Role of Media in KSA (for adults only)

Media plays a major role in promoting the royal family and current regime in KSA especially the media houses owned by the government. A fact that few people outside KSA are aware of, a significant amount of Saudis have no access to satellite TV and are not connected to the internet, this leaves these families, who are more inhabiting the inner land, with one window to the outside world and this is the government owned media. To many, this is a development on the media front in a country where half of the population is still Bedouins and sheep herders, yet media that doesn’t serve freedom of speech is called political propaganda and has one objective only, promote the ruling regime.Media is a corner stone in a 21st century school of thought, it is a reflection of one’s civilization to the outside world. This reflection is enriched by the activity of the local society and it’s active communities reacting to the country’s economic formula. This formula is based on consumption and has been like that since the discovery of oil back in the early 20th century. Therefore, the Saudi Arabians school of thought is rotated around the attitude of consumption i.e, how can I perform better economically to consume more? Here media comes to play another major role by contributing to these mottos that until this moment, a Saudi Arabian is not willing to admit to.In much simpler words, KSA and most of the Arab world and third world countries are generators of consumers to products invented by the industrial world. Media’s role is to promote these products/services to an audience that has established a mindset to consume only. This mindset has been academized in universities and educational institutes belonging to the same nations that are producing these products. Evidence about this role is obvious. The amount of advertising spend versus the amount of new tv programs spend, in other words, investments that promote consumption are by far much higher than those promoting production. A simple exercise of visiting Saudi TV channels, Radio stations and print media will show you the role media is playing to enrich the consumption culture among a target audience that is hungry for change and eager for self expression.I addition, media in KSA came to play another role that has another political edge. This neo media, is targeting the youth and trying to lead a new generation towards globality in its negative connotation. In this instance, it is not only KSA government money, but that of the royal family. So far, two influential media groups funded by Saudi money has been paving their way towards the Saudi/Arab/Moslem youth by all force of money, technology and seduction. In this case, the role of the media in KSA is to dilute the conservative course, that is named as orthodox by others, and help take the current generation to another level of consumption that is of the 21st century. This consumption has new extensions set by the industrial world, they’ve added new inventions to their long list, in short, they are entertainment and edutainment. New TV shows that promote the far stretching music industry and their “superstars” are catalysts to the invention of new idols in the KSA world. This comes as a need to fill the vacuum that has been caused by the strict regime. When the Saud family took over, they didn’t plan how to counter attack the satellite technology nor the internet. This vast and abrupt exposure, has made a majority of the youth to ask questions that are related to self expression, freedom of thought…In other modern nations, the regimes try to introduce neo modules/idols for every era so they can help maintain the link and connection between the public and their governors. In today’s world, this has become more essential than any other time before. A pioneer in this industry is the super world power, the USA.This doesn’t stop here, media is currently trying to persuade the new generations, that musical stars are what they need, these stars are successful people surrounded by fans, dressed up with the latest designs of the best brands. These stars are fond of life and they believe in love. Socially they are loved by both genders and watched by both. In short, this star is the hope to a Saudi teenager (boy or girl) to a more vibrant life. Media in this case has competition, and a fierce one, it’s religion that has always prohibited the Saudis from indulging and enticing the “life loving” methods of modern world. This was no issue to the public opinion spin doctors who are ‘consulting the royal family’. Why not bring religion to the hi-tec media of today and create a virtual balance. Doing so is always healthy for a society that is seeking a balanced community that rejects extremism and fights fanaticism. This mentioned, we talk more about the role of Media in promoting religion in KSA.Religion and media:KSA has no doubt invested a great sum of money in creating new media channels that promote religion to the new generations. These TV channels are attended by light bearded clerics who are calmly spoken and offer advice rather than instruction. This new module has been a requirement to fit in the modern industrial world of production or consumption. Yet, while in the process, these media networks overrated the influence of these middle aged ‘advisors’ in comparison to those sexy female anchors and dancers in video clips that are by far more watched than any other religious program. When asked, these networks simply reply “we have entered the new world and we are obliged to offer our audiences all type of entertainment and edutainment and try create a balance, at the end of the day, we cannot impose our channels on the Saudi spectator yet we offer him the option to choose’. In general this is very positive talk, yet, if I am imprisoned between walls of religion for 60 years and I receive such options, where will I go and what will I choose??!To my belief, the role that media is playing to promote a new module of religion has failed before it started and this is due to many reasons that will be debated in another time.Finally, it would be unfair if we ignore the role that media is playing in supporting other edutaining news such as sports, yet while doing that, the Saudi spectator will have to digest more than 4 commercial messages every minute, so this might not be the best contribution, yet it might inspire few to practice sports and make it the hard way rather than taking a few pieces of clothing, hump a stage and send the noise in a microphone to macro waves that infect millions of kids sitting peacefully at their homes getting attacked by the media of the 21st century.