly noted that taking sides is not a form of ‘freedom of speech’ but the media in itself should have consideration for their audience.
Kadienne Henry
811000072
References
1. http://www.trinidadexpress.com/commentaries/Media_freedom_and_independence_-171639881.html - Media Freedom and Independence
2. http://www.coneymedia.com/reader-sensibilities-just-how-considerate-should-an-editor-be/ - Reader sensibilities: Just how considerate should an editor be?
3. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmodVun16Q4 – Muhammed Movie Trailer
While I agree with Almasmari’s statement, “I think the media should play a neutral role and not take sides. That’s the kind of environment we’d {also} like to see in the West, where people understand what’s right and what’s wrong and condemn the mistakes and not generalize it to a religious issue,” it am off the opinion that the media cannot always remain unbiased. As I stated in the previous blog, what is right for someone will always offend someone else. The media must however remember that there are ethics involved and acknowledge these. Readers must also take the responsibility of sifting out information as they see fit and not be too hasty in generalizing.
ReplyDeleteReligion is and always will remain a sensitive issue. While the video may have been degrading to the Islamic community, they should not use it as a way to enact violence. It is as the saying goes, ‘don’t fight fire with fire.’ They should have used the opportunity to bring awareness to the ignorance that still exist in this so called modern day.
While we all want freedom of expression, it comes at a cost. Like everything else it is about moderation and if we acknowledge that we have this freedom, it must be use to benefit individual and enlighten the world. It is as the saying goes, “with great power comes great responsibility.”
Kervelle Liverpool
808012462
`The statement is against media biasness. It is suggesting that the Western media is partially reporting. I agree with his statement that the media should play a neutral role and not to take sides. He’s saying this because; compared to Arabic media, Libyan Herald and the Eastern media, both the violence and the non violence are reported. The statement is concerned about what the audience receives. The audience is of paramount importance to Almasmari, and it should be for all. The media should always give the audience a choice to determine what is right and wrong. The media should not persuade the audience by one sided reports. It is unfair since the audience relies on the media to be truthful, accurate and concise. While making a good head lines because of a violence report sometimes a good headline is an non –violent report. Media should not be for his/her country, but for the people.
ReplyDeleteNegative things should be compared to positive. And then viewers can come to a free decision. Even though there is strive between nations, the media should not be bias but they should at all times be independent. The media should also be given the avenue to fair and truthful, and this is the real sense of freedom of expression. Western media should change their mindset that Americans is the best, or else their media reports will always be false. The statement relates to the issue in which minister Jack Warner and our Government was thinking to buy or own part of the state media. I found it to be a very ridiculous idea as the media should be independent of government interaction. It can serve the government well but it can mislead the audience. All the media should like TV6, fearless journalism that will be never compromised. Since the Western media reaches a great part of the world, in a short time their reporting needs to be fair and accurate.
KERON FLOYD
811003072
I agree with Almasmari’s statement and the general idea of the Express article ‘Media freedom and independence’, which purports that the media should remain neutral, and serve to educate. The media is the only real bridge of information between these remarkably different states, which not only have different religious beliefs but different laws, and lifestyles altogether.
ReplyDeleteAs the article puts forward, the media should educate each state/country/territory about the beliefs, laws and customs of the others, and why they have reacted in the manner which they have, each media house in as impartial a manner as possible. Trinidad and Tobago as an almost uninvolved country, has received much of the coverage being done by the media on both sides of this story and perhaps, that is the reason the situation appears to be clearer to us. The very article we are commenting on is a result of statements issued from IPI and WAN-IFRA, media houses that both employ journalists from around the world.
The media in Egypt, for example, should attempt to correct the misunderstandings that the Egyptian public has come to adopt, regarding American “freedom of speech”. This would explain why the American government has been unable to act, despite issuing statements condemning both the attack on American embassies and the actual film.
The American media, on the other hand, needs to be more unbiased in its coverage of the occurrences in the east. They should move to highlight the condemnation of the attacks and killings by the eastern states, and illustrate that the Easterners are not a bunch of religious zealots, frantic because their religion was made the subject of biting satire, once again.
References
‘World Association of Newspapers,’ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Association_of_Newspapers, last modified on 6 October 2012 at 20:24.
http://www.freemedia.at/, Monday08 October 2012
‘Obama condemns embassy attack in Libya, vows justice,’CTVNews.ca Staff, Published Wednesday, Sep. 12, 2012 6:17AM EDT, Last Updated Wednesday, Sep. 12, 2012 8:10PM EDT, http://www.ctvnews.ca/world/obama-condemns-embassy-attack-in-libya-vows-justice-1.952404#ixzz28f7rYos6
‘MPC USA Condemns attacks on US Embassies in the Middle East,’ Wednesday, 12 September 2012, http://www.siasat.com/english/news/mpc-usa-condemns-attacks-us-embassies-middle-east
Dana-Marie K. Dhanpath
04789205
According to the Constitution of the Unites States of America, the government shall make no law prohibiting freedom of speech for their citizens. When dealing with other countries however, this democratic view taken by the U.S may clash with that of other countries. A relevant example of this can clearly be seen with the situation of the "anti-Islamic" movie trailer "Innocence of Muslims", where the U.S citizens involved were simply practicing their freedom, which, however, did not sit well with the MUslim communities worldwide, sparking numerous violent protests, some worst than others. What the media should have done in an instance like this was to actually report exactly what was taking place on both ends of the issue, without omitting stories which they believed would not have been of interest to the widespread public. Non-occurrence of this would make it appear as though they media are taking sides in a matter, thus fueling further hostility in some cases. It seems as though all the violence being portrayed by the Islamic community is being broadcasted, however, rarely do they show protests within these same communities against the excessive violence done, therefore, showing a peaceful side to the Muslim communities. Consequently, I strongly agree with the statements made by Almasmari who stated basically that the media needs to help people know and understand issues that are right from wrong without convicting mistakes made. It is important that they provide material to the general public that is educational and informative. Nonetheless, deliver news in which the views are unbiased and evenhanded. Just as how important it is, for the American people, to let be known that the views expressed in the video are not the general views of all Americans, It is crucial that the Muslim community be given the same opportunity. This is the real job of the media, to see that it is done.
ReplyDeleteSummer Gervais
810003843
In modern times, media has become a very essential part of our lives. There is no denial that media is playing a very significant role in making the world smaller. Media is like a mirror of the society which reflects each and everything about the society to us. Media has a huge responsibility of conveying the truth and relevant information to the general public. Media people risk their lives to inform us about important news. These brave journalists can be compared to brave soldiers who do not bother about their lives and takes the responsibility to aware the general masses about the truth.
ReplyDeleteMedia is not just confine to informing us about the world happenings and serving a means to connect with people but it also affects out thinking patterns as well. The way we think and perceive various issues about the world is also shaped up by media. I agree with Mr. Almasmari when he says “I think the media should play a neutral role and not take sides. That’s the kind of environment we’d [also] like to see in the West, where people understand what’s right and what’s wrong and condemn mistakes and not generalise it into a religious issue.” After the premiere of the trailer ‘Innocence of Muslims’, angry protests were not directed to the filmmaker himself but rather the US. When these protesters incite violence it stereotypes Muslims as people that cannot take insults and as terrorists. These protesters, instead of using violence, should use the media to defend themselves. This could show that the pen is mightier than the sword. The violent acts by the protesters were worse than the video because lives were lost.
If the media is to respect freedom of religion, therefore they won’t be able to have any freedom to say what they believe as it is their right to freedom of speech. This is why the media should remain neutral and allow both parties to clear the air without any bias because there are always two sides to a story.
References:
Trinidad Express Newspapers. 2012. “Media Freedom and Independence”. Accessed October 6, 2012. http://www.trinidadexpress.com/commentaries/Media_freedom_and_independence_-171639881.html
Kendell Assue
809000589
Mr. Almasmari is indeed correct in stating that the media’s role should be neutral across the board on all the topics. However a better statement or question that should be asked is, if the media can in fact be neutral? The media consists of personnel that also have feelings/opinions the only difference between them and the man in the street is that they have better access to readily share these views. The main role of the media is to get information out to the public and it is up to the public to form their opinion. The issue(s) arise from the manner in which this information, in this case that of the movie and the riots that came about from it, are presented to the public.
ReplyDeleteYes, the Muslim faith was very upset that a movie of such a nature was made and is being allowed to show. Yes it was made by Americans but that doesn’t mean that all Americans are to blame far less for those that live in South Africa and Libya. I don’t see the need for such violence and killing of innocent people, such actions may only add fuel to the fire and justify the movie in the first place. That could very well be a similar view shared with an American living in the states watching the news. However on the stance of the media being neutral, shouldn’t they report who are the groups/factions if any, who are responsible for these actions and not labeling the middle east as responsible for the entire scenario?
Rajendra Kissoon
808000262
The movie Innocence of Muslims was a truly an incredibly offensive and unbearably stupid portray Islamic/Muslim society and such, the media should report the facts and the pros and cons of both sides instead of turning it into a religious debacle. It is important to always remember that the media is the chief conduit of the information and one of its main purposes is to educate and inform.
ReplyDeleteHakim Almasmari states “I think the media should play a neutral role and not take sides. That’s the kind of environment we’d also like to see in the West, where people understand what’s right and what’s wrong and condemn the mistakes and not generalize it to a religious issue”. This statement is essentially true not only in this situation, but in all others where the “freedom of expression” clause is abused and manipulated to mislead others and insult various groups in society.
The western culture has shown time and time again that they have no respect and a casual attitude for religion. Movies, sitcoms, comedies etc, are constantly being produced defiling the word of God and the role of God. Whereas the eastern culture takes religion very seriously. Therefore, by choosing a side the media can induce further negative effects. Even though we should not condone violence choosing sides would not help the situation.
Krystle Gay
811005894
The statement by Almasmari is justified by the fact that media must be professional and report on articles in an objective manner. One can deduce that the role of the media with respect to the anti-muslim film was to inform the public of the slandering video. The result of the mass media informing the public resulted in global rioting. The innocence of the mass media was compromised by reporting on the anti-muslim film and thus denoted as bias reporting.
ReplyDeleteOver the past decade Islam Societies have constantly been targeted by the American superpower. The American media has shaped many non-American societies and their beliefs of Islam societies. Media has such power to influence the viewers. However, the media is not alone to blame. The director Alan Roberts uploaded “The Innocence of Muslims” via a public video entity called YouTube. Once the video was uploaded to the Internet, billions would see the video in a matter of time. The obvious reaction of the anti-Muslim film was riots throughout the Muslim world as well as mass coverage by News Media.
The general public however has the responsibility to rationalize such articles to react in a nonviolent manner. Yes, the media shapes the beliefs and perception of its viewers, however the viewers most not blindly adopt what the media reports. “Religion is the opiate of its masses” and where religion is concerned the media must take a more neutral stance in reporting and a more restrictive stance onto whom they deliver the message to, although we live in a day and age where information is readily accessible.
"Media freedom and independence."Trinidad Express Newspaper. Accessed 7th October 2012. http://www.trinidadexpress.com/commentaries/Media_freedom_and_independence_-171639881.html.
Nicoli Rajcoomar
809004023
Firstly i must emphasize that I am in full agreement with the Libyan columnist's comments that the violence sparked in middle eastern countries are a bigger insult to the Islam faith than the movie itself. I do also agree with the Express journalist that the media should indeed play a neutral role and not take sides. This is probably just an ideal however and not something that will be realistically realized in the near future. Media personnel should be objective in their reporting but there is always the issue of selling a story which influences the media to pick a side and portray half truths and half stories.
ReplyDeleteSometimes the media is more preoccupied by selling news than fulfilling its obligation to the general public. These obligations include clearing up misconceptions which may exist within a particular society. An example of such is the misunderstanding of freedom of speech in the western civilization by middle eastern cultures. These are certainly pressing issues that the media should address. The reaction by the middle east to the film is not unjustified considering how offensive the film was but the violence was certainly uncalled for. They have done more harm to their religion's image than any video could ever do
Cy Sarjeant
809002229
The media role is to make citizens aware of what is happening around them by bringing forth current issues which are taking place throughout the world. With regards to Almasari’s statement, “I think the media should play a neutral role and not take sides. That’s the kind of environment we’d {also} like to see in the West, where people understand what’s right and what’s wrong and condemn the mistakes and not generalize it to a religious issues”, I absolutely agree with this statement made. The media has freedom of speech but when it comes to presenting and informing readers or the public they should be unbiased.
ReplyDeleteThe media has the power to influence readers, however in bringing across their articles they should not give their own views or be one sided on a story but more so allow the public to decide and form their own views and opinions. Religion is a very sensitive topic amongst persons throughout the world and which should not be made a mockery of. The video ‘Innocence of Muslims’ created showed no respect for the Muslim faith and had an offensive portrayal of the Prophet Muhammad.This video has angered members of the Muslim community and has caused much further riots and chaos in the west.
Therefor the media should try to avoid stirring up more conflict and instead report accurate and unbiased articles which would help prevent any rivalry among and between countries. The media should play a neutral role when bringing forth information which should not be offensive or misleading to the general public.
Shaneece Ayen
811002378
The media plays a major role in the lives of many individuals as we live in a society where people depend on media to get their insight on current issues and latest ‘goings-on’ in today’s world. As such the media should be truthful at all times. Taking sides and being bias is not an option for the media especially since people rely on the media for updates and details on whatever may be happening. I say this as people tend to believe most of what is delivered by the media. When the media convey an event in a biased way then a lot of people tend to develop wrong conclusions on what is being published. People should be able to look at things from their own perspective, develop their own opinions and make their own decisions and not take information wholesale from the media.
ReplyDeleteI agree that one should be allowed their rights to freedom of speech but at the same time one has to take into consideration the effects their views may be having on others in society, especially when it comes to religion in which many have placed their faith and considers to be sacred. The media influences the minds of people whether young or old. As such I agree with the statement made by Hakim Almasmari “I think the media should play a neutral role and not take sides.”
References:
Trinidad Exrpess Newspaper. 2012. “Media Freedom and Independence”. Accessed October 7, 2012. http://trinidadexpress.com/commentaries/Media_freedom_and_independenc_-171639881.html
HubPages. 2012. “Mass Media Influence on Society”. Accessed October 7, 2012. http://rayuso.hubpages.com/hub/Mass-Media-Influence-on-Society
KRYSTAL A. RAMNARACE
ID# 809004073
My opinion of the media is that it should be the unbiased and timely source of trustworthy information. I agree with the author's statement saying that the media should take a neutrual role in matters of uproar. Any decision taken my the media should be without favour to either side of an issue. By taking a side the media may lead the population into an unsetelled state and this can result in undesired behaviour.
ReplyDeleteFor an issue based on a real sensitive subject such as religion, the media should take extreme care. For instance the video that was broadcasted on youtube which displayed a "hilarious mockery" of the muslim faith. The freedom of expression of the media came a bit too open in my opinion. The media had rights of expression but when it comes down to an entire population or a targeted religious belief, then the media should beware of its broadcasts. The artiicle mentioned that violence came about due to the release of the video but the real problem lies on the violence and not primarily on the video.
There is much attention to the eastern countries in recent times due to the wars and large protests. For something such as this video to added to the distress of the people is in my opinion cruel. In conclusion the media should remain neutrual in its reporting and outragous videos of religious redicule should be better monitored and considered.
Keon Cudjoe
810100150
The media initial purpose is to inform, educate and stimulate the public about issues occurring around the world about different things. I would have to agree fully with the stance of the author that the media should take a neutral role. However, it is often, quite difficult to know where to draw the line of being more objective rather than subjective. The media people who are delivering the messages are not robots, they are human, and even though they may maintain this neutral role, some of their own opinions can easily be slipped in, but they are only human and it is possible for news to become subjected to this.
ReplyDeleteEveryone is entitled to his or her own opinion, but often, there are many touchy subjects such as religion where people tend to easily get offended. However, in this video, to the average man watching it, anyone can see that the video was unjust and undoubtedly disrespectfully. As a result, related in the article, the outburst of violence and Protestants about the situation at hand. It created heavy tension, and was outwardly disrespectful to the Prophet Mohammed. It is examples, like these that allow us to reflect and see what type effect the media has on the entire world. Situations like these gives rise to the truthfulness of the statement. The very response of the people should reveal that the media and even individuals themselves should try to be more neutral in relating a view about certain subjects, just because of the consequences that may arise, even if there is as such a thing, “as freedom of speech”.
To conclude, everyone does have that entitlement of freedom of speech. After all, it is just words and a point of view. However the media should pay more attention, and play a more neutral role in relating issues about a subject, but they are protected under certain laws in which they take full advantage of in relating their stories. It also can be difficult to remain more objective as opposed to being subjective about a matter. I just think the consequences involved after doing these things are not worth it and it is sad thing to see that a mere video could cause such havoc.
811001191
Shani Woodsley
Innocence of Muslims the movie seemed quite distasteful to persons of the Islamic religion, whereby it caused various violent acts by the Muslim people pertaining to that specific movie. I agree with the article in the Express newspaper dated Friday 28th of September which states that that the violent acts by the Muslims are even a greater offense than the movie itself. I agree with this since the basis of religion symbolizes a sign of peace, unity and equality, Muslims for such a religious based type of people, it is appalling to see these people acts so chaotic to a movie which they thought misrepresented them.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with the quote made by Almasmari when he said “I think the media should play a neutral role and not take sides. That’s the kind of environment we’d {also} like to see in the West, where people understand what’s right and what’s wrong and condemn the mistakes and not generalize it to a religious issue,” that statement should really be taken into consideration by the media since they are seen as information haven. If information is conveyed the wrong way to a specific audience it could lead to chaos and war, therefore the media should bring across their stories honest and as neutral as possible, whereby they don’t choose sides which could lead to social unrest. Yet based on the economics of the media, choosing sides could cause audiences to seek less interest in their reliable media provider, since the things such as rumours, misrepresentation and biasness may not be portrayed in a media that are not taking sides. So to sustain economic stability the media brings across messages in different forms and fashions just to suit a specific audience.
811000573
Kirston Charles
References:
Express Newspaper
In response to Hakim Almasmari, I agree to the fact that proper judgments should be made when it comes to issues in understanding what is right from wrong and making proper decisions, understanding the mistakes and not tagging these mistakes to the mere fact to religion being the main cause. Hence, the media being neutral and unbiased in tabloid and news publications.
ReplyDeleteUnderstanding what is right from wrong is a very vague statement to make. People in general all have personal ideas and thoughts about situations which happens on a daily basis. Judgments is made by all, and everyone has their own personal view and by all means, the right to express it freely .As quoted from the article, the first amendment restricts the freedom of speech and the right of the press to publicize saying people are free to say as they please. The media is still the subject of speculation.
Having the freedom of speech is an advantage that every person has in the western world, and having a body like the media to report to the people is also an advantage to being informed on what the current world situations are. “There is a universal tendency for people to believe stereotypes, and only a diverse and critical media can help challenge the misunderstandings or even misinformation on which such stereotypes are based”. I agree to the statement made because the exchange of ideas and opinions are no longer done under the so called traditional mass media as the freedom of expression is no longer limited to keeping and ensuring public health or morals.
In conclusion, the media is by all means well respected due to the level of information it delivers to the public. It should be noted however, that the media is also within its right to deliver a message publically that is free of bias, scrutiny and should also respect the reputations of others and respect public order.
1) Freedom of expression and new media, last modified September 1st, 2011, http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/FreedomExpressionandnewmedia.aspx
2) Media freedom and independence, last modified September 27th 2012, http://www.trinidadexpress.com/commentaries/Media_freedom_and_independence_-171639881.html
AMIT MAHARAJ
807004063
Freedom of speech is defined as the right to express one’s opinions which is recognized as a human right under Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and is recognized within international human rights law in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights in most countries there are limitations to this so call ‘freedom’ these include aspects such as slander obscenity and sedition which includes ethnic hatred. Article 19 states that “everyone shall have the right to hold opinions without interference and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers, either orally, in writing or in print, in the form of art, or through any other media of his choice". This article also states however that certain restrictions" when necessary "for respect of the rights or reputation of others" or "for the protection of national security or of public order, or of public health or morals. Speech in the United States is protected by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution and by many state constitutions and state and federal laws. The legal protections of the First Amendment are some of the broadest of any industrialized nation, and remain a critical, and occasionally controversial, component of American jurisprudence. This is not the case in many of the eastern countries where these attacks are occurring. There is a huge misconception on the matter and according to the article from the local newspaper freedom of speech should be carefully used to communicate the information of the situation by the global media. I agree that the media should not take sides but stay neutral and provide the facts so that the receivers can form their own opinion. So therefore along the informative-persuasive continuum the media should be highly informative hence their communicative goal should be to educate/inform.
ReplyDeleteshrees morgan
809003029
Freedom of expression is indeed key, when it comes to educating the public, however it is also the reason why the controversy with the Muslim film and violent outbreak has occurred. Therefore, is this how the media should operate? By expressing their views without pondering the feedback? No since the media should be providing information to the public truthfully and in an unbiased manner. Therefore I would have to agree with the words put forward by Almasmari, “I think the media should pay a neutral role and not take sides, that’s the kind of environment we’d [also] like to see in the West, where people understand what’s right and what’s wrong and condemn the mistakes and not generalize it into a religious issue”
ReplyDeleteThe film, “Innocence of Muslims” was not the view of all US citizens however “American embassies across the middle East and North Africa has become the target of protest and attacks.” This goes to show the impact of the media on the public, but most importantly when it comes to topics concerning culture. This is where ethics in media come in. Religion is an issue that has, time and time again caused uproars when in debate and is not taken lightly by its respective followers when questioned or in this case, made a mockery of. Therefore the creators of this film should have seen this retaliation coming especially with the never forgotten 9/11 disaster.
Therefore freedom of expression is encouraged where the truth is reported and opinions is kept to one self-i.e. a neutral role should be played. Although there is no limits to what is broadcasted in today’s society, senders of a message should be mindful of what can cause conflict in a society or disrespect individual or groups when it comes to ‘freedom of expression’.
Media Freedom and Independence, The Express Newspapers, Story by International Press Institute, Sept 2012.
Caroll, Rory, Film maker behind anti-Islam trailer stays silent amid media siege, The Guardian Uk, Sept 2012.
Amanda Raghoonanan
ID#811000855
I agree with the statements made by Hakim Almasmari "I think the media should play a neutral role and not take sides. That’s the kind of environment we’d {also} like to see in the West, where people understand what’s right and what’s wrong and condemn the mistakes and not generalize it to a religious issue".
ReplyDeleteThe term media is derived from Medium, which means carrier or mode. Media denotes an item specifically designed to reach a large audience or viewers. The term was first used with the advent of newspapers and magazines. However, with the passage of time, the term broadened by the inventions of radio, TV, cinemas and Internet.
In the world of today, media has become almost as necessary as food and clothing. It is true that media is playing an outstanding role in strengthening the society. Its duty is to inform, educate and entertain the people. It helps us to know current situation around the world. The media has a strong social and cultural impact upon society and because of its inherent ability to reach large number of public, it is widely used to convey message to build public opinion and awareness.
Media is not just confine to informing us about the world happenings and serving a means to connect with people, in fact it also affects out thinking patterns as well. The way we think and perceive various issues about the world is also shaped up by media. Today everyone especially youth is growing so aware about his responsibilities towards society and this is because of media.
References:
http://www.publishyourarticles.net/eng/articles/an-essay-on-the-role-of-media.html
http://blog.abhinav.com/2010/08/the-role-of-media-in-today-society/
KEIRAN BRIDGLAL
810001787
The media should be neutral. I agree with Almasmari statement but the people controlling the media cannot always remain unbiased though work ethics exist. Almasmari statement, “I think the media should play a neutral role and not take sides". We in the Caribbean would like to see this true, globally and in our Caribbean home land. Sometimes what seems as normal for one culture is not to the other and a unconscious trend occurs – a strife. Religion has always been a very sensitive issue mainly of, respect and existence. When a religious society is not barred or condemned from their belief in any way, peace exists. Thus people of different cultural values remain content and without displeasure or unhappiness. In the case of the Islamic community a particular video has cause a disturbance. Still although this video degrades what Muslim consider sacred, this should not enrage their community into violence and call for death. The media still is the way for them to solve and bring awareness to their problem. Like I said in my first blog, the media at present serve to educate and displace truth from non-truth in daily issues of politics, crime and natural disasters. The sole purpose of the media is not for a single need of expression but a multitude of freedom of expression.
ReplyDeleteOur media in the Caribbean should not be influenced by the American media though there is a general need. Still all media’s are supposedly independent. People are influenced by the media. In today’s society the media is the sole tool for unraveling and delivering information critical for social, political and cultural life. Taking sides or even soliciting in a manner that removes equality causes riots and wars. An unbiased media is important in today’s global environment.
Trinidad Express Newspapers. 2012. “Media Freedom and Independence”. Accessed on October 5th, 2012. http://www.trinidadexpress.com/commentaries/Media_freedom_and_independence_-171639881.html
PRESSTV.2012. “US Media Display Biased Against Media”. Accessed on October 7th, 2012. http://www.presstv.ir/
Name: Prahlada Phang
ID # 809004130
The last few weeks have enlightened, embittered, angered, freed and probably enraged others as it pertains to the issue of the Anti Islamic film. The question on whether the media reported correctly and unbiased is now asked to be commented upon. Firstly everyone inclusive of the media who should be as unbiased as possible is bias in one way or the other, primarily we are human beings and we are influenced some to a lesser degree than others thus making us all vulnerable to questionable opinions.
ReplyDeleteTruly ones background in all spheres brings with it the mode of thinking and aligned with this the level of education, availability of information and values influence us and the film produced is an example of that. Because we live in a world where tolerance is not the norm and it is left unchecked in certain establishments many guided by selfish desires would abuse the freedom they have to violate the rights of others. Again the call made by Almasmari for a more neutral media is welcomed but he fails to realise that even the media can be biased. The responsibility of the general public in accessing information presently stands with every individual, you have to make the choice to become educated and decipher the truth from the made up. News will always be presented with a slant to it, read different media sources to widen your scope and zero in on the actual possibilities of what is reported then you would realise that the only person keeping you back from the truth is you.
Reference:
Mohammed Ghobari, Blair Edmund. “U.S. embassies attacked in Yemen, Egypt after Libya envoy killed” September, 13th 2012.
Link:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/video/2012/sep/20/pakistanis-protest-against-anti-islam-film-video
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/09/13/us-protests-idUSBRE88C0J320120913
Ronald Williams
810005195
Referring to the statement made by Almasmari, I totally agree with him, where he stated that the media’s role should be neutral across the board on all the topics. To justify his statement I think that professionalism should be maintained by the media when reporting on articles, and should be approached objectively. With the Media’s piece meal approach towards particular news related issues and the reasons as to the origin of these issues, often times tend to corrupt the mind of the public with misrepresented information.
ReplyDeleteThe role of the media with respect to the anti-muslim film was mainly to inform the public of the slandering bias video. By the media presenting its information forward to the public created some sought of havoc among the Muslim communities. The innocence of the mass media was compromised by reporting on the anti-muslim film and thus isolated as bias reporting.
The democratic view taken by the Americans may not stand well with other countries. For example ;with the situation of the "anti-Islamic" movie trailer "Innocence of Muslims", where the American citizens involved were simply practicing their freedom, in which, Muslim communities worldwide where more so offended , sparking numerous violent protests, some worse than others. The media could have taken a different approach in an instance like this, by actually report exactly what was taking place on both ends of the issue, without omitting stories which they perceive to be of interest to the widespread public.
When religion is involved I think that the mass media should take a more unbiased stance in reporting and a more restrictive stance as to who and what audience would be accepting the massage.
For quite a while now societies within the Islamic faith have repeatedly been targeted by the American superpower. The American media has shaped the beliefs and perceptions of many non-American societies and their beliefs of Islam societies. But I don’t believe that is only l the media to be held accountable. The director Alan Roberts uploaded “The Innocence of Muslims” via a public video entity called YouTube.
References
"Media freedom and independence."Trinidad Express Newspaper. Accessed 7th October 2012.
http://www.trinidadexpress.com/commentaries/Media_freedom_and_independence_-171639881.html.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/sep/25/obama-un-general-assembly-transcript
Mohammed Ghobari, Blair Edmund. “U.S. embassies attacked in Yemen, Egypt after Libya envoy killed” September, 13th 2012. http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/09/13/us-protests-idUSBRE88C0J320120913
ESTHER JAMES
810000658
As you know the media is the source of information sharing and lets the world know about all events through various means. But, this media possess the disadvantage that through freedom of expression, there is little or no contol that can have various consequences, good and bad.
ReplyDeleteAn example of a bad consequence is pertaining to the “Innoscence of Muslims” video that was revealed. It was posted and the reaction bought terrible attacks and even deaths. Religious morals and values can be perceived and it affects these audiences resulting in bizarre circumstances. But in contrast, the information through the media can be used to describe and display to audiences useful information that can be further used for research and educational purposes. The same example can be drawn about the “Innoscence of Muslims” where, the religious beliefs, actions, reactions of these same beliefs can be notified and clipped for experts in religious education for added research. The same can be said about the issue of Mitt Romney, the Republican Representative for the Presidential elections. Although there are controversies about himself, this adds to research being done about his lifestyle. Even the entire campaign itself leading up to the Presidential elections is a bonus for the world’s population because of the world powers of America and how crucial it is to know about Presidential campaigns.
Consequently, I will always agree that the media should be neutral and not take sides simply because of what the media can do in terms of their dominance, influential and persuasive nature. They do have a freedom of expression so I think that it should be wise that they give all audiences freedom of choice. The media should focus on presenting factual information in such that way so that they do not force their opinion on various audiences. The reason being that there will not be serious consequences for example, the middle-east riots & attacks due to anti-Islamic video. In addition, the delivery of information from various media should be so strategic that, when being exposed, the information or displays should appeal to educational senses and not selfish motives (i.e. To gain popularity over competitors, sales revenue)
Shimon Joseph
811001529
In my opinion free of expression is key to having a tolerant and forward thinking society. You cannot put barriers on what people are and aren't allowed to say. At times ideas expressed by persons may be contrary to your own beliefs but that is no reason to attack or ridicule them. However when these expressions begin to border on hate speech and the like something must be done to show that this is not the thinking of the majority of the individuals in society. Violence is never the answer to solving such problems and I think the best way to deal with a film like "Innocence of Muslims" is to ignore it completely. Giving it attention gives it further traction in the media and allows these stupid stereotypes to be spread to a larger audience.However in the event something like this gains traction the media is responsible for showing the offended parties that things are being down to rectify the situation and let them know they are not alone in their condemnation of the film.In an ideal world the media would report on the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. But the truth doesn't always make good reading, so in reality there will always be bias. But as individuals we owe it to ourselves to look at stories from both sides so as to be properly educated on the topic, before we cast judgement.
ReplyDeleteReference:
Mohammed Ghobari, Blair Edmund. “U.S. embassies attacked in Yemen, Egypt after Libya envoy killed” September, 13th 2012.
Link:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/video/2012/sep/20/pakistanis-protest-against-anti-islam-film-video
Javed Lakhan
808011171
I somewhat agree with the statement made by Almasmari. The media should indeed be objective and unbiased in both the Eastern and Western worlds. His statement however, is a doubled edged sword. Media not only comprises of the journalistic aspect, but consists also of movies, radio, internet etc. Therefore, following Almasmari's statement, logic dictates that the maker of that film 'Innocence of Muslims' was completely in his rights to make this movie and distribute it. But, in my opinion, that movie should have never made it to the public’s eye.
ReplyDeleteAs stated in the article censorship is need when dealing issues that can be controversial, this film for example. Innocence of Muslims as I stated in a previous comment is nothing but an attempt at ‘trolling.’ This is a very prominent behavior on the internet where persons post statements or make videos or pictures with the intention of causing a ‘chaotic’ reaction.
Is that not seen in the reaction of the Islamic world to this video? The resulting violence connected to the 'film' The Innocence of Muslims' as written in the article was completely uncalled for and is a "bigger insult to Islam [than the movie]." I am sure that many people would agree with me when I say that that movie is not worth the effort.
I will say lastly, that I agree with the part of the article the media should be “free to report on the truth, and that they exercise the judgement to do so in a calm and clear-eyed way.” Though the world we live in is a sometimes chaotic one, media should strive not to fan the flames but to be a reasonable and objective voice.
CHRYSEL JAMES
810001745
The media is there to entertain, inform and educate persons about what is happening on the international for front, may it be about the weather, politics, war who knows. The point is that sometimes the messages that are being sent across can cause controversy especially when the issue is about religion. The statement made by Almasmari, I had to agree with it. The media should play a neutral role and not take sides, as this would be the ethical thing to do. When a journalist is covering a story they have to be fair and unbiased but this seems to be hard for some persons to do.
ReplyDeleteThe Anti Muslim film was stupid enough and the director wanted to stir up some trouble in my opinion, the film was disrespectful toward Prophet Muhammad and the Islamic community and this is a way of life for some persons. This now started a wave of violence in the Middle East. The media should know the sensitivity of a story before running with it and take into consideration the after effects it could have on a nation. This means of communication via the media should benefit society not bring it down to its knees. At the same time the public should be aware of the difference between a good message and a bad one. Freedom of expression is everyone’s right but I think that persons should know about limitations and personal boundaries and respect it
Kimberly Bunsee
811001068
I fully agree that the media should play a neutral role and not take sides but however media will do what it takes to get a large audience. I also don’t think that the violence is related to the media but the people. Media brought out a message and it’s the people that made more news for the media by the use of violence. No matter how negative the producers of this movie have portrayed Islam and Muslims there no way that this level of misconduct is acceptable. After all it’s “just a movie” and directors and producers have the right to express their thoughts freely. I sincerely believe that the number of violent protests of Islamic extremists and Muslims on the whole has disrespected their religion way more that some movie did with the help of the media. The media was responsible in both cases for making this a public hot topic but that is their job. They brought the message to the people but it is the people that have caused the violent events such as the violence in the US embassy in Egypt and the killing of a US ambassador in Libya which is totally unacceptable in my opinion.
ReplyDeleteThe word media is from the word medium which means to a carrier or a mode and this is exactly what they did; convey a message to large audiences. The media should play a neutral role in all situation but this however is not always so as the media will alter a story to attract a wider audience. In this situation, however, its religion and Islamic extremists that have brought controversy to the world not some movie shot in America. The media simple made the public aware.
http://www.turkishweekly.net/columnist/3668/the-movie-innocence-of-muslims-and-the-limits-of-freedom-of-expression.html
Avinash Dukharan
808010755
I totally agree with this statement made by the publisher and editor in chief of the Yemen Post, Hakim Almasmari, when he says “ I think the media should play a neutral role and not take sides. That’s the kind of environment we’d {also} like to see in the West, where people understand what’s right and what’s wrong and condemn the mistakes and not generalize it to a religious issue,” The purpose of the media especially newspaper is to relay accurate, current and relevant information to the public without being bias towards the topics that are published or broadcasted.
ReplyDeleteThe media should take n consideration when touching on a sensitive topic such as religion which can be seen now in the response in the Middle East and North Africa on the video "Innocence of Muslim". This video has sparked riots and protests and have even been the cause of some deaths in some embassies in countries like Libya and Sudan.
The media has no right to say whether is religious belief is right or wrong. Also, media strong houses like the US should be more respectful and unbiased towards other religions. The US and the muslim community have been in some 'hot waters' since the 9/11. incident. The producers of the video cannot be prosecuted for the video in the US because of the first right in the US constitution.
Everyone has an entitlement to freedom of speech but some topics should be said with a level of objectivity in it. Also, one report or video should not be able to cause this much controversity or havoc or chaos in the future. The media should be a neutral factor in the bringing of news to the public.
Reference:
"Media freedom and independence."Trinidad Express Newspaper. Accessed 7th October 2012.
809001829
Ricardo Bahadoorsingh
When someone’s religion is being insulted, people get hurt because it’s a sensitive topic therefore people responded violently .Muslims are being stereotype after they react with violence as terrorist by the media. I agree that the media should be bias free and neutral, and just deliver the facts as it is without manipulating to story to create conflict between two groups. Being free and independent doesn't mean that the media have the right to lie to the public. When two countries are in a feud the media becomes one sided and choose to support their country. There is a lot that can be done by the higher authorities against the anti terrorism acts and also the video “Innocence of Muslims” just like they banned the book The Da Vinci Code in several Middle Eastern countries ,for the sake of maintaining peace among people.
ReplyDeleteIt was the freedom of expression that began the outbreak of violence in the Middle East but what I don’t agree with is the way in which the Muslim people handled the situation and killed people in the US embassy. The media has a lot to do with the way we think and what we think about on certain topics because they are our source of information from all over the world. Almasmari said let’s not generalize it to a religious issue, but in this case it was directed towards religion. Media freedom and independence are more important than ever, new opportunities for building and sustaining independent media around the world must be a priority, so that people who promote hatred and violence can be countered not with more violence, but through discussion and debate in the national and international press. This is what needs to be done to control the way in which the media should present its stories in unbiased and truthful facts, and news worthy.
References:
Media freedom and independence, Trinidad express newspapers,
Sep 27, 2012
http://www.trinidadexpress.com/commentaries/Media_freedom_and_independence_-171639881.html
Christopher Nathaniel
811000806
Information is power and it is the currency which the world has always worked. If history has taught us anything is that those who control information are the most powerful people on the planet. In this era, those who control the media are responsible for the information distributed to the population and as a result their views play a crucial and influential role in understanding the issues in the world. Therefore the author suggestion ‘that freedom of information is key to educating persons on all issues...” is correct provided that the information portrayed is accurate and ethical.
ReplyDeleteThe ‘YouTube’ video about the prophet Mohammad has outrage the Muslim population worldwide since they consider it an attack on their beliefs. The fact that the media choose to highlight the violence of certain Islamic groups rather than those Muslims who were condemning the attacks is an indication of the biasness that the media has in this present era. This “choosing a side” is an indication that the media wants the population think as certain individuals or groups who control the media would think as compared to giving all the facts and allowing the population to decide what is right and what is wrong.
Misinformation and or disinformation can lead to hostilities between various groups, who may not fully understand the principles and beliefs of one another. It is the responsibility of the media therefore to provide the facts in an un-bias fashion so as to dispel any false information or rumours so that a proper understanding or communication between these various groups can be established. Therefore the statement made by Almasmari, “I think the media should play a neutral role and not take sides...” is true if the media is to be respected for it professionalism and moral values in properly educating the people.
The use of facts to explain the truth should always have priority rather than incorporating religious views, as these are subjective to different religious bodies in the world. However, if the media is being undermined by political parties or other influential individuals or groups to attack the views and expression of others and are exposed, then this would demoralize public confidence in our democracy as the media would no longer be viewed as an independent entity.
Siddhi Sankar
811001163
References:
Media freedom and independence, Trinidad express newspapers,
Sep 27, 2012
http://www.trinidadexpress.com/commentaries/Media_freedom_and_independence_-171639881.html
Hakim Almasmari is the chief publisher and editor of the Yemen post. Yemen is a country located in Western Asia and it is considered one of the poorest countries in the Arab world. I strongly agree with Hakim Almasmari went he said ‘I think the media should play a neutral role and not take sides’. The media should be objective not subjective; they are there to provide accurate and unbiased information to the public.
ReplyDeleteI believe that, the video odious portrayal of the Islamic faith was wrong and uncalled for. Taking other people religion and making it a mockery is something a young and foolish child would do, not someone who is educated and would like to call themselve a professional movie maker, what they should have done was to get a professional and permanent tattoo writing ‘asshole’ on the parody maker forehead. This ridiculous video is causing mass protest and havoc in these Islamic countries in which innocent lives are being taken for what? A stupid video that was able to become global. This is the type for ludicrous behavior that is taking place in the world today.
Kim Mungroo
811100242
References
Trinidad Express Newspapers. 2012. “Media Freedom and Independence.” September 27,2012
The main purpose of mass media is to inform the public about current issues that may affect their lifestyles. That being said I totally agree with the statement made by the author “I think the media should play a neutral role and not take sides”, because the posting of such a violent video didn't impacted on the video itself but created an offense to the Muslim society and religion.
ReplyDeleteTherefore I believe the media must come to understand that there are responsibilities to reporting impartial and truthful stories in their respected fields. With integration of a globalized “freedom of speech” attitude, more people will feel entitled to voice their opinions and I believe it’s the media role to facilitate these preferences, and by the believe of not impacting a religion but a specific group of people this video was post.
TONY RAJ
ID#: 811002627
The purpose of the media is slowly but surely being deformed into yet another money driven entity, that services the institutes and government of the country it exists in, rather than its citizens. the initial purpose of the media was to educate and entertain its viewers. Mass media has an important role to play in communicating between public and government as to the opinions of the citizens on a particular topic. Media is supposed to give an unbiased representation of a topic or situation, shedding light on both parties that contribute to a particular situation. I agree with the article; the media is supposed to report the facts and do so in an unbiased way, but this does not always happen. Lets look at a simple thing like sport. When media covers a sport, who gets highlighted? Who gets the interviews and back stories? Usually, the bigger side. Now, is that unbiased?
ReplyDeleteThe reaction to the Islam video did bring about violence as it was highly offensive to the people of that faith. I believe, it was expected and to a certain extent, the media is to blame. It is important, when broadcasting information on topics and situations to do with religion and politics, that the media take extra care In doing so, as to not offend the very citizens that the media was initially meant to serve. However, it is not too late. The media is a powerful persuading entity and should step in to negate the situation.
Trinidad express newspapers. `Media freedom and independence`. 2012. < www.trinidadexpress.com>. Access 5th October, 2012
809003139
Arielle Seerattan
I agree with Mr. Hakim Almasmari’s statement; that the media should take a neutral position and not choose sides. The media should also watch their wording and how they express their thoughts because not everyone may gather the same meaning from what they are trying to say. The media is the main source of information, through them persons are informed and a certain level of trust is placed into their hands therefore readers/ listeners may believe everything they read or hear and can be easily influenced or manipulated. In this particular situation, the countries involved all have an unpleasant history with each other, it is easy for the media to add fuel to the fire.
ReplyDeleteMr Almasmari also made a statement I would like to highlight “That’s the kind of environment we’d [also] like to see in the West, where people understand what’s right and what’s wrong and condemn the mistakes and not generalise it into a religious issue.” People do not take time to understand the truth and admit what was right from wrong. The Islamic religion is often a bombarded one and as soon as anything happens religious accusations are made.
The privilege of freedom of expression is a lot of responsibility to place on an individual and unfortunately not everyone can handle this power.
Chad De Matas
809005046
With a voice as big as the sea, the media is able to tap into the minds of viewers, listeners and readers, either consciously or subconsciously changing their beliefs. They possess great power, which they sometimes abuse, allowing the public to believe what they want them to. Whether the media takes a neutral role or not depends heavily on which genre of media we are dealing with. If the role of this particular media type is to inform the public, then, by all means, they should strive to maintain an objective position, clearly outlining the facts of the situation. Due to this fact, and the pivotal role the media plays in shaping the views of society, I agree with the words of Hakim Almasmari, “…the media should play a neutral role and not take sides.” (Media Freedom and Independence 2012)
ReplyDeleteThe highly controversial anti-Islamic movie trailer, “The Innocence of Muslims”, portrays the views of a minority of Americans. The insulting and extremely offensive film makes it even easier for people all over to believe in stereotypes of Muslims. The movie trailer which has gone viral has caused violence in countries of the Middles East, where citizens are protesting against the contents of the film. However, the article shows evidence of one-sided media broadcasts, stating, “Western media coverage of the protests has been intense, focusing on violence, anti-American statements and on security measures taken at the embassies. There appears to have been less coverage of protests by people in Muslim countries, who were condemning the attacks.” (Media Freedom and Independence 2012)
This is the point which I believe Almasmari is trying to make. The news reports are intended to inform the public of what is taking place in the world and as such, should be factual and unbiased; not swaying to any side in particular. Their broadcasts has only told one side of the story, it has only shared a percentage of the beliefs of a people, thereby, misinforming the public, causing people all over to adopt their one-sided view.
"Media Freedom and Independence." www.tntexpress.com. September 27, 2012. (accessed October 6, 2012).
Empress-Zena Tafari
810000577
I agree with the statement “ I think the media should play a neutral role and not take sides. That’s the kind of environment we’d {also} like to see in the West, where people understand what’s right and what’s wrong and condemn the mistakes and not generalize it to a religious issue,” stated by the publisher and editor in chief of the Yemen Post, Hakim Almasmari. The responsibility of the media to its deliver the news and information to the public while staying professional in writing. By not being bias, and reporting the facts as they happen, writers would stay true to their readers. In doing this they can allow the public to form their own opinions. Religion is a touchy issue around the world and people tend to take offence when something seems offensive to their religion and they tend to lash out. This was the case with the Islamic community, as the video “innonance of Muslims”, uploaded by Alan Roberts. The Islamic community took offence to the video as they thought it was disrespectful to the Muslims causing them to be violent towards the U.S resulted in the death of the American ambassador Christopher Stephens. Information should be reported based on facts and not opinion. By taking sides and stating your opinion, it can be easily misunderstood and can also be seen as offensive and may reflect discrimination. This could have been the case with the video. When reporting a story the media needs to ensure that the information is unbiased. It should just be a plain facts produced in a way that the public will easily understand.
ReplyDeleteReferences: Trinidad Express Newspapers. 2012. “Media freedom and independence” September 27, 2012. Accessed on October 5, 2012. www.trinidadexpress.com
kaila jones
81002362
Who owns the media? According to Marxists, the media is controlled by the ruling elite to maintain their power. Therefore the media can be very manipulative and can bring forth to the surface what it wants to be the topic of the public and how it wants the public to view a topic, issue etc. I agree to the statement of Hakim Almasmari, “I think the media should play a neutral role and not take sides. That’s the kind of environment we’d {also} like to see in the West, where people understand what’s right and what’s wrong and condemn the mistakes and not generalize it to a religious issue.” However this would be very difficult to achieve because the news values, norm setting and other sources of bias means that only some issues are covered by the media and that these issues are not presented neutrally.
ReplyDeleteThe Media according to the Marxist view choose what to report and how to report it and therefore provide a biased view of the world. Then the “freedom of speech” belongs to whom? If what the media is presenting is based on the media’s view and side. In the article the editor stated “only the traditional news media have the mandate and the ability to put the film, the protest and response to the protest into their political and cultural context”. Therefore, the media have to be very sensitive with this anti-Muslim film analysis because they could be stirring up a level of “Moral Panic” which according to Stanley Cohen the media fashions episodes of an issue, “amplifying the nature of the facts and consequently turning them into a national issue, when the matter could have been contained on a local level”.
References:
http://www.aber.ac.uk/media/Students/hrb9701.html
http://www.earlhamsociologypages.co.uk/massmplumarx.htm
http://www.trinidadexpress.com/commentaries/Media_freedom_and_independence_-171639881.html
Laura Gadar
809002529
The article posted by Almasmari, basically centered on the violence in the Middle East stated that, freedom of information is key to educating persons on all issues involved in matters such as; freedom of expression and delivery of information. According to Almasmari media should play a neutral role and not take sides. In news writing content is expected to be factual and non-opinionative. However Almasmari adds opinion to the factual content and the intended message becomes quite unclear and also confusing to the reader. Protests in the Islamic nations was a clear indicator of “freedom of expression” which the author suggests is a key factor in educating people yet condemns the very act. This is quite confusing to be in support of something yet oppose the action of that expression and is quite disturbing that an author can boldly publish such an article for public viewing. Another issue arising from the article is where the author again states her opinion on the fact that religion should not be the main driving force behind such a mistake. Is she herself confused? The entire problem to begin with arose out of a film geared at insulting the Islamic faith! hence the current issue’s main driving force is a religious one. This then goes to show how confusing the article in itself is and how misleading a news report can be given the addition of opinion.
ReplyDeleteReferences
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/sep/14/islam-film-muslim-protests
Tammy Thompson
811002623
The media’s purpose is to inform, educate and persuade the audience. However, they should be unbiased when reporting information it should be up to the audience what side they take. They should hear both sides of the story and then make their decision.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with the publisher statement, “I think the media should play a neutral role and not take sides. That’s the kind of environment we’d {also} like to see in the West, where people understand what’s right and what wrong condemn the mistakes and not generalize it to religious issue.”
The audience wants the story like it is not the writer’s view on opinion of the issue. They should be able to make their own interpretation of the issue.
There should be freedom of speech however the movie trailer for “Innocence of Muslims” is highly anti Islam and disgraceful in all regard towards Islam as a religion. It was extremely degrading to the faith and disrespectful to the Prophet Mohammed. It is an outrage in normal human behavior by its followers. Expression of ideas and thoughts should be acceptable. However there should be a better way to send across the message that is more respectful to others
Tishara Charles
811000923
I totally support and agree with the statement that was made by Almasmari where he said “I think that the media should play a neutral role and not take sides. That’s the kind of environment we’d [also] like to see in the West……..” The main purpose of the media is educate and provide unbiased and factual information. The media has the a lot of influence and has the ability to easily stir up a dilemma and make a big issue out of a small matter, and when it is that the media chooses side, then the entire situation is easily exaggerated. Its one thing wanting to sell your newspaper, however you have to take into consideration the effects and consequences of how you go by doing that.
ReplyDeleteReligion and politics are 2 of the most sensitive issues there are and when the media adds fuel to that fire, it can blaze uncontrollably into a raging flame and cause severe destruction. T he media has the power to shape the public opinion one way or the other. In the words of Malcolm X “The media is the most powerful entity on earth. They have the power to make the innocent guilty and to make the guilty innocent, and that’s power” It is important that the media does not abuse this power of use it for the wrong reasons.
When the media takes sides, it tends to conveniently omit vital information and deprive the audience of facts. There are always two sides to a story and the role of the media should be to convey both sides, not just one and mislead the population. I am not saying that freedom is speech is not important, but I believe honesty and integrity is more important
References
Friedersdof, Conor. The Atlantic. 12 22, 2010. http://www.theatlantic.com/daily-dish/archive/2010/12/how-neutral-should-journalists-be/178182/ (accessed 10 7, 2012).
Bheemal Ramlogan
810004091
Since the occurrences of September 11th, Islam has been branded as a violent religion, when in truth its teachings are no different than that of Christianity or Judaism and the Innocence of Muslims trailer is just one example of such. On both sides of the issue there are the few who stoke the coals of intolerance and dissent whilst themselves being intolerant and dissenting. These few bring to fruition the idiom “one bad apple spoiled the whole bunch” and are highlighted by the media as the conflict, impact; relevance and prominence make it newsworthy enough to sell. I agree with the statement made in the article ‘Media Freedom and Independence’ but media houses sell news and as such report profitable (newsworthy) stories. The violence that is currently occurring in the Middle East is not solely because of the trailer but because of many incidents occurring since last year. In what is known as the Arab spring a volatile environment of social unrest was created putting tensions between the Middle East and the Western World at an all time high. The film was just the trigger. I am sure that most people know nothing of these preceding events and assume that the violence is only about the film because that is how it is purported by the media. When the people say that it is unfortunate that there are the Muslims who are disrespecting their religion in response to the film they do not consider these events and it goes to show that the media really needs to take the mantle in properly educating the public of the current events. To be fair there are the few articles which try to show the other sides of the story none of which make the headline and are rarely seen by the most people. "If you're not careful, the newspapers will have you hating the people who are being oppressed, and loving the people who are doing the oppressing." — Malcolm X
ReplyDeleteJoshi, Shashank. "BBC News - Film protests: What explains the anger?." BBC - Homepage. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-19609951 (accessed October 7, 2012).
808012038
The media today is like food; a strong and urgent necessity to the human population. There is no denial that the plays a significant role in making the world as we know it smaller. This is done through various mediums of media whether internet, radio, television or newspapers. Dominance is an attribute the media holds in high esteem as they have the capabilities to influence peoples’ decision. Hence I am in total agreement with publisher Hakim Almasmari that the media should play a neutral role and not take sides…...
ReplyDeleteIn relation to the release of the film ‘Innocence of Muslims’ which stirred an enormous uproar in the media for several days, the media should stand a neutral ground. It is evident that this particular story is a sensitive one, since such destructive consequences resulted. It is these said reasons why the media should remain neutral. Their point of view should not be placed in their news story.
The objective of the article was to stress the power the media holds over us as a society. Individuals don’t usually question this information source as it is deemed to give truthful factual reports. It is true we all have the freedom to do as we please based on constitutional rights, but the media should not be selective with the areas of news stories to broadcast. I believe they should give the public their own opportunity to create their point of view, as we all know some opinionated stories frequently lead to misconceptualization by the general public.
Therefore to not be bias the media in their reporting needs to report the fact and delete their opinions. This needs to be done as the media does indeed shape the opinions of their viewers.
Trinidad Express newspapers2012 Media Freedom and Newspapers
Blog.abhinav.com/com/2012/08/the-role-of-the-media
Kechiel Paul
811001426
“I can absolutely agree with the statement “media should play a neutral role and not take sides” placed in the Yemen post by publisher, and editor in chief Hakim Almasmari; in the article ‘Media Freedom and Independence’. We must first comprehend the meaning of the word media, and that it is controlled by people “HUMANS” that convey a news worthy message which can cause conflict, and interfere with ones emotions, especially if an influential “power house” starts taking sides.
ReplyDeleteFollowing the law of ‘Freedom of Speech’, which many will concur, was used in creating the controversial Muslim video, entitled “Innocence of Muslims” which caused many protest and attacks on American Embassies; in the Middle East and North Africa, simply displays the effects of the derogatory views of the producer, as he disrespected the Prophet Mohammed and the Muslim culture. In order to prevent this commotion from happening the producer Nakoula Basseley (aka Sam Bacile), should have created the video with information based on FACT.
We, as people of the West should aim at adapting the kind of “environment, where people understand what’s right and what’s wrong and condemn the mistakes and not generalize it to a religious issue”; as many would be swift to judge specifically all members of a community by a few 'bad apples' as most Trinbagonians do. For example, after the 1990 attempted coup, carried out by the Jamaat al Muslimeen, Imam Yasin Abu Bakr; our citizens, especially from Trinidad are quick to say either, “Is Ah Muslim, or the person from Lavintille, Beetham, Sea Lots, etc” when someone has committed a crime.
Reference List
1) “Media Freedom and Independence,” Venna-based international Press Institute and Paris based World Association on Newspapers and news publishers, http;//www.filejumbo.com/ DownloadA2AFC453EF8094A8
Leslyn Alexander
811002435
Should the media be neutral? “Definitely yes!” some may say. Information should be clearly transmitted to the receiver without colouring or warping and should reflect the source clearly. We are inevitably human, however, and thus extremely subjective beings. I believe it would aide the cause of the media to add to the information, the rationale of both sides (in this issue) and the varying viewpoints in other matters. The thing is, one cannot have information without interpretation and if something is in violation of international human rights and codes of ethics then it is also the media's responsibility to enlighten the public as to what the correct action should have been. Neutrality does not mean that the news media has no input.
ReplyDeleteIf the media does not carry a moderated message then the raw information will be left up to anyone’s interpretation and the same issues that arose in Libya and all across the Middle East could be worse. As well as an increase in tension toward islamic communities worldwide. While independent “free” thought is a widely desirable concept, not everyone can handle the power that it holds. “Softening the blows” of harsh words and imagery could help to ease tensions between those at odds. In which case the media should not act with bias toward any particular side, yet they should guide the public in the most ethical way of conduct in matters through the use of called-in advisors, and leading experts on both sides to add good information to the public domain.
Israel Ramjohn
811004301
Based on the report made on the film which had insulted the Muslim faith many views can be taken from this .Some may see it as reporters just doing their job of bring the news to the people on what is going on around the world where as some people may think of it as giving attention to something that should be thrown out of the media spot light due to its extreme offence to all Muslims around the world.
ReplyDeleteThe media has a right to report what is current and what stories might have the most interest surrounding it. At the end of the day it’s a business and media outlets tend to continue to report of these controversial stories because of the reaction it provokes. With no risk there is no reward this is why medial institutes may justify their actions because even doe it may be offense to certain member of the world their goal is to attract people to their brand. This is why it may be difficult for media to report on neutral grounds because they try to make their stories more attractive.
I believe that the media should be more mindful of what they report when it comes to touchy issues such as this as it may result in serious actions from the Muslim community as the film was very offence. The media should not aim blame to any one religion for the actions of others. I think the media should take more responsibility for what they report and how it can affect the lives of others.
References
http://www.thestarphoenix.com/life/California+behind+controversial+anti+Islam+film+Angeles/7356568/story.html
Chris Selman
811003509
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThe East versus West, ‘them vs. us’ dichotomy is by no means a new development or occurrence as the idea of Orientalism can be dated back to the early 1900’s. This idea of the Western world invading Eastern spaces in an effort to civilize and normalize the exotic and the savages is a concept that is prevalent even up to this present era. In the late 1800’s, stereotyping and discrimination came in the form of commodity racism, in which the print media would create ads highlighting the ‘unclean’ nature of ‘black’ skin. These harsh campaigns told stories of magic soap making little black children clean and possessing skin colour fading properties that would make them just like little white boys and girls. However, in this 21st century, the script has somewhat changed and discrimination is not as blatant. Instead, discrimination and false representations come in the form of parodies similar to the recent anti Islamic film which has seriously insulted the Muslim community and openly mocking their faith. After injury has been inflicted upon a marginalized sector of the society, the question remains, how then can the situation be mitigated? One such idea is the act of an impartial media who takes no sides albeit religious, political or otherwise. Consequently, the backlash for this video has lead to mass civil uprising and even in civilian deaths. The stance made by Almasmari is a commendable one and one that we all benefit to learn from. In addition to the media playing a neutral role, we as citizens must be cognizant of the fact that the media is responsible for propaganda, mass deception, mass conformism and a host of other undesirables. Taking drastic action in the form of suicide bombings, murders and riotous protests every time the media leaks controversial material only helps to validate the misconception that those living in Eastern countries are savage in nature. To break to stereotype, we must be willing to change our actions.
ReplyDeleteDa Rosa Bigford
810003179
The media may have freedom and independence, but they also need to be more unbiased and righteous in their reporting. They should not take sides in regards to the Almasari's statement. The media has a role of reporting news based on human interests, being objective, relevance, proximity, conflict and accuracy. In this case they went around reporting on this incident with great bias.
ReplyDeleteThe media were, in this case, fixated on selling news that they forget the key principles on reporting news. Religion should not be made a mockery of and certainly not within the media. That is very unethical on the media’s behalf.
All misconceptions and misinformation should be cleared up by the media. Yes, the media has freedom, but has to exercise judgment on fairness.
I do agree with the statement made by the author. It has already been discussed how important the media is to communicating information to the public; usually whatever the public reads, the public believes. It is therefore critical that the media ensures all articles are truthful firstly, and not biased. Tainted news could either mislead a public or cause as uproar by those that disagree.
ReplyDeleteThe media is also used to express opinions of authors, and care should be taken to ensure one does not take an ‘opinionated article’ as a news report. Such confusion, especially in the most important of cases, cannot be promoted as it could determine an outcome which affects an entire population or nation. For example, in the current race for President in the USA, it would do serious harm to the chances of one candidate if major newspapers were to print biased articles against him. Printing the truth, regardless of it being positive or negative would give the candidates all a fair trial while providing the public with the opportunity to make the right decision which will affect their lives.
The media would know as well, in the long run the most credible newspaper would garner the greatest audience. Filling the print with opinionated or nonfactual articles could actually develop a negative reputation and minimise revenue; a media company cannot survive without profits. So, whether done for ethics or to develop a reputation to promote approval by the public, the media should always remain neutral and relay the entire truth.
Mikhel Pitman-Gilkes
809004264
I agree that the protests condemning the violence that arose in protest against the film should have been highlighted just as much as the violent protests. However, I do not think the freedom of the media should be strictly regulated. The media should be allowed to decide where a neutral role is most appropriate for newsworthiness.
ReplyDeleteAlmasmari said they would like to see an environment where people understand what is right and what is wrong and condemn mistakes. This statement is ironic because as thinking human beings we should know that it is “wrong” to completely control the expression of views of others. We should take into account the credibility of a source of information and think about how we will protest this information (if it is even worth protesting to begin with). The author of the statement did not seem to be neutral about views on the protests calling the film “marginal and absurd” made by “a bunch of marginal professional haters”. Who is to say in places where according to Amin unemployment and high prices are supposed to be bad enough for nationals to engage in violent uproars, the film is marginal?
If he media is to play a “neutral” role it should not be simply based on opinions people find more acceptable and want to hear. Different bodies of the media should be allowed to publish their own views and it is up to the readers to take all into account and form their own intelligent opinions.
Reference:
Vienna-based International Press Institute and Paris-based World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers. “Media freedom and independence.” Last modified September 28, 2012.
http://www.trinidadexpress.com/commentaries/Media_freedom_and_independence_-171639881.html
Neisha Ramroop
809003874
I totally agree with the stance of the author where he gives the quotation: “I think the media should play a neutral role and not take sides. That’s the kind of environment we’d {also} like to see in the West, where people understand what’s right and what’s wrong and condemn the mistakes and not generalize it to a religious issue,”
ReplyDeleteThe media has a responsibility to their readers to deliver information that is unbiased and factual. Media bias can have an array of disadvantages such as misrepresentation and could affect a greater audience than what was expected. This scenario is applicable where a film was created in the US insulting the Muslim faith. Protests then ensued by offended Muslims and as an act of retribution innocent Americans were killed. In the article this was also portrayed by the author by stating that this act of retaliation was unnecessary and could even be considered a greater offense to the religion than the video itself. Yes the Muslim people were well within their rights to take a stance against such a derogatory film but in the manner they did it was unacceptable due to the fact that innocent people should not suffer for one person’s stupidity.
In this case the media grabbed something such as an amateur film and because of its religious context the media used this to their advantage knowing that such a controversial topic as religion would spark interest and entice readers. Yes they may have a constitutional right of freedom of speech but one again must take ethics into consideration and decide from what is morally right and wrong. It is based on this that I agree with Almasmari’s quotation.
Reference
Wikipedia: Media Ethics. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Media_ethics (accessed Oct 7 2012).
REUEL THEROULDE
809004440
Media freedom and independence is certainly essential to the progress of any democracy. A free press should allow for the unrestrained flow of ideas, expression and interpretation of multiple views. It should help people to make informed decisions and not try to constrict thoughts and actions. The media also has a responsibility to practice good investigative journalism and to honestly and impartially report facts and social issues.
ReplyDeleteAll people deserve the right not to be discriminated against, and to exercise their freedom of thought, belief and opinion. Many countries condemn the use of slander, defamation, hate speech or other such methods of getting one’s point across. There is not always a clear right or wrong, however, editorial decisions must be made within context and with an awareness of the responsibility the media holds.
In terms of freedom of the press, it was reported that the Middle East region remains as one of the worst-rated parts of the world, experiencing crackdowns on protest movements, and extremely restrictive conditions. Citizens’ access to unbiased information is severely limited with journalists experiencing threat of imprisonment, torture, and other forms of repression.
Considering this, the decision to publish or go forth with a story cannot be an easy one. Media professionals confess that they practise self-censorship and are afraid of tackling topics that are generally “off-limits” such as religion, politics and state institutions, or corruption in high places. A quote from the article in the Express newspaper illustrates this, stating that “Western media coverage of the protests has been intense, focussing on violence, anti-American statements and on security measures taken at the embassies. There appears to have been less coverage of protests by people in Muslim countries, who were condemning the attacks.”
Societies need to be able to have civilised dialogue, debate and question without fear of reprisals and violence. Rational and reasonable argument should prevail over uneducated displays of ignorance by the masses, whether they are aggressive rioters or senseless filmmakers.
References:
“Media freedom and independence,” last modified Sep 27, 2012 at 11:02 PM, http://www.trinidadexpress.com/commentaries/Media_freedom_and_independence_-171639881.html
“A free press comes with responsibilities,” last updated January 16, 2009, http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/a-free-press-comes-with-responsibilities-20090115-7i5j.html
Crystal Ramkissoon
04719856
According to the article “Media Freedom and Independence“ in the Express Newspaper, Almasmari said “I think the media should play a neutral role and not take sides. That's the kind of environment we'd [also] like to see in the West, where people understand what's right and what's wrong and condemn the mistakes and not generalise it into a religious issue.” I agree with Almasmari in her statement.
ReplyDeleteOne of the roles of the media is to present information to the public that is truthful and unbiased. By being neutral in reporting an issue, the media allows the public to form their own opinion on the issue being dealt with. If the media chose to pick sides it can give rise to conflict among members in society since they may have different views from the ones being expressed by the media.
Given the situation taking place in the Middle East concerning the anti Islamic film made by an American citizen, I think the people that were offended by the video are being a bit too extreme in by protesting and killing people. The film maker has the freedom to express his views and if someone was offended by it they should have known it was just his view and not make it a religious issue that is now affection people across the world.
810001340
Yolanda Persad
Reference
"Media Freedom and Independence." Trinidad Express Newspaper, September 27, 2012. http://www.trinidadexpress.com/commentaries/Media_freedom_and_independence_-171639881.html.
In the statement made by Almasmari which was quoted from the Express Newspaper on the 28th of September, 2012, it was of his opinion that media should play a neutral role and not take sides. He also stated that that was the kind of environment he would like to see. From a cultural and societal perspective, ones views will always seem to differ on what media presents and from what angle it is presented. Some mediums of media present articles with statements leading to one side more than the other but the power is ultimately by the individual covering or writing the article. His reference to the Western culture and Western way of doing things, seeking and somewhat yearning for a common understanding and view of media issues as it relates to religion and topics that relate, is as well a personal view and plead, with a strong cultural base.
ReplyDeleteFreedom of expression as it pertains to the article and the section of the article highlighted, in relation to the differential views of the religions as they counter one another, Media and the power of media is forever changing and brings conflict especially where religion and cultural norms are concerned. For multiple years prior to the video and articles that relate to the video and even more so now, religion and how it is presented to the Western World and Middle East differ in that the media will most times feed the public what is accepted by the majority or dominant culture in a country or section of the world. If the culture is not dominant, as with most things, it would ultimately be over looked especially when it comes to media and media presentations for various reasons. Asking for a neutral role to be displayed by media, as much as it may be agreed upon by many and may be the key to settling a lot of major issues that relate, the media house owners or media presenters may always seem to drift to please the majority readers or audience whilst reporting the story or issue.
Jared J Bennett
810001484
What is media freedom and independence? It can be defined as the right to publish newspapers, magazines, and other printed matter without governmental restriction and subject only to the laws of libel, obscenity, sedition, etc. I do believe that media needs maintain its independence and carry out the role of bring the news as it happens to us.
ReplyDeleteThe print media also has the task of selling the news of the day that is produce and even competing with other forms of media. This in mind the news covered by the print media needs to capture the interest of the reader. One of the best ways this is by playing up the conflict in or related to a story. A clear example of this is seen in the linking of the violence in Egypt to the production of the movie Innocence of Muslims. But no mention is made of the lapse in security, high unemployment or high food prices which affect the daily lives of the Egypt’s population. The media instead took the opportunity to play up the story reader’s appeal, instead of bring awareness to the problems of the people. Why? Are human beings well being not more important than print media sales?
I do believe Hakim Almasmari the publisher and editor of Yemen post said it best with “I think the media should play a neutral role and not take sides. That’s the kind of environment we’d {also} like to see in the West, where people understand what’s right and what’s wrong and condemn the mistakes and not generalize it to a religious issue”. The media of the day have to be ever mindful of the power they whole and the impact the information that they bring to us have on our reaction to what we may deem as the truth. With great power come great responsibility and the print media’s persuasion is indeed a great power.
Reference :
“Media freedom and independence,” last modified Sep 27, 2012 at 11:02 PM, http://www.trinidadexpress.com/commentaries/Media_freedom_and_independence_-171639881.html
Faadia Faria Mohammed
807000641
Indeed the media should play a neutral role in delivering and reporting news. The media's responsibility to to people is to deliver fats that a are news worthy. To deliver facts, not opinions is to not take sides. Unbiased reporting is what is required.
ReplyDeleteThe video, 'The Innocence of Muslims' turned out to be quite controversial as it stirred protests and violence in parts the Eastern hemisphere. It is the duty of a reporter and the media to provide the public/world was this information, without their personal prejudice. I therefor agree with publisher and editor in chief Hakim Almasmari in the article titled, ‘Media Freedom and Independence’ placed in the Yemen post. Te media should educate the public, not 'add fuel to the fire' as the cliche says.
I partially agree with Almasmari when he stated, 'That's the kind of environment we'd [also] like to see in the West, where people understand what's right and what's wrong and condemn the mistakes and not generalize it into a religious issue." Indeed we should defend what is right and condemn what is wrong however, violence is never the answer.
Media freedom and independence. In The Daily Express Newspapers. 2012. http://www.trinidadexpress.com/commentaries/Media_freedom_and_independence_-171639881.html
Annisa Phillip
810003225
I am in complete agreement with this statement made by Hakim Almasmari: “I think the media should play a neutral role and not take sides. That’s the kind of environment we’d {also} like to see in the West, where people understand what’s right and what’s wrong and condemn the mistakes and not generalize it to a religious issue,”.
ReplyDeleteThe media is the most powerful tool in communication and has a constructive role to play for the society, and this is demonstrated in the mere fact that newspapers have become the mouthpiece of numerous social issues for many countries around the world. For this reason, I agree that there should be freedom of information especially if it is aimed to educate persons. However, when that freedom is taken advantaged of and information is distorted by personal opinions and not facts, an obvious problem is presented as there is now a breech in communication as one of the most fundamental elements of newspaper writing, that is, accuracy. Controversial topics such as this (religion) is one of the exact reasons why boundaries, such as, not incorporating personal bias into one’s piece was put place from inception. A newspaper article is not an argumentative essay. Its’ purpose is to inform and not to persuade its readers, and by doing such defeats the entire purpose of the article which id to provide factual and objective statements.
Another aspect that the writer must acknowledge is that his audience comprises of persons with a myriad of ethnicities, religious beliefs, cultural backgrounds and social status and being biased or showing likeness to one particular group would be seen a blatant lack of respect to other parties involved. Being neutral and presenting hard core facts alone diminishes or eliminates the prospect of noise, validates your sources and most importantly boosts the credibility of the journalist.
References:
Trinidad Express Newspapers. 2012 . “Media Freedom and Independence.” September 27, 2012. Accessed on October 5,2012. www.trinidadexpress.com
"The Importance of Social Media." The Observer. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Oct. 2012. .
Sihle Mendoza
811002601
The mass media is very influential in shaping attitudes, behaviour, perceptions, which are projected based on a variety of programmes. Mass media functions as agents of information, education, entertainment that influence to the general public. However, there is specific code of ethics that governs the duties and functions of the media so that journalists act in good faith and fairness in when issuing news reports.
ReplyDeleteThe author argue that, freedom of information is key to educating persons on all issues involved in the matter such as freedom of expression, and delivery of information. Freedom of expression is a key function of the mass media but it should not involve publication of issues, which are likely to promote riots and civil disorder. The Anti-Islamic video triggered revolts and civil disorder. The manner in which a topic such as ‘religion’ is broadcast can influence a person’s point of view causing stereotypes. Hence truthfulness should prevail when dealing with this subject. The media should ensure that information published is based on facts. They should report and promote activities which foster national unity, harmony and economic and social progress of the society.
The messages transmitted through channels should be neutral resulting in national unity, harmony and economic and social progress in society.
Reference:
www.trinidad express.com. Media freedom and independence. 27th September,2012.
Keon Forde 811004162
The media should play a neutral role and not take sides, for the main reason of delivering unbiased information that would be more accurate than biased information. Most media has a diverse audience, meaning that biased information could offend certain individuals, groups, or the entire audience. This then could compromise the integrity of the message. The message communicated would be changed from one of education to one of conflict. By taking a neutral role, the media would be able to provide the public with true information, however this is not always the preference of both the media or the public. In most instances people generally view true information as being uninteresting/ boring, however, a message that stimulates a sense of conflict generates a greater response from those exposed to the material, especially as it appeals to the consumers as being active and interesting. The media purposefully use this aspect to stimulate interest in a particular area as those exposed to the message or raw information would be interested in reading on if they are offended to understand to what extent they agree with the message and whether it is acceptable or not. This is a particularly dangerous technique when speaking on topics like religion as religion holds the ability to offend large groups, both persons belonging to the religious group as well as the general public.
ReplyDeleteStephan Mohammed
810002609
As stated “I think the media should play a neutral role and not take sides. That’s the kind of environment we’d {also} like to see in the West, where people understand what’s right and what’s wrong and condemn the mistakes and not generalize it to a religious issue,” Almasmari said. This is a statement I fully agree with, since it gives the ideal rationale of what should be adapted by all news forums.
ReplyDeleteNews must be precise, accurate and current at all times. Editors must weight one news story against another when deciding which to publish. News editors must seek to provide news in an unbiased manner so that when published it would not prompt readers to choice any one side but allow the reader to have the freedom of choice. The news paper is a canvass and the news story is the painting, therefore an editor should attempt to be impartial at all times.
Also, even though reporters are allowed freedom, they should be obligated to be neutral when reporting a story. As such, a consequence of this should be that anything outside of creditable information be deemed unethical and not published. Hence, as an editor, one must be unbiased, precise, timely, relevant and honest at all times.
Thus in conclusion, freedom of speech allows reporter to write anything they deem news worthy, for example the insulting video about Islam. However, if reporter choice the desired path of being neutral of such news stories, consequences of mass violence may be lessen or alleviated.
Reference
“Media freedom and independence”, last modified Sep 27, 2012. http://www.trinidadexpress.com/commentaries/Media_freedom_and_independence_-171639881.html
Kavita Butkoon
809002079
The media can be described as probably the most influential means of communication. They play an essential position in educating the public about occurring matters and proceedings at local and international scales. The media can easily influence and notify individuals and even nations, merely by how they put forward and transmit their information. Consequently, one must agree with the statement made by Mr. Almasmari, that “the media should play a neutral role and not take sides,” especially in controversial subjects, in this case religion. Too often the media provides the public misinterpreted as well as untrue information, which then stimulates unnecessary actions of violence. The media, instead should aim in educating their audience as well as inform them of issues. Therefore the messages that are being transmitted should be unbiased, controlled and accurate.
ReplyDeleteIn the case of the video “The Innocence of Muslims”, many of the leaders of the Islamic faith were against the violent protests and riots, executed by extremists. They also agreed that the film was definitely very offensive and disrespectful to them, but totally disagreed with the reaction of the extremists. The media however, focused more on the views of these extremists rather than those of the Islamic leaders. In doing so, they portrayed the Muslims, to the public, as a people of violence and war. Such actions, thus, caused more damage to the image of Islam than the actual video. Yes, it was highly offensive, but the Muslims who chose to protest in a violent manner are doing more damage to their already discoloured religion.
Alicia Baig
809001148
References
Trinidad Express Newspapers. 2012. Media freedom and independence. 27/ 09/2012. Accessed from: http://trinidadexpress.com/commentaries/Media_freedom_and_independenc_-171639881.html
Freedom of expression is an important tool in journalistic writing as well as any form of creative output. However, there is a 'politically correct' way to express this freedom.
ReplyDeleteThe film in question, Innocence of Muslims, can be seen as offensive to those it sought to portray. The delivery was a poorly conceptualized and delivered. This is not an isolated incident, it does not pertain to Muslims only. Once a group, be it religious or otherwise, feel that they are being portrayed in a negative light, there will be repercussions. Take for instance, Jewish people's reaction to Mel Gibson's portrayal of Christ's last days in The Passion of the Christ. The reaction is not a 'Middle Eastern thing' but a 'human thing'. When a person/persons feel threatened, they retaliate.
However, from a journalistic point of view, the media is defeating the purpose to getting the news out if they are biased. I agree with Almasmari when he says, "That’s the kind of environment we’d {also} like to see in the West, where people understand what’s right and what’s wrong...". The West is where the majority of developed/developing countries are situated, it is also where the majority of journalistic indiscretions are committed.
In order for freedom of expression to become a 'real' concept, information being divulged to the public should be unbiased and people should be able to discern the difference between news and opinions "...and condemn the mistakes and not generalize it to a religious issue,”.
References
Trinidad Express Newspapers. 2012. “Media Freedom and Independence.” September 27,2012
Kai Beckles
811100246
The media plays a big role in influencing what the public thinks about different events, ideas, occurrences etc. For example, the movie trailer that was posted on youtube , trying to promote the “Innocence of Muslims” would have had different reactions and views from the many people who saw the video. I agree with the statement made by Almasmari that the media should play a neutral role and not take sides in any type of issue.
ReplyDeleteIssues concerning religion can always stir uneasiness among the public. People following the Islamic faith would obviously be offended and more offended of those who do not follow a religion, or belief in the Islamic faith. This can cause problems in the way people react toward each, hence the increase in violent behavior.
A certain amount of proficiency should be maintained within the media. The media should just put the information out there to the public, and the media should allow the public to have their own perceptions the issue at hand. It is obvious that the persons who posted the video had their personal views about the Islamic community, and it is noted that there are many people who would share the same views. However, there are many people who may share opposing views and those who may not know what to think about the situation. Therefore, when the media remains neutral, it assists in influencing a flow of ideas and perceptions from the public in general, rather than there being one dominant idea that was influenced by the media.
Reference:
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MQRHdct1-AM/UGnYcKzMebI/AAAAAAAAAak/dZ7ryu9_TBA/s1600/Article+-+Media+Freedom+and+independence.jpg
Lynette Dookhran
810002330
The media plays a powerful role in today’s society. Although its primary purpose is to inform, it has been the cause of disruption. The statements made by Almasmari, I agree with. The media plays a vital role on the influence on the minds of society and as such, media releases should be unbiased. Holding the power to influence the minds of leaders and viewers, the information they hold should be organized in such a way as to take any potentially highly controversial messages but at the same time relay information to readers and viewers.
ReplyDeleteIn addition, the topic of religion and politics are the most controversial and delicate. With “freedom of speech” comments made by people on these topics, although opinionated, should be made wisely so as to prevent any sort of the recent upsurge. Comments as such are drawing to the media as it creates more interest controversially to the public. In most cases this only deters the public from the issue being addressed. The media therefore should consider the minds of society and remember its major role in connecting the public and not only in informing, educating and entertaining.
NANDINI MAHARAJ
UWI ID #: 807004698
I agree with Almasmari's statement. The media should work toward becoming totally objective. Also media personal should at all times operate with a high level of professionalism and sensitivity. They should also take into account the reactions that their work could provoke.
ReplyDeleteIf only facts are presented, misconceptions and chaos could be avoided.
Aaron Fullerton
811100636
I fully agree with Almasmari's statement saying , "I think the media should play a neutral role and not take sides. That's the kind of environment we'd like to see in the West, where people understand what's right and what's wrong and condemn the mistake and not generalize it to a religious issue."
ReplyDeleteThe major function of the media is to inform and to a lesser extent entertain. Some media however "tweek" or "twist" stories in order to make them more captivating for their followers. This may cause result in information becoming misleading. In this story, the media could have done a greater job in informing the Muslim world the video was done by a few thoughtless film makers and is not the view of the majority of the Western World. They could have also been informed that the US government could do almost nothing about its release as freedom of speech is in the First Amendment.
The media plays a key role in informing the public and as a result they affect the behavior of its audience. Media consumers need to take a closer look at what some media publish and refrain from indulging in media agencies that have a history of publicizing false or impartial information. This will encourage the media to post only accurate and well informed information.
Alexander Skerritt
810000850
Media taking sides!!! Almasmari made a comment in the Express Newspaper,that I fully endorse.He stated that "I think the media should play a neutral role and not take sides.That's the kind of environment we'd like to have in the West,where people understand what's right and what's wrong and condemn, the mistakes and not generalise it to a religious issue".The media is suppose to present the facts to the general public,facts are straight forward and unbiased.It becomes bias when individuals or groups decide to add their own "twist" to it.
ReplyDeleteFor example the media focused on the protest that were taking place among Muslims because of the film that negatively portrayed Islamic culture.The media, although they touched on the issue of the film, their main focus was the protest and how the Muslim community were becoming violent, instead of the root cause of the problem
Problems with the media being bias is that, it could lead viewers to conclude that the media has become politically influenced, or issues of bribery are taking place or even to believe that the media has taking stance in racism.Also this can cause local, regional and even global catastrophe, as cultures interpret different things differently.With facts however, it is unbiased, facts are facts, however presented, facts will always be truthful.
Ultimately, the media has the sole responsibility to be truthful in presenting the facts, and should realise and be committed to this even inspite of the "Freedom of Speech' movement or any other political stance.
Refrences : “Media Freedom and Independence,” Venna-based international Press Institute and Paris based World Association on Newspapers and news publishers, http;//www.filejumbo.com/ DownloadA2AFC453EF8094A8
Neikylle Gomez
811100596
“The media should play a neutral role and not take sides. That’s the kind of environment we’d (also) like to see in the West where people understand what’s right and what’s wrong and condemn the mistakes and not generalize it into a religious issue.” It is common knowledge that there have been several protests, some violent and even fatal, in the Middle East and Northern Africa within the last month or so regarding the anti-Muslim film entitled ‘Innocence of Muslims’ which was produced in the United States (US) where no penalties for producing such a movie exist. International media coverage of these events in the Middle East have been highly biased in that most, if not all, media houses have chosen to run with the story of US Embassies being attacked with several staff also being killed as a result of the protests. What they fail to highlight however, are the parallel protests which have also begun since immediately following the bombing of the said Embassies. Why is this so? Why would the vast majority of international media houses all choose to seemingly ignore the protests against the bombing of US Embassies, which, in fact actually casts a more negative light on Muslims across the world than the actual film itself. Is it because these same said media houses feel a sense of overriding pressure to continuously portray Muslims under the post 9/11 stereotype of delusional mass murderers? If this is the case, we then have a conflict of interest as the media is no longer doing its job of informing, educating and entertaining the public in a way that shows no bias. This also would lead to the public being misled as to what really is the main issue as a few wayward radical Islam followers would tend to take away from the Muslims who are actually aiming at an amicable solution to this current conflict.
ReplyDeleteMark Ramjohn
810002415
The role of the media is to inform and educate its audience about current events in society. In doing so the media ought to be objective in presenting their information.
ReplyDeleteThe matter concerning the video on YouTube that offended those of the Islamic faith created a great uproar among those of the Islamic community across the globe with mention of specific countries where its people engaged in violent protest. These violent protest eventually led to killings and innocent people being hurt.It is very upsetting to know that this matter has escalated into such a tragedy. However the media has seemed to skew their presentation of the situation by placing more emphasis on the actions of the Islamic people giving the impression of Muslims as 'terrorists' and Americans the tragic hero. However it was morally wrong for the maker of the movie to do such even if he wanted to exercise his own freedom of speech. A better approach could have been taken.
I am in agreement with Almasmari who stated that "the media should play a neutral role and not take sides." The media is very influential, it shapes people's perception and therefore they have a duty to inform people about the issue at hand from both angels in an unbiased manner and then allow its audience to form their own opinion of the situation.
Keron Woodley
809002399
References:
Media freedom and independence, Trinidad express newspapers,
Sep 27, 2012
http://www.trinidadexpress.com/commentaries/Media_freedom_and_independence_-171639881.html
7 October 2012 20:57
Mass media needs to realize and understand its impact upon there targeted audience. The must remember people look to them for correct, supported and detailed information about what is occurring amongst them. I fully agree and support the statement made by Almasari in the article entitled " Media freedom and independence." Media should always be neutral, no matter the topic up for discussion. This way the audience or readers can analyze and interpret what they gather from presentations without the bias opinion of the journalist.The media is to be fully blamed for this out of control situation that has condemned the muslim community. The video has caused a lot of harm and trigger war and violence against the US. It even stemmed as far as the US ambassador and colleagues being murdered and protest and riots outside embassies. All this could have been prevented if the video wasn't released and the media had some decency and respect for the muslims and there religion. In my opinion i wish there is a form of test mass media must go through before they publish or present information, which would allow it to be accurate and precise and not offensive and bias
ReplyDeleteMass media needs to realize and understand its impact upon there targeted audience. The must remember people look to them for correct, supported and detailed information about what is occurring amongst them. I fully agree and support the statement made by Almasari in the article entitled " Media freedom and independence." Media should always be neutral, no matter the topic up for discussion. This way the audience or readers can analyze and interpret what they gather from presentations without the bias opinion of the journalist.The media is to be fully blamed for this out of control situation that has condemned the muslim community. The video has caused a lot of harm and trigger war and violence against the US. It even stemmed as far as the US ambassador and colleagues being murdered and protest and riots outside embassies. All this could have been prevented if the video wasn't released and the media had some decency and respect for the muslims and there religion. In my opinion i wish there is a form of test mass media must go through before they publish or present information, which would allow it to be accurate and precise and not offensive and bias
ReplyDeleteShanice George
811001440
I totally agree with the above posts. I agree with the quote made by Almasmari, where the media should not take sides on any issue occurring locally and internationally. The media is very much needed/supported by the public in all its different forms (radio, television, newspapers etc.). It serves as a means to create public awareness of what happens in and around out country. It can be used to voice opinions as well as raise issues about things that happen around the world. This interaction with the wider public at most times leads to misinterpretations which result in major disturbances as we see that was caused by the film.
ReplyDeleteIt is very important that the news published in the newspapers is unbiased and only provide information and less opinionated responses so to allow the public to make their own intelligent decisions. The main purpose of the media is to educate its target and inform them of the issues that affect their lifestyle. Messages should be based on facts and not opinion. Opinions should avoided to prevent conflict between the sender(media) and receiver(public) of the messages.
As previously stated, freedom of information is the key to educating individuals by freedom of expression; respect for individual carries a great importance also. Journalist need to not be ignorant to their conscience and ignore people’s ethics, peace, and respect their religion, sex orientation, and other sensitive issues. They should remember to no form of bias when reporting. By sticking to facts, and avoiding stereotyping by not generalize mistakes done to things like religious issue or race would prevent such issues from occurring where there is misinterpretation within messages.
Shaunda Morgan
809000705
The media is necessary for providing information to the public that is unbiased and neutral. They should produce and disseminate information that is not compromising and one sided,they play an influential role in informing the people. Freedom of expression and freedom of the media are necessities to the development of a democratic society. Nations cannot develop democratically without the free expression, publication and distribution of ideas and opinions. When people are well informed,they are able to debate ideas among themselves.
ReplyDeleteFreedom of expression has always been emphasized as essential in an attempt to attain the truth, which is difficult if information is suppressed. Suppressing information conceals the real problems confronting a society.
The anti Islamic video showcases how misinformed individuals are, and because of the information that is broadcasted through the media it shows a society that is war hungry and violent which is untrue. Many of the Islamic people are seeking justice for and peace within their society, because of what the anti islamic video showed, it has triggered uproar and anger among most islamic groups. Although the media is allowed freedom of speech and expression, the information that they disseminate to should be based on facts and not unbiased and judgmental.
Shane Tennia
807002418
References
http://www.pucl.org/from-archives/Media/freedom-press.htm
It’s a complicated world that we live in and as such we all need to be mindful to the fact that ever action triggers a reaction. In many instances the media lays at the center of a lot of climatic situations whether it is locally, regionally or internationally. This simply means that the media should be totally unbiased and be able to exercise critical judgment in what they produce or publish.
ReplyDeleteThere can sometimes be a misunderstanding about the role of free expression especially within western society. People often link the freedom of the press and freedom of expression to democracy, and as such restrictions on these freedoms may be seen as a threat to their belief in democracy and rights of freedom by extension.
Therefore an unbiased media would be inclined to not only report what they feel to but, they would use comparative strategies as a means of aiding the public to make more informed decisions as the public’s perception is often influenced by what is presented to them. Thus a neutral media would most likely lead to a situation in which there would be less stereotyping towards people, culture and politics or any other issue. A neutral stance can be seen as beneficial as it may be the key towards the reduction of stereotyping towards many issues. And as such a for both sides of a situation to be properly analyzed and evaluated by the public so by extension lead to the reduction of the occurrence of misinformation.
Student ID: 05773707
Name: Kevon Morgan
Almasmari’s statement is in fact true and I agree with it. Media should take a neutral stance when reporting, broadcasting and when other forms of communication are made. I also take the position that the role of media when communicating should be, as best as possible, the delivery of information which is accurate.
ReplyDeleteWith the recent release of the movie “Innocence of Muslims”, there has been a lot of controversy surrounding it as it depicts an important figure in Islam in a manner that is offensive to most that belong to that religion. Though i do not condone what has been done, it leaves pensive because in history there have been many other movies which misrepresent many other faiths and religions: because it now affects the muslin community we see a sudden upheaval within most of these societies. To the rest of us of different beliefs who were affected or offended by other movies.... shouldn't we speak up on it also?
810003647
David Wickham