The situation today is that you tell someone which newspaper or news channel you regularly follow, and the other person can easily guess your political and global issues’ related views with a fair degree of accuracy. While local media can have better access to the facts and details, they may be influenced by local factors.
From my perspective, the ethic quotient in Journalism needs to be carefully worked upon. We all know AI sans ethics has become the most important concern for the Scientists, Social Scientists, and Scholarly people today as it can be a self-destructive tool and can cause irreparable damage if it falls in the wrong hands.
We also know that huge amounts of money spent for welfare of people and for developmental projects sponsored by bodies like World Bank or IMF etc. spent in underdeveloped or developing countries go into the drain due to high corruption prevailing. Again lack of ethics.
The media has to self-censor itself, due to political pressures, and mostly, the influence of ownership and advertisers. Several incidents of violence against journalists involving threats and physical assaults have been noticed. In several authoritarian states, censorship laws are employed to restrict freedom of expression, resulting in government control over news agencies.
But achieving this vision requires a profound shift in our educational systems worldwide. We must elevate the teaching of superior human values—love, compassion, empathy, honesty—to the same level as core subjects like Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and the Arts. Moral Science, Ethics, and Human Values should be compulsory from Kindergarten through to the highest levels of education. Only then can we cultivate individuals who are equipped to address the critical issues of our time, from AI ethics to corruption, and the integrity of journalism.
When individuals who embody these values rise to positions of power—whether in government or as leaders of major corporations—they will ensure that truth and integrity are the foundation of all news and reporting. This is not just an ideal; it’s a necessity for the future we want to build.
In summary, we cannot address the current issue of media censorship with a short-term plan or a quick-fix solution. We must implement a long-term strategy that elevates Ethical Standards through our Education System. This approach will not only enhance all sectors but will also specifically cleanse the Journalism Industry of biases and prejudice, restoring its credibility and trustworthiness.
We need a new kind of leadership —a team that is not just intelligent but deeply honest, with a global perspective. We need leaders who feel the pain of seeing fellow human beings suffer, whether it’s famine in Africa or a palatial building in Las Vegas, even if they live in luxury. These leaders must possess a heightened consciousness, one that is immune to the temptations of name, fame, and wealth, and instead, are driven by the genuine upliftment of humanity, viewing the world as one interconnected family. Vasudhaiv Kutumbhakum!
December, 2024
