Media can play a major role in both conflict and peacebuilding. Media can act as a tool in identity formation and a sense of citizenship among people. Through TV dramas and films, media can be used as a tool for ideological development and can be used to reinforce essentialist identities based on nationalism in the population. If we particularly take the example of Pakistani media, there has been a recent surge in dramas and films produced by ISPR. Dramas and films like Ehd-e-Wafa and Parwaaz Hai Junoon paint a positive picture of the military and create a sense of patriotism and appreciation towards the Pakistan Armed Forces by highlighting the sacrifices these forces make to protect the country.
Another common theme in these dramas and films is their negative portrayal of India. Not only do such films and dramas do good business, but they also lead to anti-Indian and anti-Hindu sentiments in the people of Pakistan, particularly children. Laaj, a film directed by Rauf Khalid, portrayed similar themes. In an interview, the actor who played an Indian army officer in the film expressed that he was attacked with stones in a village because the people despised his character. This incident portrays how media can act as an educative tool in portraying certain ideas about particular groups which can have a major role in increasing conflict.
This sort of negative portrayal of India in Pakistani media only helps further the resentment of the Pakistani people against India, which pushes us more and more towards conflict. Not only is it extremely problematic, it is actually counter productive. Instead of moving forward and learning from history, we are constantly fed a nationalistic agenda which further threatens peace and strays us away from having better relationships with India. However, i suppose its not entirely wrong to use history to create a story based on similar events. the problem lies in creating fabricated stories that are biased and increase the likelihood of conflict.
Agreed Muryum! I've also noticed the same trend in Hollywood as well, whereby American movies would risk dragging out their storylines to demonize the Soviet Union. Critically acclaimed shows like stranger things have also attempted to demonize Russia, making their soldiers unnecessarily barbaric, the place unforgivingly cold. The Queen's Gambit has also attempted something similar where every scene shot in Russia has colder, duller frames while the American scenes are colorful, warm, and lively. These are the more subtler ways to inculcate feelings of hostility towards a nation based on historical conflicts and I believe media to have immense power in perpetuating these narratives and feelings.
You have raised several intriguing points. In this globalised era, the media plays an integral role in how conflict is portrayed. Most importantly it shows several images of schools damaged and how the children are facing the brunt of the conflict. In your opinion do you think media is a device which helps raise awareness of conflicts or a site of spreading misinformation?
The fact that a country's military is now in the business of producing and creating romanticised and cliche media content goes on to show how much of patriotism and nationalism is ingrained through conditioning. Shows such as ehd e wafa and sinf e ahan are examples of this, as instead of portraying the army a certain way they just seem like tactics to instil fabrications notions of patriotism.
Another interesting anecdote is that existence of ISPR as a media outlet for the army, this is quite unusual given the idea of a media as a facet used by the army where they have access to social media websites and hold accounts on twitter and their obvious production of dramas and as you had mentioned using these dramas to encourage patriotism and using their twister to sensitize the army as positive