The News Media as a Masterful Means of Multiple Meaning-Making
POETRY FORMAT, 3 Aug 2015
Francisco Gomes de Matos – TRANSCEND Media Service
A Rhymed Reflection
The News Media are supposed to inform
Are they also expected to transform?
Do we see the Media as realistic?
Do we also take it as futuristic?
Do we respect the Media for journalistic quality?
Do we also commend it for communicative dignity?
Do we praise the Media for the values they invoke?
Do we also hail them for the challenges they provoke?
Do we like the constructive acts the Media propose?
Do we also abhor the destructive acts the Media expose?
Do we support the Media when DIGNIjournalism they elevate?
Do we also applaud the Media when through Multimedia Literacy they educate?
Do we expect the Media to help nurture interlinguistic and intercultural sensitivity?
Do we also entrust the Media with helping prevent interactive insensitivity?
Do we look up to the Media as a social force at the service of compassion-enhancing?
Do we also consider the Media as a political force serving Global Citizenship-advancing?
Do we perceive the Media as a masterful means of multiple meaning-making?
Do we also view the Media as sources of both good deeds and misdeeds news making?
Do we question the Media when their reporting seems slanted?
Do we also criticize the Media when their news takes something for granted?
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Francisco Gomes de Matos, Ph.D. is an applied peace linguist from Recife, Brazil. He has degrees in Languages, Law, and Linguistics. He is Professor Emeritus at the Universidade Federal de Pernambuco where he is active in the Dom Hélder Camara Human Rights Commission. He is one of the pioneers in Linguistic Rights (author of 1984 Plea for a Universal Declaration of Linguistic Rights) and in the emerging area of Peace Linguistics. Currently he is President of the Board, Associação Brasil América (www.abaweb.org). He can be reached at fcardosogomesdematos@gmail.com.
This article originally appeared on Transcend Media Service (TMS) on 3 Aug 2015.
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