Federalism in South Asia by Singh Mahendra Prasad;Kukreja Veena;

Author:Singh, Mahendra Prasad;Kukreja, Veena;
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 1761968
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Group

The Mass Media

The revolutions in communications and information technology can be expected to have a great deal of impact on federal political system. The age of information has converted the world into a global village. The significant function of mass media is to reflect the ‘thinking mode of any society’ (Kamran, 2009). There are three types of mass media, namely, print media, electronic media, and interactive social media. In this section we would like to analyze how Pakistani media is reshaping the society. What are the effects of media on the working of federal system of Pakistan? Unlike the television and broadcast media, which have recently begun to emerge from the shadow of government’s monopoly, the print media has always played a significant role in Pakistani polity and society. It is one of the few democratic institutions to survive over 66 years of military authoritarianism and democratic regimes rife with corruption (Nadadur, 2007: 45).

So far as the history of media in Pakistan is concerned, the print media is the oldest media dating back to pre-partition years of British India. In the pre-partition years, a number of newspapers were established such as Nawa-i-waqt (1940), Dawn (1941) and Jang (1944) to promote the idea of Pakistan. The newspaper Dawn, was dedicated to countering ‘anti-Muslim Propaganda’ and supported the cause of Pakistan. Whereas, ‘Jang viewed Urdu as the basis of Pakistan nationalism, Nawa-i-Waqt saw Islam and Iqbal as the pillers of Pakistani nationalism’ (Hussain, 2006).

For many years after the creation of Pakistan, ‘media functioned according to what has been identified by Lucian Pye as a ‘transnational communication process’, characterized by its urban nature and elitist approach. The press went through very little qualitative change upto the 1970s, although the number of publications increased (from 55 daily and 391 other publication in 1953 to 117 daily and 992 other publications at the beginning of the 1970s), and domestic news agencies were set up. Initially radio, and later television, grew rapidly but under strict government control’ (Nawaz, 1983: 937).

Pakistani media has undergone significant changes in the past two and a half decades. During the restoration of democracy in Pakistan (1988–99) print media has mushroomed.37 Despite the 11 long years of suffocation and oppression under General Zia-ul-Haq’s regime (1977–88), media apparently rediscovered its potential and journalists got engaged in investigative journalism. Benazir Bhutto’s government restored the freedom of press to a great extent, though her successor Nawaz Sharif’s bout with Maleena Lodhi, the editor of the Nation, and Najam Sethi, the editor of the Friday Times, stirred up solidarity among journalists as he was compelled to withdraw his punitive action (Malik, 1997: 137–38).

Another major landmark development in Pakistan’s media history appeared under General Musharraf’s rule. From 2002, media witnessed a decisive development that led to a boom in Pakistani electronic media and paved a way to it acquiring political clout. New liberal media laws broke the state monopoly on electronic media. TV broadcasting and FM radio licences were issued to private media outlets. The military’s motivation

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