REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS

Based on my personal engagement with the media and social activities plus my observation of best practices, the following are some practical suggestions:

1. Journalism is the practice of collecting, processing (editing) and disseminating information. Journalism and mass media play a very important role in mass communication, including da’wa. Messages from leaders, preachers, ulemas, scholars and other resource persons are communicated effectively to followers, audience, listeners and public at large as well as their responses by mass media after being processed and transformed by journalists into information.

Suggestion: be friendly with journalists and their media!

2. Information is a product which is loaded with ideological, political, economic, social and cultural values and interests by its provider (mass media). Thus, information is not value-free and not-interest free. It depends on the provider’s values and interests, who may have also listened to and accommodated the values and interests of the target audience (readers, listeners and viewers), advertisers (mostly for commercial media), audience’s responses (including supports, complaints and or protests).

Suggestion: involve yourselves in the production of information as journalists, writers, contributors, speakers, publishers and owners of news organizations!

3. Message (Content) and Means of dissemination (Technology) are believed to be of equal importance. But lately it is proven that the Message is more important than the Means. Even, in the discourse of “old” and “new “media, it is widely accepted that Content is the King. The reason is that Technology can be more easily produced, reproduced, copied (pirated), adopted and adapted, while content production involves intellectual, emotional and spiritual capabilities of human being, which is unique and in some cases mysterious, unexplainable.

Suggestion: control the content providers by providing our own version!

4. The “new” media, which include internet-based multimedia such as mobile phone, facebook, twitter, Iphone and Ipad, give unlimited opportunities for everyone to be a content provider. Both “old” and “new” media are Content Providers. Most important players in content production are journalists (reporters/contributors and editors). Since its emergence, mass media has become “Rulers” of the societal life worldwide, moreover in the present digital era, where interned-based social media are preoccupying and dictating our modern lives, especially for the younger generation.

Suggestion: provide and deploy more professional content providers for “old” and “new” media through education/trainings!

5. Realizing the most important role of content providers, the cultivation of noble values through continuous systematic lifelong education, including da’wa, is a MUST.

For Muslim journalists there is no other better choice than adopting the four excellent characters of Prophet Muhammad by means of practicing and propagating Prophetic Journalism.

Suggestion: include Prophetic Journalism in the curriculum of our schools of communications and journalistic training centers.

6. The invention of Internet, mobile phone and Iphone has prompted the birth of Citizen Journalists or Citizen Content Providers. Digital Technology has helped speeding up the spreading of as well as democratizing information.

The emergence of digital communications technology has posed a serious challenge to those regarded “old” media to compete with the “new” media. Technology has shaped and shifted media form, appearance and way of presenting information. To keep up the pace of technological development, owners of “old” media develop their news organizations into convergent multi-media, offering “three in one” services: text, audio and video.

Suggestion:  develop convergent media  

7.Judging by its legal status, there are now:

a. State/government media

b. Private/commercial media

c. Personal/social media

The first two are run by bureaucrats and professionals, while the third is free, run by individuals as citizen content providers, adopting citizen journalism.

Many state/government-controlled media are facing serious challenges posed by commercial and more over by social media. Lack of freedom of expression and bureaucratic procedures have caused state/government media left far behind by private/commercial media and even more by social media in speed of distribution and style of presentation.

Suggestion: apply good corporate governance.

8. It is admitted that social media mostly lack in accuracy, though many big news organizations run by professional journalists often quote personal/social media as initial source or clue of information. Due to lack of professionalism, citizen content providers often face difficulties in feeding readers with constant, timely news. Of course, in some particular cases, especially in reporting local disasters, citizen journalists are much faster than the so-called professionals hired by news organizations.

Suggestion: involve citizen journalists in our training programs

9. Combined Da’wa: words (written and spoken) must be coupled with concrete empowerment programs. Peace builders and peace keepers should write and speak in the media and directly to the audience through regular gatherings as well pioneers and social volunteers to help the Poor in the urban slums and less developed, isolated rural areas with concrete, benefitting actions.

Suggestion: do combined da’wa

10. Triple C Principle. For the success of da’wa, there must be synergy of professional, organized content providers and citizen journalists. Cooperation, Competition, instead of Confrontation are the key words. This triple C principle is also valid in dealing with international, secular, commercial news organizations and citizen content providers.

      Suggestion: avoid unnecessary frictions and confrontation

11. Keys to success for content providers, including preachers,  in the digital era. Methods/arts of presentation should be:

a. Actual,

b. Personal

c. Fashionable

d. Interactive (dialogue), instead of monologue, imposing indoctrination

e. Informing, so people know

f. Educating, so people understand

g. Entertaining, so people are at ease, relaxed, relieved

h. Enlightening, so people are spiritually peaceful

i. Empowering, to enable people to actualize their respective potentials for their happiness

12. Strategy to achieve objectives:

a. Adopt and apply best practices of Prophetic Journalism

b. Continuous education and trainings for character building based on noble characters of Prophet Mohammad and mastering communications technology

c. Cooperation and Competition for the sake of goodness (fastabiqul khairat), instead of Confrontation (Triple C principle).

d. Establishing national and regional training centers, opened to professional and citizen content providers, offering Prophetic Journalism lessons.

e. Setting up of “ old “and “new media” and  production houses for text, audio and video

f. Free flow of information for exchange of contents

g. Setting up a clearing house/center for solving disputes

h. Less dependent on outside resources

i. Combining words and deeds. Do what you say!

CONCLUSION

Young people as agents for peace should  apply digital technology, interned-based “content providers”, because they give more opportunities and advantages for building peace rather than adversaries and disadvantages. The bigger the challenges we face, the bigger the opportunities we have. There is always a room for optimism and innovation. “Old” and “New” forces should unite with Dignity for Devotion to Allah through concrete actions dedicated to establish a peaceful and more prosperous world for the benefit of human beings and all creatures. May Allah bless us. Amien.

* Senior Journalist, Founder of Dompet Dhuafa

* The article was presented in International Youth for Peace conference

Back<<<

Ikuti Whatsapp Channel Republika