Buy Buy versus Bye Bye

 Doing Your Part in Lowering the Risk?

(The originial author is unknown. I was inspired by their creative use of the 0%, and added the bottom part to the graphic to expand the idea of Zero percent)

Letter to Chair of TV and Video Department of L.A.C.C. about Ethics and Responsibility in the Media

 

(21) Letter to TV Department

5-29-97

Dear Department Chair for TV Students,
Los Angeles City College
TV and Video Production program

I am greatly concerned that in the TV classes, the instructors hardly ever talk about Ethics or responsibility. Media in general, and TV in particular are extremely powerful tools. Any powerful tool can be misused. Students need to be made aware of the propaganda, consumerism, "double-speak" and withholding of information, which we see on TV. We should be given an opportunity to discuss such issues in class and possibly come up with some ideas and solutions. This will create a much richer educational experience. Here, I am not referring to the moral issues of what my kid should watch on TV, nor about requiring rating systems and computer chips to block out certain shows.

Since TV has a powerful impact on its viewer, it has been misused throughout its history. In class, we don't discuss the fact that people believe that what they see on TV is the truth. Often people running for government offices make promises on TV. Later, they do not keep these promises. Corporations spend millions of dollars to promote a fantasy image about themselves through their commercials. Taking it a level further, how about all the commercials which are trying to sell us the latest cars, or the latest luxury items? From a psychological perspective, how does this promotion of consumerism effect an ordinary person? Do these commercials make people in Los Angeles, for example, feel like they are superior human beings if they drive the newest car? Do these ads promote classism?

How about, when some story involving violence is shown on the news. If it's a bomb, it must be those Arab.. terrorists? This is what they initially said about the Oklahoma Federal building bombing. It is what they guessed about the bombing during the Olympics in Georgia, and about the plane crash in New York. What about telling the students how certain groups of people are subtly demonized, misrepresented and stereotyped? Often we are not even aware of the hidden messages. The policemen who brutally beat Rodney King, as seen on TV, were found not guilty, which sparked "Riots" in "South Central" L.A. The students need to be informed that the African American community and well informed people refer to these incidents as "civil unrest". The news does not attempt to educate people about the sociological aspects of violence. They are in the business of sensationalizing an issue, which will attract attention, which will sell more commercials, which will make more money for someone.

I mean, forget about us as ordinary viewers....How about us as TV students, Are we supposed to just ignore these issues and just roll the camera? Is it true that if a company has enough money, they can say whatever they want to on TV? The Nazis used films to promote their propaganda, and the viewers simply conformed. Is that what is expected of us, the students, to not discuss in class, these important issues that effect millions of people every day? Should we not be taught the truth about the power and effects of TV? Should we not be taught to question what we see on TV?

The ordinary person gets his news and information through TV. It often does not portray minorities and people of other cultures, in a positive light. How often are the villains shown as some dark skinned, cynical, violent and crazy individuals. Sure, everyone is supposed to have freedom of speech. But what about the freedom of information? Shouldn't people (or students) be informed of the whole truth about TV? What can we as viewers do to hold someone accountable for putting something on the air? What can we as students, and future employees of this industry, do, to act in a responsible and ethical manner? There is too much truth which is eliminated or not mentioned. Should we as students take some kind of oath of responsibility like doctors or court witnesses do? Or should we care about nothing?

 

What Can I Do?

 

(31) What Can I Do?

By Fazeel Azeez Chauhan

5-3-97

Practitioners of prejudice commit psychological genocide against other human beings. Frequently, the individuals who are targets of discrimination belong to a poorer and "weaker" group. Over a period of time, the oppressed group of people can become very discouraged if the odds against them are too big. Muslims in America are very aware of the injustices committed against them. Sometimes we may become disappointed, but taking action to solve the problems our community faces is extremely important. We should never say "there is nothing I can do," because that's accepting defeat. Therefore, a list at the end provides a few suggestions as to What we CAN do.

Many Muslims are aware of how misrepresented and oppressed they are in the world. Individuals often talk about how Muslims are slaughtered in Bosnia, Chechnya, Iraq and Palestine. We wait in vain for our local and world leaders to provide proper guidance or to save the day. But no one seems to care. Muslims are shown in an evil manner in the media as violent terrorists. The same movies and tv programs we see in America are exported all over the world. Through these, our "native" people's minds are confused and conquered by creating a schizophrenia of contradictory materialistic values. People in Pakistan know that a Prime Minister can't get elected without American support. Yet, they romanticize American movies, women and way of life. We line up by the thousands at the U.S. embassy. Pakistanis are proud of their relatives living in America. At times, the situation seems very confusing, overwhelming and discouraging. But we must not let our spirits be conquered.

In America, Pakistan and in the world, the one with the biggest gun wins. President Reagan branded Libya as a "terrorist" state, and killed as many Muslims as he pleased. When the hostage crisis occurred in Iran, "Americans" blamed everyone who looked like the Persian "enemy". Yet, the U.S. illegally sold weapons to both sides in the Iraq Iran war. Saddam Hussain was armed and built up as the hero against the "enemy" Iran. Then in the Gulf War, the "enemy" label switched to Iraq. How was it possible that the American government could gather so many "Muslim" countries to join them? Who made Pakistanis and other Muslims kill their Iraqi brothers and sisters? How could Saudi Arabia allow the U.S. to establish one of the largest military bases in the world? A large foreign military presence in the country of Makkah and Madina signifies a degree of conquest. Similarly, the Israelis feel that they can get away with digging a "tunnel" under Masjid Aqsa. So what can we do to make the situation better for Muslims in the world? We must unite and begin with small groups, working at the grassroots.

At the Mosques and Islamic conventions, these same issues are discussed every week. Talking about the problem is very important. But that is only the first step toward the solution. The second step is a debate of alternative solutions. The third step is taking action to solve the problems. Generally, Muslims in America are at step one, just talking about the problem. One of the most common traits of Pakistanis is criticizing each other. We are too busy attacking each other, rather than addressing the solutions. If we sit down together as a support group to sincerely and objectively discuss our personal and global problems, we can help each other to come up with good solutions. Otherwise, we'll continue to fight and lose our individual battles, on our individual islands. And Muslims will continue to be marketed as the "enemy" which was the former label for the Soviet Union. Here are a few things Muslims CAN do:

1) Never believe that there is nothing you can do

2) Create and strengthen support groups, which can also meet and organize at Mosques

3) Don't lose your hope, spirit and pride. Remember what the truth is.

4) Support each other with an open heart, rather than trying to be right through criticizing others

5) Teach the children to be leaders in government, media & community. Don't only become rich doctors.

6) Take responsibility and be a leader who is not selfish

7) To fight against the misinformation, make copies of the Introduction to Islam flyer and distribute it to educate people. It's available at the Islamic Center of Southern California.

8) Resistance is the secret of joy. Holding on to your values and identity is a source of power.

9) Express your feelings to people in a practical manner. Unexpressed feelings turn into physical, mental and social illnesses.

10) Demand from the media that Muslims should be presented in a positive light.

11) Don't allow us to be divided and conquered by external forces or by internal back biting

12) Demand a change from your Congressman, Senator, President, Governor, state &local reps.

13) Don't believe the lies

14) Drink deep from your religion, language, culture and literature

15) Organize FREE events to inspire Pride and Unity in Muslims

16) Join forces with other minorities

17) Listen to KPFK radio, 90.7 FM

18) Subscribe to "Nation" magazine

 

 

 

 

Brainwashing Machines

by Fazeel Chauhan

(Published in Paksitan Link  ~  4-14-92)

On April 11, Muslim Media organized a panel discussion at the Al-Medinah restaurant. The two guests were Heather Allen, an executive of NBC tv and Dan Fischer, the editor of L. A. Times' World Report. Irfan Mirza was impressively articulate in serving the function of host.
The event will receive coverage in other parts of this paper, therefore, I'll take a slightly different approach. During the discussion, Heather disclosed some honest facts about the weaknesses of the media, whereas Dan stressed the credibility and excellence of his staff. I am grateful to both of them for taking the time and courage to appear before the Muslim community. Although they tried to paint a positive picture of the media, most reporting is not favorable towards Muslims. Usually, journalists get their news from government releases and hardly question the accuracy of the "facts". The media becomes a brainwashing machine of disinformation and keeps the masses ignorant.
When was the last time you saw a positive portrayal of a Muslim in the media? Usually they are shown as violent and crazy terrorists. Minorities and immigrants in general, and people of color in particular are presented in their worst case scenarios. Some people call it a conspiracy. Former CIA director William Casey owned 20% of the New York Times. The more we learn about what happens behind the scenes, through sources such as "JFK" and books like "The Insiders", the more scary and hopeless the situation seems. Big business and advertisers influence what the media talks about. Who pulls the strings behind the scenes? There are definitely powers that censor the information that you and I receive. The Soviet Union was presented as the enemy for so many years. Then it was Iraq, and by election time, maybe it will be Libya. The media has served as a brainwashing machine and has created a negative stereotype of Muslims. The media is a big authority and an individual is not. The Muslim lacks a magic cleaner to wash away the negative views in other peoples minds that stain his/her reputation.
Both Heather and Dan agreed that they could do a lot more to change the stereotype of Muslims. But they also relayed that they were small cogs in the big machine. The media is an extremely powerful tool to represent us. Other groups such as the jews learned this a long time ago and they are very influential in the world, through the media, especially the movie industry. How many jewish directors, actors and comedians can you think of? And how many movies about hitler have you seen? How many times have you seen a tv show involving nazis? These movies are shown throughout the world. But do you remember a positive movie which promotes better understanding of the billions of Muslims in the world? The jews are also powerful in government. As discussed by the panel, the more influence people have, the more coverage they get. Kirkpatrick, the former U. S. embassador to the U. N. was Jewish. Can we even imagine an American Muslim in such a powerful role? The oil producing Muslim nations did not learn the lesson from Jews to unite and command the world through their immense wealth.
Heather mentioned that the nightly news consists of only twenty two minutes. There isn't enough time to cover areas such as the Muslim world. Dan said that his paper's World Report does not make any money. And that's what the media is about - making profits. Whatever sells is what's put on tv, producing couch potatoes and vidiots. Most Americans use the tv to get their information. "If it's on tv, it must be true". They read less than one book a year. A small percentage read the mainstream newspapers and even a smaller group uses alternative media as sources of information. Even in that arena, you'll find bias, such as Santa Monica College's KCRW. It is "National Public Radio", but a closer listen will show the presence of a jewish director, who's influence can color the whole radio station. Can you imagine the type of programming we could broadcast if the director was Muslim? African Americans, East Asians and Hispanics also exercise their power through politics, business and the media. Muslims should learn to play that game. The least we can do is write letters to the editors and to our elected officials to let our voices be heard. Together, we can change the situation. In childhood, they taught us: "Knowledge is power". Today, whoever is powerful gets the most coverage in the media, making it a world where "Power is Knowledge". That's very scary for those who are not so powerful

Mind and Media

by Fazeel Aziz Chauhan

(Published in Pakistan Link ~ 1-7-93)

Knowledge is power. At a recent gathering to celebrate Quaid-e-Azam's birthday, I learned how much he stressed the importance of attaining knowledge. In his will, he distributed all of his belongings among three schools. In today's fast paced information age, the media of film, tv and radio can be excellent sources to provide us with knowledge.

Many people have suggested that education can solve a lot of our problems. If people are well informed, they tend to become more objective. They may become more tolerant of other points of views and may some day use non-violent means instead of resolving conflicts through fighting and warfare.
The U. S. as a super-power, can influence the events taking place in the world. This country and its people have the potential to create a world focused on destruction or on peace. Therefore, it is very encouraging when the media does a good job of informing the people. Without information we are blind. Learning and growing is what life is all about. I would like to draw your attention to some of these refreshing, and some very courageous efforts on the part of the media.
I was glad to see a famous director, Oliver Stone, use the medium of film to inform the people about one of the most popular leaders of this country, John F. Kennedy. The movie "JFK" tells us that he wanted to end the Vietnam war and cut military spending. He wanted to dismantle the CIA, and he was against attacking Cuba during the Cuban Missile Crisis. He also played a role in helping Blacks and other minorities get equal rights. JFK had some revolutionary ideas about changing the policies of this country in the world. But he was viewed as a threat by some, and was assassinated. The conspiracy theory points the finger at the CIA, the military and even the Vice-President, Linden Johnson. This high budget and widely distributed movie by one of the country's leading directors is being well received by the movie-going audiences. It has made people raise questions about what really goes on in the government. The film is an eye-opener and I highly recommend it.
There are other good movies also, which have a similar theme as "JFK". Since Pakistanis love to see movies, I'll mention some of them. An excellent movie about the Iran-Contra affair is "Cover Up". It has been showing in Santa Monica for the past few months but is also available on video. The Christic Institute is a law firm that has taken on, and won, historical issues such as the Karen Silkwood case. The movie "Silkwood" was based on this case. The Christic Institute has a case pending against the people involved with the Iran-Contra affair. They have researched and documented evidence that supports the claims of the movie "Cover Up". It tells how Reagan and Bush knew all along, about the CIA's involvement in weapons and drug smuggling. A movie with some positive and enlightening ideas is "Mindwalk". It deals with personal, political and global issues.  It is based on a book by Fritjof Capra. He is a leading scientist in Physics who connects it with mysticism. "Dances With Wolves" tells us that all people are the same and that the real enemy is within each of us.
PBS uses the medium of television positively, with their wide range of programs, to effect the lives of the viewers. One of my favorite shows is "Frontline". A few months ago, I saw two movies on Channel 28. Award winning, "The Official Story" from Argentina deals with the disappearances of thousands of people in their country. Another very disturbing film "State Of Siege" is from Uruguay. It is about the police departments of countries around the world. Many countries send their top police officers to be trained in the U. S. Torture techniques and fear tactics are some of the topics covered in the training classes. The police headquarters in Uruguay were partially run by an American "advisor", in 1971. This was how the U. S. was able to exert direct control over the people of that country.
A good source for news and information on the radio is listener sponsored KPFK, 90.7 FM. An enlightening talk show on KLOS, 95.5 FM with host Frank Sontag comes on Sunday night at midnight.
I commend all the people in the media who are trying to empower us with knowledge. I hope this trend continues and that we'll see less of the usual sex and violence and more of vital issues that effect our world and our lives.

Comfortable, Numb and Naive

Comfortably Numb

Get in touch with god
Turn the radio on

Get a house full of lies
Power the TV on

Read the bed time stories in the newspaper
Lull yourself into a hypnotic stupor

Switch to the music channels

Turn on your body, blindfold your soul

Tune into nine thousand outlets on cable

Get your head programmed

Watch the celebrities and wana-be's with envy
Hear the news anchors spinning and miseducating

Talk show pundits instigating and hating

Putting spells on us til we're oblivious

Drinking and roaring for sports

Is this like bread and circus for the Romans?

The last thing the fish notices

Is the water it's immersed in

(by Fazeel Azeez Chauhan, 1-29-97)