KT for good: Together, we can make a difference

Shaping public opinion is a large part of the media's role, as is to safeguard the interest of the vulnerable.

What is the role of media in our society? That was a question posed to a 19-year-old me by one of my visiting professors while I was pursuing Bachelors in Journalism from Delhi University. I remember mumbling something on the lines of it being a watchdog to protect the weaker section of society against the vagaries of the rich and powerful. What? I was a wet-behind-the-ears undergraduate trying to impress the Editor of a pan-India daily! The professor smiled at me and told me I wasn't wrong but that definition only covered a part of the media's role. It's been over a quarter of a century since I had to first answer that question, but it remains as relevant as ever.
Shaping public opinion is a large part of the media's role, as is to safeguard the interest of the vulnerable. But a large part of the media's obligation is to educate and raise awareness, to highlight the ills plaguing our society - to offer a mirror-image of reality. Good, bad or ugly, it is the media's responsibility to showcase a true reflection of the world we live in so that it can be acclaimed or rectified by the right people.
It is to fulfil this fundamental objective of media that Khaleej Times has often run campaigns to highlight the chinks in our world's armour with a view that we acknowledge what we're doing wrong and take corrective action. Today, we're introducing 'KT For Good,' a series of campaigns for the collective good of society that we'll publish throughout the year, across all our storytelling platforms. We'll raise concerns and awareness about issues that impact our audience, try to seek answers and redressal from the concerned bodies and authorities, and do our bit to bring about a positive change in our collective lives. We urge our readers to join hands with the 'KT for Good' campaign and volunteer your time, effort, energy, ideas and suggestions to make ours a better world. Together, we can and we shall make a difference.