Media Theories

The Political structure of country has always affected the media, not only print but also the electronic media.

The freedom of press, the freedom of expression of press and the balance among the limitations of Freedom of press has always been modified as per conditions of politics and social culture of region.

From the very banging of formation of states, it has remained a problem all the times. Due to it in different periods, different theories of communication have been introduced and flush. In general we can divide these theories in four Parts.

Authoritarian Theory

At the end of seventeenth century this theory was introduced. Famous Greek Philosopher Plato is considered the founder of Authoritarian Theory. For the approval and sound support of this theory Mac Chavly, Habis, Trietskey Heagel, Caunt and Natshey were renowned figures.

According to Plato “if domination has been distributed in many persons of the state then its downfall gets started. So the ruling powers are required to lemmatize the authorities of peoples”. According to him, in his famous book ‘The State’ lemmatization of the citizens’ freedom in the state and classification of man in the state are totally authorized to the state. This theory gets support from the philosophy that some peoples are born for ruling and due to it powers always remains in few hands. So according to this theory social status, power, wealth and family honor is liable for the ruling establishment. This theory composed in formal philosophy in cooperation of such philosophers like Plato and Net Shay. So this theory declared a rule and approved Philosophy for new generations. It was spread throughout Europe by the invention of printing press through newspapers.

It was associated with Tudors of England, Bourbons in France and hems Bourg in Spain. In modern societies it has found the ways into the governments like Japan, Imperial Russia as well as Asian and North American Countries.

The press and communication media in such societies is viewed as an instrument for disseminating the state position, informing the populace what is right and what is wrong based on the Plato’s interpretations of issues and providing the official policy statements of the ruling Elite, the state after determining its objectives.

According to Authoritarian theory press was fully controlled by the ruling regime. For this control different tactics were used. Sometime outright censorship, requiring state approval for the matter to be published was used. Sometime bringing the media person under laws of treason or sedition for publishing material unfavorable to the state was used.

Blackmailing, threats of cancellation of declaration, banned over financial support, trials in courts and many other diplomacies were used to capture the media for obeying the state and utilization of authoritarians’ law. Today in 21^st centenary many parts of the world have been free form that theory but many are still acting according to it. Especially the countries ruled by communist and third world countries.

Librarian theory of media:

This theory has been developed in sixteenth century slowly being refined in eighteenth century as libertarians’ principles found their way into nation’s constitutional framework. According to this theory media is exactly opposite of authoritarians press. From authoritarian to libertarian many factors are involved. Scientific and geographic discoveries, awareness of human being, uplift of human thinking, reaction against the dominance of church and movement against the monarchy, were the key factors of boosting libertarian theory of media.

Dekaret, Lark, Thomas Jefferson and other scholars provide foundation to this theory. When John Lark stated, “origin of powers of state are peoples living in it. Authorities of rulers are allotted by the peoples and whenever they will desire they can take them back. According to the scholars of this assembly citizens are dominant over the state. According to libertarian theory every person has the right to access any information and can examine it when he wishes.

Freedom of expression, freedom of speech and writing, freedom of creation and exposing was declared the fundamental right of a person, John Friskin, Thomas Jefferson and John Milton expressed the thoughts of open market. They stated “freedom is the fundamental right of any person and he must be free for his freedom of expression & thinking till he might be harmful for someone else”.

Jefferson was a great motivator of the government, which never involve in matters of media.

According to this theory the basic job of media is to produce news & entertainment. Selling & advertisement were also added for the settlement of financial problems of media.

This theory declares the media totally free from any type of control. But voluntarily that information will decide to be banned to broadcast which can be useful for the enemies or detrimental for the state or public.

This theory also applies some moral precautions as well. For example

• Media must not broadcast any thing, which cause insult of some one.

• Pornization must be discouraged.

• Means of communication never communicate any material, which may be harmful for the dignity and salvation of country.

• Those information are also be defined prohibited which may result in problems of defenses of state.

  This theory declares the media an instrument of information so must be free from any control. Eventually Libertarianism, with its freedom of press, becomes part of constitutional doctrine in U.S.A, England and later on many other countries of the world.

  Soviet Communist Theory

  This theory of media is totally apposite to the libertarian theory of media. Soviet theory considers Libertarian as ‘corrupt’, ‘Venal’, ‘irresponsible’ and controlled by special interests. Actually Soviet theory is much closer to the Authoritarian theory. It was born out from the Philosophy of Lenin & Marks and described by Stalin into a theory.

  Lenin has declared newspapers and other media the servant for the socialist revolution. He has also considered the media as a great reverend and motivating factor for the society. So in Russia press has been used as a puppet for the state and ruling communist party, which major duty was to publish and broadcast the socialist theories. Its services were not only to announce and published the official news but also to publicize the party decisions, policies and guiding principles. Due to the application of Soviet theory, the whole media in USSR was performing under the department of agitation and propagation.

  Broad costing system in Soviet Union was much amazing and interesting. The most interesting one was the Radio Diffusion Exchange, which was working like a telephone exchange. Through which connections were allotted to demanders. These connections were actually speaking sets, which provide the facility of ‘as a whole’ listening at public places. Briefly we can say, in this theory media was used just for the promotion of communist theories, policies and thoughts. Very simple and common example of this theory was two major newspapers of Russia ‘Pravda’ and ‘Izvestia’. Those were used just to propagate the Soviet Regime.

  According to the Schramm the writer of four theories of media “Soviet mass communication does not have the integrity of its own. They are kept instruments for the state and they are to obey humbly and nimbly the gyration of communist’s party lines and state directions. So simply we can state that Soviet press and the Soviet theory for media were fully captured and empoisoned by the state and the ruling party. Soviet media was not playing an educative, awaking and constructive role for the society at all.

  Social Responsibility Theory:

  In the process of communication authoritarian and communist theory’s worked in such manners, which resulted in the un-satisfaction of society.

  In the Twentieth century when media was traveling over air and awaking the communities through the globe, a new theory came into existence. This theory was based over ‘free but responsible’ aim for the media. At that particular time libertarian theory was also been considered an unproductive and some times unsatisfactory. The greatest preacher of people governance Thomas Jefferson was seemed saying that it is a bitter truth that infinite freedom of press results in the destruction of social system.

  In 930 for journalism code of conduct a sketch was sorted out for print media. Such types of codes were defined for Radio and Television in 1947 and 1953 respectively in USA, which was later on turned into social responsibility theory. This theory admits the freedom of media but bounded within responsibility and sense of duty.

  It allows the media to criticize the government and institutions but also stress to be responsible in mass interest of state.

  The communication act of 1934 of USA also reveals the nature of this theory according to which broadcasting is built upon the phrase “in the public interest, convenience and necessity.”

  This free and open criticism of the media can be seen in many reviews and books.

  Theodore Peterson writing about the social responsibility theory, William Irwin’s series on the press, Oapten Sinclair’s ‘the brass check’ and George Saldis, ‘freedom of press’ are the examples of this theory.

  Today we can examine the media of USA under the umbrella of this theory is totally free to publish any thing but there can be hardly an example which prove that media has damaged the interest of the nation or state even a single line. <!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><!--[endif]-->

  Islamic Theory of Communication:

  As nearly about all the Western journalists do not accept that Islam have defined some rules and regulations for the mass communication but how can it be possible that a system for the whole universe and for ever timings have neglected this important phase of the human’s life?

  This inconsideration is nothing but the propagation against Islam and the psychic of ignoring Muslims by western media.

  The Islamic theory of communication is actually not a theory, it is a defined rule and it cannot be modified as other theories defined by the human being because it has been revealed by Allah all mighty in a full flange order.

  Every theory contains some ambiguities and shortfalls but Islamic theory does not have because of its origin, which can never been wrong.

  In the Islamic System, Islamic theory of Communication has defined principles. Nothing except the truth can be communicated according to this theory.

  The provision of goodness, the preaching’s of good wills, publicizing of nobilities and good manners, character building of human being, defamation of evils, prevention of anticipation and apprehension are the solid bases for the communication as per defined rules of Islamic theory.

  Islamic theory of Communication wants the media items to be the part of alliance against the evil and social injustice.

  It stress over the provision of true sorties, non-hazardous entertainment and the education of good ness.

  At the end of my testimonial I want to state some sentences about the journalism in my Country Pakistan.

  To day the mass communication around us by the Muslims journalist could not be declared an Islamic Mass Communication because it projects evils and it publishes the horrible material from the society. It plays a leading role for the promotion of yellow or black journalism. Our today’s media has been sunk in western and Hindu culture and civilization. It has reserved more than seventy percent of its space for the dancers, singers and drummers. Remaining part full of lie based stories. I can claim that this type of communication does not belong to any theory. Most probably we have to define a new theory for this type of Journalism and mass communication.