Mass Communication

Assignment Topic :
The Media in
Pakistan tends to create rather than
reflect the culture and social values of
Pakistani society.
Submitted by : M.Hashir Rana
Submitted to : Respected Um-eAmara
Roll no
: 1179

Outline :
Media
Importance of Media
Culture of Pakistan
Social values of Pakistan
Advantages of Media
Disadvantages of Media

Media :

The main means of mass communication

(television, radio, and newspapers) regarded collectively their
demands were publicized by the media.

Usage :
The word media comes from the Latin plural of medium.
The traditional view is that it should therefore be treated as a plural
noun in all its senses in English and be used with a plural rather
than a singular verb: the media have not followed the reports
(rather than has). In practice, in the sense television, radio, and
the press collectively, it behaves as a collective noun (like staff or
clergy, for example), which means that it is now acceptable in
standard English for it to take either a singular or a plural verb. The
word is also increasingly used in the plural form medias, as if it had
a conventional singular form media, especially when referring to
different forms of new media, and in the sense the material or form
used by an artist: there were great efforts made by the medias of
the involved countries about 600 works in all genres and medias
were submitted for review.

Importance of Media :
It gets your
message across to a wider audience.
The various forms of media primarily TV , Newspapers and Radio spread and disseminate information. Getting your information into
the media will spread your group's story further than it could be
spread without media coverage.
It can help you Convey your message to the people you want to hear
it.
The media is so varied that a community group or organisation can
closely target almost any sector and through them, almost any
section of the public - by looking closely at where it is directing its
media focus.
For example a small, locally-based community group would
probably look at concentrating on its efforts in local newspapers,
radio and (if applicable) television.
A bigger event or bigger community organisation could look further
afield to major daily newspapers and commercial radio and
television.

And then there's the Internet, which continues to emerge as a

component of the media.
It provides free publicity and exposure for not only your news,
announcement, event or request but for your group or
organisation as well.
A big benefit when it comes to news media coverage is that it is free
a factor of major importance when it comes to community groups
or organisations with tight budgets!
And only does your event or news receive free publicity or new
coverage, your group is bound to receive a boost through this
coverage as well.
It is important to remember though that while your group won't
have to pay for this coverage, it will have to work for it in other
ways building relationships with the media, preparing information
and releases for them, being willing to speak to them or be
interviewed by them, etc.
Without putting in this type of work, your group will not reap the
benefits of "free" media coverage.
It can help establish your group as "legitimate", and its activities as
important or notable.
Gaining coverage in the media is a great way of providing your
group and its activities with greater credibility and that has a lot to
do with the thought processes of the public which monitor and
"consume" the media each day.
Readers, listeners and viewers who find out about something or
read/hear/see something in the media automatically place a greater
level of credibility to it than if they saw it in a paid ad.
The attitude of most media consumers is: if the story is gets into
the pages of the newspaper, on the air or on TV, then it is
"important" and worth taking notice of.
So, if your story is among those that make the grade, then it is
"important" enough to be on the news and therefore worth taking
notice of.

It can increase your profile among the general public.

Media coverage can build your profile in the community, which
means may be able to attract more members, donors, fundraisers,
supporters, helpers, etc.
Not only this, but a raised profile through media exposure will also
shore-up and strengthen the support you already have among
existing members, donors, supporters, helpers, etc.
It also builds brand definition for you setting your group apart
from other groups operating in the same space.
It increases your profile among decision makers and VIPs.
Having a media profile not only gets you noticed by the general
public, but also among decision makers, VIPs and government.
Those decision makers and VIPs can be peak bodies in your area of
interest, grant makers and philanthropic organisations, and others
with influence or power.
Those in government that could notice you can be at a local, State
or Federal level or a combination of all three.
Because of this, those decision makers or levels of government
could become more likely to ask for your group's input or opinion on
matters relevant to you.

Culture of Pakistan :
There are variations
among authorities on the meaning of the concepts of civilization as
synonymous. A. A. Golden weiser,for instance ,expressed the notion
that the word civilization ,more or less, is the same as culture and
he applied the term to nonliterate peoples. Others apply the word
civilization to some selected parts of culture. Books Adams
considers civilization as being essentially highly developed political
organization. His concepts implies law and order maintained over a
region by a government through exercise of power . For him the
decay of civilization is the weakening of governments ability to
maintain order and system in a political state.

For Arnold Toybee, a civilization is essentially a religious and ethical

system holding sway over an area often larger than state or nation.
Such a system is unified by customs,institutions, and ideologies.
According to Oswald Spengler the creative aspect of a culture in
such fields as art, philosophy, scholarship, and music in connection
with tge government of the state is civilization.
Obgurn and Nimkoff agree with Spengler and confine the term
civilization to only a part of culture, such as government , ethics or
religion, but add that the selected part of culture viewed with
emotional feelings and is endowed with values adjudged higher in
esteem and the other parts adjudged as low. These values are often
contrasted with those of savagery. Thus to Pitirm Sorokin, the
important values which often alternate in a culture area through
long stretches or history.
Rates of Change in a Society :
A stationary culture as well as a
dynamic society are always changing but there is seldom the same
degree of change in all its parts at the same time. The introduction
of the artificial manure and use of tractors in pakistan have
changed the method of cropping and procuring bof good. Similarly
the supply of modern equipment, including jet fighters and
bombers, have revolutionised the method of warfare. Among most
people in Pakistan religion has almost the same hold and religion as
rituals to a large extent have not changed. Brisk economic activity
has brought about a big rise in per capita income but there are no
rapid changes in other social institutions. In U.S.A.,, the degrees of
change are unequal.Technological changes in chemistry and
electricity are just now very rapid, more so than changes in the
production of power and the contruction industries. The fissioned
nucleus ofv a atom has become practicable but still there is lack of
agreement in use of atomic fission for peaceful purposes. Laws tend
to change slowly, while the courts by their decision make fresh
interpretation of laws and thereby give new orientation to them.
Religious creeds are also change-resistant and usually maintain the
status quo. There have been little recentb changes in musical
instruments, for instances in Sarangi or violin. Industrial
organization, management, and labour have, on the other hand ,
undergone rapid changes. The parts of civilization move forward or
backward,then,at very differentneeds. Indeed, it would be difficult
theoretically to conceive a culture where all the different parts
changed at the same site.

Cultural Lag :
The strain that exists between two
correlated parts of culture which change at unequal rates of speed

is called cultural lag in a part that is changing at the slowest rates,

for the one lag behind the other. For instance, cities with increasing
population have fewer police per 10,000 inhabitants than citieswith
decreasing populations. The growing cities do not expand their
police force fast enough ; the decreasing cities do not reduce theirs
soon enough. The change in the number of police lags behind the
change in population.

Rate of Cultural Growth :

The
growth of culture was very slow in its early stages. The reference to
the slow change of the social heritage isolated peoples brings to the
fore the important question of the rate at which culture grows.
We have very little evidence to tell us about the growth of culture
before the last ice age. Only stones survive. Even bones disappear,
except in a few cases. As far back as a half million years, men were
using two kinds of stone implements for digging root or shaping
wood. One kind is called the core ; the other is called the flake
which developed from the core. The core more or less was a hand
axe,and was almond-shaped.

Social Values & its Problems :

Before we enumerate the social problems of Pakistan, it is better to
define the term to remove any confusion. Fuller and Mayer define
social problem as ; a social problem starts with the awakening of
people in a given locality, with the realization of certain cherished
values that are thraetened by the conditions which have become
acute. Paul B. Harton and G. R. Leslie define social problem as : a
condition affecting a significant number of people in ways
considered undesireable and about which it is felt that something
can be done through collective social action. Lawrence K. Frank
define social problem as any difficulty or misbehaviour of a fairly
large number of persons which we wish to remove or correct.
From all the above mentioned definitions,we can safely conclude
that are certain essentials of social problem which are as under:
(a). These are some threats to the welfare and/or the values of the
people within a given lacality under existing conditions. These
threats or dangers might be clear or vague but these are present in
the lacality;

(b). There is conciousness among the people regarding the

conditions which are affecting the population adversely and a
majority is aware of the prevailing conditions;
(c). There is collective action to realize the solution in an organized
way by the individuals living in the lacality;
(d). The best course for social action is highly preplexing and
debatable,
(e). Only existing adverse social conditions and situations do not
constitute a social problem until their realization is created among
people . For example , prostitution , slavery , caste system and
overpopulation do not constitute social problems as such.
Another point of view regarding the social problems of a country is
that the population may not be aware of a hidden social problem
that may become very acute in the near future , but the experts may
visualize them before hand . For example , once Government of
Pakistan invited a foreign team of experts in order to study the
prevailing conditions and their implications to agriculture economy
of the country. The team in its report indicated that either the
available statistics of the country were invalid or in the near future
there would be an acute shortage of food. So during coming years
there was problem of food shortage in Pakistan. However , approach
of a socialogist towards a social problem is explained in the
following lines :(a). to understand the social problems,
(b). to create conciousness among the masses about the social
problems,
(c). to demarcate the lacality of the socialo problems,
(d). to find out its possible causes and components,
(e). to study the cultural factors and nature of the social problem,
(f). to find out possible ways and means for solving a social
problem, and
(g). planning and review of social action in the light of occasional
evaluations and reaction surveys.

References :(1). Social Order in Pakistani Society, written by DR.M.S.Baqai

(2). The Changing in Pakistani Society, written by Sabeeha Hafeez
(3). Mass Communication Theory, written by Stanley J. Baran &
Dennis K. Davis
(4). Social Change, written by W.F. Ogburn,New York
(5).The Science of Social Adjustment, written by Sir Josiah Stamp,
London.
(6). Internet.

(only Definition and Usage of Media)