World Television Day was first commemorated on November 21, 1996 by the United Nations (UN). The establishment of this commemoration was carried out to increase public awareness of conflicts or issues that occur in a country and to increase international cooperation. Until now, television continues to develop and is still a very influential communication tool among the people.
Ersa Nabila, a class of 2022 Communication Science student, voiced her opinion on the relevance of television in this era. Ersa thinks that television is still relevant even if the target audience is starting to become more limited. It means that today, the people who still watch television usually come from specific groups like parents, the elderly, housewives, and those who aren’t familiar with social media. She feels that the younger generation like her have started using social media as their main source of information because the contents on social media are, more or less, the same as the ones on television. She also added that the knowledge she got from the Critical Media Study class is very important when watching television. By understanding this concept, we can analyse and evaluate the contents on television in a more critical way. This helps us in identifying bias, propaganda, and the real reason behind the programs shown. Besides that, Critical Media Study also teaches us to not only accept the information given to us blindly, but also to question the source and its impact on society. That way we can be wiser and more aware of the influence of the media in our daily lives.
Jesselyn Manuela, a class of 2023 Communication Science student, also gave similar comments on the topic. She thinks that television is still relevant but not just for people from specific groups. Television is still being developed until this day and it also follows the latest trends so audiences from various demographics can still enjoy it. She also said that the knowledge she got from the Media Literacy class is very important for consuming information from television. If we don’t have media literacy, we wouldn’t be able to filter the information we get from television. This is bad because not all the information on television is true, accurate, or factual.
Television not only acts as an entertainment medium, but can also be used as a medium of education and information for the people. However, not all information on television can be taken for granted. Misinformation or harmful content can appear on television channels which then can have many negative impacts on society. So, to commemorate World Television Day, let’s be wiser and more critical when consuming the information on television or other media. Happy World Television Day! (Ed)