A Study on the Role of the Media and Its Effect on the identity of Muslims (Part One)
Abstract:
We are living in an era of mass communication abundance. Today, influencing the thoughts and beliefs of diverse groups is no longer achieved through threats or bribery but through persuasion and conviction. One of the most effective tools for this is the mass media.
The media today serves as a platform for discussing public life issues on both national and international stages, providing access to a vast range of topics. The invention and development of new media, along with the emergence of associated theories and the specific social conditions of each era, have offered new perspectives on the interaction between religion and media.
The contradictory images of national, ethnic, racial, and sectarian identities portrayed in the media are not only the major obstacle to the formation of a cohesive Islamic identity at both national and international levels but have also had a detrimental effect on people’s beliefs and relationships, causing many young people to fall into doubt.
Introduction:
Media, derived from the root word “to convey,” refers to the tools used for transmitting messages from senders to receivers. In the realm of social communication sciences, media means the means of delivering messages. Today, these tools have become an inseparable part of our lives.
For a better understanding, we can categorize them into traditional, modern, and new media. In today’s world, mass communication tools such as the internet, television, radio, newspapers, and magazines play a significant role in advancing human culture and civilization by transmitting new information and exchanging public opinions. Many scholars have named the current era the age of communication, making the world as small as a village or even a small room, with information readily accessible.
It can be confidently stated that the present century is marked by the dominance of advertising and mass media. The success or failure of ideologies, beliefs, and the aspirations of nations greatly depends on the ability to acquire advanced advertising tools. Group media plays a crucial role in either the convergence or divergence of national identity in the present age. Media has a significant impact on shaping or altering individual and collective identity, as they form the fabric of contemporary social life.
The function of media is to establish communications, engage in discussions, and shape public opinion. Digital media, due to its unique capabilities, is a facilitator of identity formation and reinforcement, or it can lead to identity crises and alienation from culture, values, and beliefs.
In current conditions, media is a vital factor in shaping and directing identity, whether it leads to cohesion or disintegration, strengthening or weakening identities. Media, as a communicative factor in today’s world, performs numerous functions; this communicative factor plays a crucial role in the institutionalization of values within society.
This platform enables the exchange of information between the current generation and its transfer to future generations, playing a crucial role in cultural formation and fostering a shared sense of belonging among individuals and communities. Today, unlike in the past, new media has a significant presence in all aspects of our lives, to the extent that life becomes disrupted without its use.
Media has become the most extensive and essential source of knowledge for humanity, and these tools are considered one of the most influential factors in cultural development, significantly contributing to the “reformation and corruption of society.” However, it is essential to understand what factors influence the impact of media on society’s culture, how to control and direct them, and how to utilize the options of this technology for societal improvement.
The impact of media is one of the contemporary issues of our time; thus, it is necessary to understand their influencing methods well to optimize their use and mitigate their negative consequences. In the current context, media performs many functions, including:
1. Acting as a major educational institution akin to schools and universities.
2. Shaping and nurturing public opinion.
3. Acting as a creator and transmitter of culture.
4. Serving as an information provider and news disseminator.
5. Offering clarification, entertainment, and leisure.
6. Being a source of income and wealth.
7. Providing legitimacy for individuals, organizations, and systems.
8. Being a forum for participation and dialogue.
9. Acting as a marketplace for buying and selling.
10. Promoting rituals, customs, and religions.
11. Serving as a medium for rumor generation and propagation.
12. Establishing standards for evaluation.
13. Being a tool for habit and addiction formation.
14. Serving as a source of identity formation or identity recognition.
Media today serves as a double-edged sword; if used recklessly and indiscriminately, its sharp blade can cut deep into the fabric of any government or nation, causing profound wounds and pain.
Given the significance and functions of media, this series of notes will explore their history, role, and influence on the Islamic world and the status of Muslims, through an analytical and sociological lens.
