Control debatable as media benefit as well as pose threat to society
There is no doubt that the media pose a threat to society. They always play up sex and violence and even 'cook up' stories to boost their sales.
But on the other hand, through the media, we can know more about the important events around the world. Whether the media should be supervised is a debatable question.
As far as I can see, the media may express their grievances by taking to the streets if we set up an organisation to monitor them.
Moreover, the freedom of the press under the rule of law is not just an empty slogan in Hong Kong. It is a policy. As a result, preserving the freedom of the press is of vital importance.
Some may argue that if we do not control the media, they may keep on writing more bad reports. No government has the right to say what should be written and what should not.
Keen competition among the media makes them make up stories to boost sales, especially during the economic downturn.
Not only that, why do so many people read the newspaper every day?
The reason is that the newspaper not only helps us improve our reading speed, but also makes us become conscious of the evils in society.
Several newspapers and magazines exaggerate incidents. For example, local stars like Leon Lai Ming constantly appear in the media. The media often follow such idols around in their daily lives looking for a story.
On-ting is a student at St Margaret's Girls' College (Kowloon)
