May 16--- social responsibility of the media?

Does the media and those who work in it have a responsibility to the consuming public?

Or is the media just a business like any other that pays lip service to responsibility?

Peter made an excellent point, that the medai has a far way to go.

The issues of truth needs to be at the top of any to do list.

FREEDOM is a must.

But others did feel that the meass media int he UAE was doing a good job and was not corrupted by the business cycle yet.

Big question, how does it really help to know what is going on anyway?

MEDIA WISE is an organization that has a view on this.

Social Responsibility and the Media Prepared by Mike Jempson, Director of The MediaWise Trust for the All-Party Social Responsibility Group House of Commons, 12 January 2006

Clearly this is a massive over simplification, but from the MO evidence she identified a crisis of public confidence in journalism “that has a financial impact on news media, as evidenced in the continuing decline of newspaper circulation and readership. But it also points to the apparent inability of mass media to serve their ideal role in a democratic society; that of creating an informed public.”



Thoughts?

May 15 Social Responsibility of Government!

Does a government by default need to be thinking about its social responsibility?

Does a government have a social responsibility outside of i ts boarders?

Tonight we talk about government and social responsibility!

Social responsibility means developing and implementing strong frameworks and regulations that outline specific compliance mechanisms and a coherent set of rewards and penalties...

So do we want more or less state intervention?

Part of the problem is who will foot the bill for government social responsibility? And why, in the case of the UAE would we expect any social responsibility when residents do not pay into the government via taxes which tend to fund socially responsible activities such as health care, education ...

Another problem with social responsibility on the part of the government is the total lack of any sense of urgency!

So why shouldn't the government offload its responsibility to the private sector?

Call it concessions, call it what you like business tends to do it better and there is no place for the state in business SO let them to it and simply ensure the rule are adhered to.

Social responsibility on the part of the government comes down to your perspective!

We will see.

May 14----social responsibility of the corporation

Is there anything called corporate social responsibility today?

ALCAN aluminum in Canada seems to be thinking beyond the balance sheet, so they say, give the JAMESCAST a listen!

But as many said is the UAE ready for CSR?

And how is it that people are imported from organizations with CSR ideals and they are lost when they land in the UAE?

Ray had the answer!

The answer is simply there cannot be activism with respect to CSR without political activism.

Faye suggested that it all comes down to passion and this was echoed by Wendy.

Maybe we need to be more demanding of our corporations!

Maybe we need to bring more activism to our education?

Maybe we need to live for small achievements that can build on each other?

Maybe?

may 13----social responsibility

This evening is the 1st of a four part conversation on social responsibility.

We start today with youth.

What are the responsibilities of youth today?

Do they have any?

Are the expectations too low?

Maliha suggested that the youth of today are very isolationist in their thinking.

Daniel suggested that maybe the issue is the youth of today being misled! Misled by the environment they live in.

CHILDREN HAVE NOTHING TO BE BLAMED FOR IT ALL COMES DOWN TO THE PARENTS!

Parents are setting the wrong models for the youth of today to follow.

CHARITY BEGINS AT HOME!

Maybe what we really need is a youth centres NGO through which schools and other organizations can channel their efforts.

What it all comes down to is balance and maybe we are off balance in the way we allocate our time and energy.

Hmmm... a lot of food for thought.