Focus: Role of television

Broadcast journalism is a unique environment to work in. It gives a journalist the satisfaction of being part of a medium that brings the viewer as close to reality as possible. The truth becomes a lot less open to interpretation, especially in conflict zones. However, it also creates celebrities, who sometimes become larger than the actuality they are reporting or discussing. Gulf News launched a debate on the role played by television journalism. Read on and find out what people said. To send your comments, write to readers@gulfnews.com.

Broadcast journalism has created more stars than journalists.

There are people still who are seen as pure journalists, who have the qualifications and the skills. But I think that in today's society, the youth are not really into serious news. So when you look at the people who come on television, you would see that to attract the youth, you need people who dress and talk like them. The world is about popular television personalities.
- Fawaz Al Ashi
Dubai

I think it depends on the channel. I won't say that it is exactly true, but not false either. I think it's a 50-50 split because the new generation looks for people who look like superstars. You have to be up-to-date and capable of presenting yourself well. I do not think that the credibility of the news is affected, no not really.
- Swati Kabthekar
Dubai

To be honest and credible is important for newscasters. Nowadays people just care about how newscasters look and act, not the news. They have become celebrities and stars; you see this everywhere. I don't think journalists are at fault because just like I am working they are also doing their job. It is people who make them superstars.
- Shemi Mohsin
Abu Dhabi

I don't agree because in the end it depends on the news and its coverage. Of course, there are well-known journalists who turn into celebrities because people get to know them but that's because of their experience. You want to hear what they have to say. Also, when it comes to appearances, people like to watch someone who looks good. I mean if they were ugly, I would change the channel.
- Hamed Khawajah
Dubai

Television stops viewers from thinking and forming their own views.

If you watch international news channels, I don't think they are biased. They just show you what is happening and leave you to decide. But I also think that news channels are bound by certain policies. There are some channels that tell the viewers what to think. For example, when Saddam Hussain was hanged, some media channels called him a tyrant and others a martyr.
- Anshul Purohit
Sharjah

Yes, I think news channels tell people what to think. News channels are biased. They do what governments tell them to do. I think even in reporting there are facts and information that are not given out. Some channels do not give views of the people from other countries to show what other people have to say about certain issues. So we don't always get the full picture.
- Sondos Nakhjavani
Dubai

I think it also depends on the channel that one watches. I watch a certain channel as I believe that they show the truth and people tend to watch more of what they believe is the truth. I also, however, watch different channels as they help me form an opinion. At the end of the day, all channels have an agenda and they often change news to suit it.
- Abbas S.
Dubai

We live in a world of information overload and television news provides only a brief glimpse of topical issues before moving on to the next. However, if you follow the issues via the print media, then television gives a quick update on breaking news, which then reminds you to look for the full story in the next day's paper.
- B. Cummings
Dubai, Gulf News Reader's Club member

It is not free, but subject to the political inclinations of the channel owners.

It depends on the broadcasters because some news channels have really good journalists and the news and stories are credible. In some countries, the government influences the news and therefore the channels are not really free. The staff is bound by the channel's policies.
- Siraj Al Deen
Dubai

I think channels are forced to do what the owner wants or what the government wants. There is already a set agenda that should not be overlooked, changed or even crossed. They just stick to it. This happens everywhere. I think more than 70 per cent of television channels are not objective and do what they are told to do.
- M.F.
Sharjah, Full name withheld by request

Of course not! There is a certain agenda that news channels follow. Politics and the economy play a role in that. It is a well-known fact that journalism in general is politicised. Despite everything, they cannot cross certain lines and if it were not political reasons, it's the money and sponsorship they need, which also affect editorial content.
- Amer Anastasio
Dubai

I think here journalists and channels are very much into self-censorship. It's very difficult to be free in general. For example we hear about stories that happen here and they never make the news — certain issues, incidents or accidents that happen and you never hear of them in the media.
- Fouad Abdul Malek
Dubai

Truth gets a wider, definitive and more immediate coverage.

Yes, I think so. I watch television for certain events because you get more coverage than if you read it in a newspaper. I like watching television because I feel that I get more information and news there; I get real time events, get a better idea of what is happening. Watching events on TV makes me feel that I am there when things are happening.
- Jason Deveyra
Dubai

I prefer to watch TV and read newspapers. With television I come to know more about what is happening in the world, I get more details and more information and get to see what is happening live. It helps me keep up with political events and sometimes to see tragedies like war. I think because you can't always watch TV, it is a good combination to also read the newspaper.
- Asha Gomez
Sharjah

It is sometimes exaggerated, especially when the news is about filmstars, such as those from Bollywood. In such cases, the channels tend to go a bit overboard. Otherwise, watching news on TV is good, as you get immediate and exact information. This is in fact the easiest medium to know what's happening, just switch on the TV and you have it. Furthermore, you can watch different channels to get more details.
- Matilda Q.
Dubai

When news is on TV, we get to know more details mainly because of the visuals. It is also understood better when it is seen. Watching news on TV is as good as being there. TV shows exactly what is going on. News cannot be manipulated when shown live and in that way I think television is more objective.
- Lara Mansour
Dubai