New Delhi, Oct 9, IRNA Speaking on the topic Social Media Bane or Boon, the Editor-in-Chief of Iran Daily, a leading English daily of Iran, Wednesdaysaid that using the social media continues to gain steam worldwide, as a boon for society.Emad Abshenass, stated this at the International Conference of Senior Editors from South Asia and other regions which kicked off Tuesday at Jamia Millia Islamia University in New Delhi.
The AJK Mass Communication Research Centre (MCRC), Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI), Nelson Mandela Centre for Peace and Conflict Resolution (NMCPCR) and International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) are jointly organizing the two-day international conference on Violence and Conflict Reporting: Media Debates its Role.
Noting that social media has touched almost every sphere of life, its relationship with the society is reflexive and its role cannot be ignored, he said that it depends who is using the social media and how the social media is used.
He was of the view that discussing anything to be a Bane or Boon depends on our own point of view, intentions and way we think of that issue.
As nothing in the world is perfect, so is the case with social media. It cannot be favored by proving it to be a complete boon nor can we call it to be completely bane.
Giving an example through a knife which could be used as a Boon or Bane, the Iranian Editor stressed that the society should use the social media, which is even more powerful than governments, by revealing the truths and promoting peace, as boon to the society, instead of bane.
Abshenass said that there are various statistics that account for social media usage and effectiveness for individuals worldwide. As a concrete example of the positive effects of social media is the latest revolutions in the Arab countries which would have not happened if it wasnt for the facebook and twitter. All arrangements were done through the social media. All movements and protests were coordinated through social media. The news about what was happening was published through the social media. If people didnt have access to the social media they would have never been able to inform the world of what was really happening and of course the owners of the costly media, mainly governments and rich were able to interpret news the way they wanted. With all these facts it seems that social media is a boon, he added.
Asking to determine first how, why and by whom it is being used, Abshenass urged the society to judge over the social media as a boon or bane.
The two-day conference is spread over three technical sessions for broad deliberations on Reporting Armed Violence/War: The Balancing Act, Reporting Armed Violence/War: Issues and Challenges and The Changing Media Landscape: Mapping the Scenario.
Besides Iran, editors from various electronic media houses, newspapers, magazines, etc. from Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Australia, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Maldives, are participating in Regional Conference 2013 for Senior Editors on Violence and Conflict Reporting: Media Debates its Role. Apart from the above, a number of important dignitaries from India and abroad are participating in the Conference.
The Conference will come to an end on October 9, with the concluding remarks by Mr. Marek Resich, Communication Coordinator, New Delhi Regional Delegation, ICRC and concluding speech by Prof. Obaid Siddiqui, Director, AJK Mass Communication Research Centre, Jamia Millia Islamia.
By IRNA
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