SUMMIT

Social Responsibility
Abdul Rahman Abdul Aziz Al hazaa'
In recent mes, mass media has developed its ways and administraons; its role is no
longer limited to news and entertainment; it goes beyond other contents.
Today, mass media has become an effecve tool in creang public opinion and affecng
society’s culture. Individuals react and are affected mentally and behaviorally by what
they watch, hear, or read. Its influence has gone beyond the naonal level, enabling the
world to become one village.
Hence, media professionals assume a big responsibility; so do public and private investors
who must take into consideraon the demands and aspiraons of the audiences.
Sociees especially in the developing countries enjoin mass media to be more transparent
and pursue posive iniaves to make its ambions, expressing opinions within the
bounds of law. Individuals have a right to get acquainted with the culture around them,
and with the various media messages they receive daily.
To achieve these challenges, media men must consider the following: concern for various
issues in a society; exposure to all opinions and atudes between the supporter and the
opponent, in complete freedom and equilibrium; opportunies for individuals to express
what they want; and pursuit of mass media as a bridge between the broad audience and
the officials (leaders).
Now the queson is : Are media men and the investors able to do that?
The answer is : (NO) because of several concerns like: -
First: the big gap between the developed and developing countries
in the information field
It's crystal clear there's a big gap between the developed and developing countries; the
former has the informaon and ways of disseminaon; they can control the quality and
quanty according to their goals. The laer that oen represents the informaon receiver
does not have any choice in determining its contents or goals. The one-way huge informa-
on flow creates extreme danger to society’s idenficaon and values in the developing
countries, and put their governmental local and private mass media in front of a big
challenge to face the cultural globalizaon.
It's known to all that the U.S.A, the European naons and some other countries have
invested yearly billions of dollars to transmit their mass media to the other naons
especially in the Middle East, Asia and Africa. The developed countries don't aim to
achieve the financial profit from these investments, but to realize their goals such as
gaining public opinion, improving their reputaon, and aracng more supporters at the
expense of the needs of sociees in these countries.
113