A reflection on journalistic integrity and social responsibility in light of Quranic guidance

Recently, a video was viral on social media of a political personality of Jammu and Kashmir where a reporter was questioning him, but the politician got angry and shouted at the journalist, and forced him to leave mid-way, throwing his mike away. I remember when Rajdeep Desai of India Today was interviewing the then President of India Pranab Mukherjee, he told Rajdeep Desai to have in mind all the manners as you are speaking to the President of India.
Overall, when we analyze both interviews, we can observe that journalists often do not ask questions to elicit answers but rather to highlight perceived blunders. Second, they fail to ask questions with the intent of seeking clarity for their own understanding. Third, reporters often seek to extract confidential information from their subjects. Similarly, social media and journalists are being exploited to disseminate fake news or propagate sensationalized content on social networking platforms. Additionally, journalists sometimes broadcast reports or videos that are unnecessary for public consumption. For example, they may point their cameras at mourning individuals, capturing their grief over the loss of a loved one, which is insensitive and inappropriate for circulation. Such practices are not in line with ethical journalism standards and are not socially or religiously acceptable. Furthermore, there is a trend of creating ridiculing videos on social media to increase viewership for personal gain.
Islam has guided us from birth to death in many forms and the best form is the Al-Quran which is a guide for us in every matter of life similar cases where journalists, social media and social networking platforms are used to discuss things badly. Our holy book Al-Quran has guided us here as well.
In the Quran, Almighty Allah said in Surah Hujuraat Verse 6, “You who have believed, if there comes to you a disobedient one with information or news, investigate, lest you harm a people out of ignorance and become, over what you have done, regretful.” Or we can say, “Believers, when an ungodly person brings to you a piece of news, carefully ascertain its truth, lest you should hurt a people unwittingly and thereafter repent at what you did.”
On this critical occasion when on account of believing in a baseless report a grave blunder was about to be committed, Allah gave the Muslims this guiding principle to be followed on receipt of news: Whenever you receive important news bearing upon a vital matter, you should not accept it immediately but should first examine the man who has brought it. If he is an evil man whose report is not authentic normally, you should inquire into it carefully to ascertain the truth instead of accepting it and acting on it immediately. From this divine command, an important legal principle is deduced, the sphere of application of which is very vast.
Similarly, in the same Surah Verse 11, Allah says, “O ye who believe! Let not some men among you laugh at others: It may be that the (latter) are better than the (former): Nor let some women laugh at others: It may be that the (latter is better than the (former): Nor defame nor be sarcastic to each other, nor call each other by (offensive) nicknames: Ill-seeming is a name connoting wickedness, (to be used of one) after he has believed: And those who do not desist are (indeed) doing wrong.”
In the preceding two verses after giving necessary instructions about the Muslim people’s mutual fighting, the believers were made to realize that by the most sacred relationship of the faith they were brothers to one another, and they should fear God and try to keep their mutual relations right. Now, in the following two verses, they are being enjoined to avoid and shun those major evils which generally spoil the mutual relationships of the people in a society. Slandering and taunting the people harbouring suspicions and spying on others is, in fact, the evils that cause mutual enmities and then lead to grave mischief.
So, a Muslim or believer is always asked to behave properly with others always above cast creed color or other such things and not ridicule each other the surah Hujuraat has clearly ordered us not to ridicule anyone but has guided us to remain steadfast and thankful always. We must investigate every news or other such matter before circulating. It is a request that all the journalists or social media users who are directly or indirectly involved in active journalism investigate all the matters first thoroughly and then circulate or broadcast them. May Almighty Allah guide us to the right path.
The writer can be reached at [email protected]

Er Ishfaq Khaliq