Media practitioners claim they exist to serve the interests of the people! The general consensus is that the media exists to inform, educate and entertain the masses. As a result, their policies are made with the best interest of the people at heart. Yeah right!

The truth is that the media are in business and no matter wha they say, they're true aim is to make money. The media operate in a market driven society and are consequently sonstantly under pressure to compete with other media houses. As a result of this, it is the people who suffer.

Three quarters of the programming that is aired on television takes the form of entertainment. Maybe it is that they're trying to present information in a way that is appealing to their audience but the effects are not all that good.

Since lately, (well not too lately), they have come up with new terms like, 'edutainment' and 'infotainment.' The truth is, it is the same information but packaged in a different way.

The reality of the situation is that people are not free to choose the content that they watch. There are a variety of channels but the content is largely the same, entertainment! entertainment! entertainment!

I propose that the media houses take on new policies that cater for everyone; not everyone as a collective whole, but all the different groups.

They need to stop being so caught up in money making that they cannot see the youth, the future, plunging into disaster or world leaders making decisions with purely selfish intentions in mind.

Whether they want to believe it or not, the media plays a very important role in shaping our reality and it is full time they start doing their duties regardless of the little returns that they may get! I believe the media can do this without looking over their shoulders and lamenting on money lost because in the end, it is for the greater good.