(Person) Percentage - Sabanci University Research Database

The Asian Media & Mass Communication Conference 2010 Osaka, Japan
towards media practices and those involving in media exercises inside the organizations to
prefer and practice [like Hippocratic oath] secular, homogenous, amenable, compatible
approaches within and among their colleagues, authorities and superiors. It is true even
with respect to the content generation. Fundamentalism, fanaticism, unscientific biases and
religious or caste-ridden practices are viewed abominable in the media houses except
perhaps with exceptions of rare cases. Such a texture of the vocation is both inevitable
and obvious in the prevailing circumstances of media related occupations anywhere in the
world.
CONCLUSION & RECOMMENDATIONS
Policies, Codes and Guidelines
The discussion on Communication policies, code of conduct, regulations and guidelines
has always reached a dead end without much progress or objective realizations. There is
an impending need for less developed nations to continue cooperation that helps
demystifying the commitment to change which is not seen so far. The dire need of the
hour is to accept and move forward in the direction of a composite agreement on the drafts
towards global media mechanisms.
Professional ethics are on the decline. Journalists themselves should indulge in ethical
practices; else face the wrath of government or owner control, let alone regulations. Along
with Press Freedom adjoins what media analyst John C.Merrill calls ‘social-determinism
of the press’. Since Asia is an amalgamation of traditional, transitional, modern and
affluent societies, media should address all these strata in complete proportions without
compromise.
A comprehensive policy on Mass Communication is the need of the hour. Ethics, values
and serious view of healthy practices of mass media can only be taught, portrayed,
projected and imbibed in the aspirants of media careers only when their mind is wet
cement and receptive. These can easily be achieved inside the class rooms and the training
environs and not in the rougher, tougher, often brutal, merciless field out there. A sensible
body has to be constituted towards achieving the objective. Teachers and Academicians
involved in teaching journalism, mass communication and such pure social science
subjects, along with genuinely interested media practitioners should be involved in
framing of the policy.
An official commission is also the need of the hour to take care of grievances of media
professionals. It could be as a broadcast commission, a media commission, an agency that
needs to address any deviations by practitioners. This suggested body should not just be
like the currently instituted communication commission which is just a licensing authority.
The representatives of such a body should necessarily include the people from the
profession, from the media and other related academics and responsible citizens, over and
above with judicial powers to punish the violators of the norms laid down by such an
envisaged body.
Another strengthening aspect is the promulgation of a comprehensive Broadcast Bill
/Telecast Bill that will soon become an Act to monitor content over the electronic media
and catering to social responsibility.
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