Indian Media has lost its credibility: Prof Yaseen Ashraf

“Intervention of media has brought in revolutions in the past in many countries, although, news was the medium of information but today the purpose of information has changed. The news isn’t being broadcast for the audience anymore; today it is manufactured to bring in the audience,” said Prof. Yasin Ashraf speaking on “Indian Media and its Crisis of Credibility” on Sept 25 here.

“News channels and newspapers are manipulating the news to make it spicy by changing the meaning of media that is based on mass orientation to market orientation.” He also brought the attention of the journalists on how the victimisation of the masses is increasing day by day by the media’s invasion into their privacy, sensationalising and dumping down of the news.

Questioning the credibility of News and information broadcast by Indian news channels, Prof Yasin said “All this is happening because journalists are losing their ethics and professionalism. For any news a journalists should be sure about the facts. When you are not sure about the facts you cannot report the news. In many cases people give up this norm and start spreading all kinds of rumours and hence playing a very dangerous game.”

Mr. Yasin stressed its high time that media mends the ways before further damage otherwise the masses may completely loose the confidence in the media. He said, “Broadcasters and reporters should start efforts to gain back the lost confidence of the masses and this can happen when media houses start including minority representatives and experts. As a minority community we have to make ourselves competitive enough to qualify to be amongst the best journalists. He said that it is also necessary for the public to involve itself and intervene and report back to the media if they come across any misleading news.”

Prof Yaseen Ashraf in Karnatka Muslims. Here