Relying on the self-discipline of media workers and the punitive measures of the Press Council to supervise the mass media are insufficient as long as media literacy remains low among the general public.

 
Media literacy is in its infancy in Hong Kong compared with its acceptance in the United States and Canada. Although organisations like Radio Television Hong Kong, The Society of Truth and Light and Breakthrough have put lots of effort into promoting it, most people are ignorant of it. Some even think media education is the same as educational television.
 
Media messages laden with sex, violence and substance abuse have been insidiously moulding our way of life and even thoughts. What will our children become if they receive harmful messages without knowing they are harmful?
 
The Chief Executive in Council approved pay television broadcast licences for five applicants on 4 July 2000. They will offer 149 new television programme channels. This promises a diversified programming choices to viewers. We hope competition will drive up the overall standard of the mass media and its content. But who can tell whether more harmful materials will be produced, if competition becomes keen and profit is the only goal.
 
So far, what we have done to supervise the mass media amounts just to remedial measures without solving the crux of the problem: the insensitivity and inaction of the public towards negative media messages. Even they dislike the sensationalism in a particular newspaper or medium, they still patronise it. They do not even know they can protest by boycotting the offenders.
 
The self-discipline of media workers is highly appreciated, but it unreliable in the face of keen competition, especially for those in giant media organisations.
 
The Press Council’s punitive measures may act as a supplement only, since the two largest newspapers abstained from membership. Rather than using the carrot and the stick, why not raise the public awareness and let them judge?
 
Media literacy would allow the public to think critically about the mass media. It is taught either through the subject of Economics and Public Affairs or during religious education in school. There are fewer than 10 schools doing this. These pioneers tried hard to include it in their curriculum because developing an independent thinking is always more important than stuffing the mind with facts.
 
Since youths are easily influenced by the media, media promotion should begin with revising the curriculum. Students should be taught with media functions and influences. Ways to deconstruct and evaluate media messages are also essential. More training of teachers and media workers are also needed for proper indoctrination to students.
 
Talks, activities and programmes should be held and broadcast to arouse public awareness, so that media education is not confined to schools only. The public should learn their rights as consumers of the mass media. If they dislike violence and sex in the media, they should know how they can protest against it.
 
Since Breakthrough, RTHK and The Society of Truth and Light have been pioneers in media literacy, their experiences and advice are valuable. The government and schools should work in close cooperation with them.
 
Promoting media education, raising the standards of media workers and improving the mechanism of the Press Council can complement each other. Though media education is a long-term process, it is only through criticising and appreciating mass media that will finally defeat indecency and sensationalism in mass media.
 
Chan Siu Sin
Editor-in-Chief

 
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