(MENAFN- Tribal News Network)
In today's media landscape, the first thing people check in newspapers or on TV is where the latest explosion occurred. Headlines of violence and bloodshed dominate the news, and while these headlines may be justified, they also raise an unsettling question: why has humanity become so thirsty for its blood?
If there are no reports of killings or bloodshed for two or three days, people stop reading or watching the news altogether. Instead, they begin to wonder why there have been no such stories recently as if something unusual has happened. This shows that we have become accustomed to consuming news filled with violence.
Every morning, people pick up their newspapers expecting to see horrifying details of murders and violent crimes in the headlines. When they don't find such news, they become suspicious, wondering what could be going on. Why have we become so desensitized and brutal? Should we give up on our humanity? Has our conscience died? It's hard to find an answer to these troubling questions.
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Over the past 24 years, it has become evident that people prefer negative news, especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where the conditions have made people's mindset more pessimistic. Journalists play a significant role in this by placing stories of violence on the front pages. This approach is problematic, and news channels should not rush to report murders and violence as breaking news.
If the media handled such news as regular stories, there would be less panic among the public. Even in other countries, similar news is reported daily, but they do not sensationalize it to the extent that we see in Pakistan. However, even if journalists were to refrain from such reporting, who would control social media? Everyone has their own opinions, and you can't change someone's thinking. People here tend to be more emotional or angry, which may explain why crime-related news captivates them more.
The collective mistake of the media is to prominently display these stories on the front pages. For instance, reports about“the gang rape of a young girl” are highlighted, and news readers repeatedly emphasize the term "gang rape" with great intensity. Meanwhile, women listening to these reports are left trembling, and children ask their parents what "gang rape" means. Husbands and wives exchange uncomfortable glances, and even grandparents are left bewildered.
Despite living in the 21st century-a time of technological advancements and instant information, where news travels around the world in seconds-Pakistan, like the rest of the world, has commercial and industrial centers, police stations, military installations, mosques, universities, factories, offices, corporate sectors, religious schools, and a diversity of languages and cultures. Yet, news about these aspects is rarely seen on TV.
Instead, gruesome crimes, robberies, and brutal murders continue to make headlines, making us increasingly numb to the violence around us. Astonishingly, our government has not given immediate attention to this issue.
Every day, some murder takes place, and now even open brawls have started. One party confronts another; guns are fired, knives are drawn, and bottles and stones are thrown. Children are being kidnapped, and harassment incidents are happening daily. It's hard to understand why we are so drawn to such news.
Have we become addicted to negativity, or is there something deeper at play in our collective psyche?
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