The Pakistan the world doesn't see
By Khusro Mumtaz
Some of the feedback on last week’s column (‘Virtual Reality’ — November 21), particularly from the United States, seemed to misconstrue its intent. The writers thought I was implying that Americans were racist or bigoted and had therefore ignored Pakistan’s calls for help in the wake of the October 8 earthquake that devastated the northern areas of the country. That certainly wasn’t what I had said. I was commenting on the American television’s coverage (or lack thereof) of not just the earthquake but events of global importance around the world. For fear of low ratings, if it didn’t directly affect America, it was that much less likely to get on American television. If it didn’t get on American television Americans were that much less likely to be aware of it. The less aware of it the less interested. The less interested the less vested. The less vested they were the lower the television ratings. It’s a classic Catch-22 situation.
The trick is to look beyond mere ratings (or immediate ratings, in any case). If the purpose of the news is to inform then events should be covered regardless of their origin. Of course, each country or region will naturally be more interested in happenings closer to home but it behoves this planet’s citizens to be better informed about the whole world. Being informed is likely to lead to less misunderstandings, greater cooperation and fewer conflicts. This process of informing and being informed may be a long, drawn out one but once completed the level of interest is likely to rise which, in turn, is likely to lead to higher ratings.
America impacts the rest of the world more than any other country. But, unfortunately, Mr Joe Average American knows less about the world than Mr Jean Average European or Mr Joginder Average Asian which makes it that much easier for his government to lead him into wars based on lies and more lies. But American television networks and news channels are more concerned about ratings and the related advertising dollars than the death count of citizens of other countries. Educating the audience is too much hard work or at least perceived to be by television executives who constantly underestimate the intelligence of their audiences. Even if there is no other agenda (there are those news channels which claim to be ‘fair and balance’ but are anything but) catering to the lowest common denominator, feeding Mr Joe Average junk and keeping him sated is considered the easiest way to prop up the ratings and the advertising dollars flowing. Of course, the governments of the day of all countries also have their own role to play in trying to ensure that their citizens see only certain images of a demonised enemy and purported friend to suit their own needs.
I’m generalising here. But the point is that what we see on our television screens influences the way we perceive this world. And bad news gets more coverage than good. It’s also easier to reinforce preconceived notions than to challenge them. Severe looking, wild-eyed, bushy-bearded mullahs and ayatollahs leading rallies against America are more likely to appear on Fox News than pictures of a much larger majority that goes about its life peacefully, smiling, laughing, or weeping as the case may be and without hate in its heart. CNN is not likely to carry a news report on the World Performing Arts Festival currently underway (November 19 to November 28) in Lahore where performers from all over the world are gathered in a celebration of the arts and their healing and therapeutic abilities and their power to unite diverse cultures and peoples. Performing will be dancers from India, Pakistan, Germany, France, and the USA; puppeteers from Turkey, Poland and Argentina; jazz musicians and rockers from Norway, Pakistan, Serbia and Montenegro, and Slovenia; pop musicians from France, USA and Sri Lanka; sufi music from Pakistan, Norway and France; and classical musicians from India and Pakistan. There will also be musical and dance collaborations between east and west — a Pakistani qawwal with a Spanish flamenco dancer, a German ethnologist performing a traditional Moroccan tea dance, a fusion of traditional eastern classical singing and Norwegian jazz/folk; theatre from India, the Czech Republic, England, Italy, Pakistan and Norway. There will be films from all over the world. The whole affair will be (as it was last year) patronised by a large number of people, smiling and laughing and purely out to enjoy themselves.
It’s a happy, festive occasion. And so is the Kara International Film Festival in Karachi, which will be celebrating its fifth year starting December 1 and continuing for another 10 days after that. The festival grows each year, features films (features, documentaries and shorts) from dozens of countries and provides the often beleaguered citizens of its host city and lovers of cinema with much needed entertainment. This is another side of much-maligned Karachi, which will likely never see coverage in the international media. Andreas Stroehl, the Director of the Munich Film Festival and one of the Kara jurors last year, went away from Pakistan with a completely different impression of the country from the one with which he had arrived. Despite the technical difficulties and other logistical problems associated with the festival he went back to Germany having thoroughly enjoyed his visit. Though a little taken aback by the heavy presence of armed guards and police in the city, he was highly appreciative of the Pakistani people (and surprised that they weren’t all dark and swarthy) and their hospitality and generosity. Even the sellers in the markets weren’t pushy or aggressive, he said.
Overwhelmed with the way they were welcomed with such open arms in Pakistan, visitors from India also found many of their long-held beliefs shattered when they visited Pakistan in the thousands to watch the Tests and One-Day cricket match series between India and Pakistan in early 2004. Confronted with the reality the myths couldn’t stand.
Pakistan has a huge number of problems, many — if not most — of which are self-created. And these problems are what the rest of the world, by and large, associates with the country. But Pakistan also has a positive side. That the world never gets to see.
Some of the feedback on last week’s column (‘Virtual Reality’ — November 21), particularly from the United States, seemed to misconstrue its intent. The writers thought I was implying that Americans were racist or bigoted and had therefore ignored Pakistan’s calls for help in the wake of the October 8 earthquake that devastated the northern areas of the country. That certainly wasn’t what I had said. I was commenting on the American television’s coverage (or lack thereof) of not just the earthquake but events of global importance around the world. For fear of low ratings, if it didn’t directly affect America, it was that much less likely to get on American television. If it didn’t get on American television Americans were that much less likely to be aware of it. The less aware of it the less interested. The less interested the less vested. The less vested they were the lower the television ratings. It’s a classic Catch-22 situation.
The trick is to look beyond mere ratings (or immediate ratings, in any case). If the purpose of the news is to inform then events should be covered regardless of their origin. Of course, each country or region will naturally be more interested in happenings closer to home but it behoves this planet’s citizens to be better informed about the whole world. Being informed is likely to lead to less misunderstandings, greater cooperation and fewer conflicts. This process of informing and being informed may be a long, drawn out one but once completed the level of interest is likely to rise which, in turn, is likely to lead to higher ratings.
America impacts the rest of the world more than any other country. But, unfortunately, Mr Joe Average American knows less about the world than Mr Jean Average European or Mr Joginder Average Asian which makes it that much easier for his government to lead him into wars based on lies and more lies. But American television networks and news channels are more concerned about ratings and the related advertising dollars than the death count of citizens of other countries. Educating the audience is too much hard work or at least perceived to be by television executives who constantly underestimate the intelligence of their audiences. Even if there is no other agenda (there are those news channels which claim to be ‘fair and balance’ but are anything but) catering to the lowest common denominator, feeding Mr Joe Average junk and keeping him sated is considered the easiest way to prop up the ratings and the advertising dollars flowing. Of course, the governments of the day of all countries also have their own role to play in trying to ensure that their citizens see only certain images of a demonised enemy and purported friend to suit their own needs.
I’m generalising here. But the point is that what we see on our television screens influences the way we perceive this world. And bad news gets more coverage than good. It’s also easier to reinforce preconceived notions than to challenge them. Severe looking, wild-eyed, bushy-bearded mullahs and ayatollahs leading rallies against America are more likely to appear on Fox News than pictures of a much larger majority that goes about its life peacefully, smiling, laughing, or weeping as the case may be and without hate in its heart. CNN is not likely to carry a news report on the World Performing Arts Festival currently underway (November 19 to November 28) in Lahore where performers from all over the world are gathered in a celebration of the arts and their healing and therapeutic abilities and their power to unite diverse cultures and peoples. Performing will be dancers from India, Pakistan, Germany, France, and the USA; puppeteers from Turkey, Poland and Argentina; jazz musicians and rockers from Norway, Pakistan, Serbia and Montenegro, and Slovenia; pop musicians from France, USA and Sri Lanka; sufi music from Pakistan, Norway and France; and classical musicians from India and Pakistan. There will also be musical and dance collaborations between east and west — a Pakistani qawwal with a Spanish flamenco dancer, a German ethnologist performing a traditional Moroccan tea dance, a fusion of traditional eastern classical singing and Norwegian jazz/folk; theatre from India, the Czech Republic, England, Italy, Pakistan and Norway. There will be films from all over the world. The whole affair will be (as it was last year) patronised by a large number of people, smiling and laughing and purely out to enjoy themselves.
It’s a happy, festive occasion. And so is the Kara International Film Festival in Karachi, which will be celebrating its fifth year starting December 1 and continuing for another 10 days after that. The festival grows each year, features films (features, documentaries and shorts) from dozens of countries and provides the often beleaguered citizens of its host city and lovers of cinema with much needed entertainment. This is another side of much-maligned Karachi, which will likely never see coverage in the international media. Andreas Stroehl, the Director of the Munich Film Festival and one of the Kara jurors last year, went away from Pakistan with a completely different impression of the country from the one with which he had arrived. Despite the technical difficulties and other logistical problems associated with the festival he went back to Germany having thoroughly enjoyed his visit. Though a little taken aback by the heavy presence of armed guards and police in the city, he was highly appreciative of the Pakistani people (and surprised that they weren’t all dark and swarthy) and their hospitality and generosity. Even the sellers in the markets weren’t pushy or aggressive, he said.
Overwhelmed with the way they were welcomed with such open arms in Pakistan, visitors from India also found many of their long-held beliefs shattered when they visited Pakistan in the thousands to watch the Tests and One-Day cricket match series between India and Pakistan in early 2004. Confronted with the reality the myths couldn’t stand.
Pakistan has a huge number of problems, many — if not most — of which are self-created. And these problems are what the rest of the world, by and large, associates with the country. But Pakistan also has a positive side. That the world never gets to see.
Author's email: khusro_m@yahoo.co.uk
The News International
posted by zaicha | Tuesday, November 22, 2005
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