Assignment: The Role of Mass Media during COVID-19

Submitted To: Ma’am Zunera Khalid

Submitted By: Muhammad Yaqoob

Roll Number: 819045

Class/Section: M.A (2B)

Subject: Academic Writing

Submitted Date: 15/6/2020

The Role of Mass Media in Pandemic Situation

“Mass media refers to a diverse array of media technologies that reach a large audience via mass
communication. The technologies through which this communication takes place include a
variety of outlets. Broadcast media transmit information electronically via media such as films,
radio, recorded music, or television”.

Mass media has a great influence on the lives of people by sharing the information. Today,
different social media tools, such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube are the
primary source of information on one hand and vehicles for misinformation on the other
hand. The world can’t deny the positive role of mass media, but sometimes the negative role
dwindles each and everything from morality to economics. Happiness, misery, wins, losses, war,
peace, and social as well as economic stability depends upon the advertisement of mass media.
History tells us that Pakistan lost the second war against India in 1971, the Russian attack on
Afghanistan in 1989 is deemed as the unsuccessful communication of media. The outbreak of the
Corona Virus 2019 (Covid-19) is not only a human catastrophe but an economic disaster as well.
It creates a lot of health crises across the world, but unfortunately, we know very less about its
safety measurement and effective medicine. In this pandemic situation, electronic media should
play its vital role to encourage people by avoiding fake reporting.

In the US a panel of experts sharing their views regarding the role of mass media a week before,
one of the participants stated that “Time and again, we’re dismayed and baffled by the kind of
incoherence and a lack of reliability of the information we’re getting,” Wasserman added.
“We’re seeing info that should be fairly politically neutral is instead being spun in ways we can’t
trust.” Primetime news shows have been featuring the story in at least one segment over the past
weeks.

“Our focus is on generating awareness. We don’t want to cause panic or speculate too much,
which is why we rely on government data,” says Syed Wahid Ashraf, the senior producer for
content at the news show Dunya Kamran Khan Kay Saath on Dunya News. "From subjects on
China’s efforts to contain the virus and Pakistan’s preparedness (before the outbreak) to impact
on the global economy, the show has touched various aspects since late February. It even ran an
Urdu-subtitled WHO package on how to wear masks. “One of the main questions of our
coverage was: are we prepared?"

It is generally observed that the Pakistani electronic media played their best to communicate the
facts and figures while on the other hand, social media especially Facebook become unable to
stop fake reporting. Many of the so-called and pretending doctors especially illiterate
(Facebookies) are busing to terrify people by sharing misinformation regarding Covid-19.
Conclusion

Last but not least, mass media should play its vital role by moving to facts and figures, giving
awareness to common by inviting experts in television programs. It is important to stop fake and
misinformation, but on the other hand, journalists should act as non-political figures.

References and Citations

1. Natividad, Ivan, and Ivan Natividad. “COVID-19 and the Media: The Role of Journalism in a
Global Pandemic.” Berkeley News, 6 May 2020, news.berkeley.edu/2020/05/06/covid-19-and-
the-media-the-role-of-journalism-in-a-global-pandemic/.
2. Shaukat, Aroosa. “How the Pakistani Media Has Dealt with the Coronavirus Pandemic Story:
Special Report.” Thenews, TNS, 29 Mar. 2020, www.thenews.com.pk/tns/detail/635359-
reporting-covid-19.
3. Nathanson, Neal, et al. “What Role Do the Media Play in Managing the COVID-19 Outbreak? –
ID Hub.” Infectious Diseases Hub, 30 Apr. 2020, www.id-hub.com/2020/03/05/role-can-media-
play-managing-covid-19-outbreak/.
4. YaQoOB, MsM. “The Role of Mass Media in Pandemic Situation: COVID-19.” Educate the
World, Blogger, 12 June 2020, msmyaqoob.blogspot.com/2020/06/the-role-of-mass-media-in-
pandemic.html.