 and sisters in Islam, here we are live and you know what it is and you know what time it is right now. It's 10.30 PM Karbala time. That means it's time for hashtag LNT live from the holy city of Karbala. Now I know that this show you guys never get tired of it so that's why you're joining us again for episode 14 of the second season of hashtag LNT. Now tonight we're talking about I mean how do I explain it we're talking about how you're watching me right now that's as basic as I can put it and I mean but we'll go jump into a trendy and come back to you guys in a few moments. Once again welcome everyone who's joining us tonight. Now India, India's top court has ruled out adultery from its crime list striking down 158 year old colonial era law which said that women treated women as male property. Now previously any man who had sex with a married woman without the permission of her husband was committing a crime. Now a petitioner had challenged the law saying that it was arbitrary and discriminated against women men and women alike. Now it's clear that how many women it's not clear enough how many men have actually been persecuted so far for this crime adultery before this bill was filed or ruled as there's no data for that but this comes as the second colonial era law that has been ruled out by India's higher court you know just in the same month. This same month it also out turned 157 year old law which effectively criminalized gay marriage in India so we see two laws in one month which are over a century old being taken down. What's going on that's what the world is talking about and that's what trending is all about so let's go jump into tonight's topic. I just have one question for you guys before we jump into tonight's topic what are you watching me through right now if I was to break it down to you or break it down for you you're watching hashtag LNT through a television channel called Imam Hossein TV3 now that's the least we can say about it. Now TV channels in general are a medium to convey a certain message to audience basically viewers aka you guys now another medium for another medium that would also convey a message are newsletters for example we have the independent where most of you guys read it skim through it just to get information of what's happening around the world. Now this is just a small part of the world of media another huge example that we use on hourly basis or sometimes some of us aka Al-Jasim use it on a minute basis in social media. Now we all love sitting on a couch or laying down in bed with our smartphones whether iPhones or Samsung's I don't want to get into the rivalry because iPhones are too expensive now so I might jump to Samsung who knows but you know just your smartphone you know texting your boys and girls texting their sisters of course you know what we you can text a sister but she has to be you know mahram to you or we don't want to get into that as well. Now the world nowadays greatly depends on interacting or communicating with friends and family from abroad especially now nowadays the world has expanded people have traveled abroad they have lived abroad they're not living in their home country home countries anymore so this medium so to speak has brought people together such as friends and family. Now tonight on hashtag LNT as we're using a pretty good medium which exists in every home we're trying to ask that every home the question of episode 14 what are the pros and cons of media and that's your question for tonight so get your phones ready just like how I'm getting it ready and dial that phone number right there quick before it goes off the show and if you don't cast the last two numbers or three numbers you can get them right after the break but it's plus nine six four seven seven four zero six seven eighteen thirty six and that's I got my phone ready I just put it on silent just in case I didn't get a text message but just like how I got a text message you can show the text message to that number right there I'll give us a phone call live free on WhatsApp which is Alhamdulillah and you can send the voice note as well let's go jump into a quick break and come back to you guys in a few moments welcome back dear viewers hope everyone is somewhat enjoying the night however tonight is the seventh night after Muharram Sabah al Imam it's a tradition that seven days after people continue to mourn Imam al-Hussain as we were having a few processions going by the channel Alhamdulillah before the show not during now we are live on Facebook so you can go comment yeah Hussain and say Salam yeah I'm just kidding go actually answer the question which is what are the pros and cons of media Salami al-Hussain and the bake yeah Hussain and please send my Salams to Hussain that's all for my brother Mustafa al-Khateeb aka Mustafa Zurghanian who is hosting welcome to Karbala so those comments are for that show so leave those for that show and do answer the question for tonight what are the pros and cons of media very simple question cons you can just name them off your head as our pros you can name them off your head but let's see how many people actually think of the cons let's see that but as I mentioned question what are the pros and cons of media the number to call in is right at the bottom you can call us via WhatsApp toll free plus nine six four seven seven four zero six seven eighteen thirty six right at the bottom of the screen right at below the question now as we were mentioning before that break and as we mentioned before I gave a long reduction on how to call the show mass media today are mostly divided into two main parts now number one first there's the print media where you have your books journals magazines and newspapers and then you have the second part which comes to electronics or audio visuals just like the internet just like social media radio and television and of course the internet now in recent years the mass media has been thriving growing in four main parts or four main ways so to speak the increase in number of TV channels radio stations and print titles and the intake of social content now this has drastically increased over the past few decades now as well as we all know that each masked me each mass media has own policy and its own goals to reach the largest number of viewers and audience and of course subscribers now a brief history of social media up until juanis Gutenberg in the 15th century where he invented the movable type printing press the first newsletter there's a guy right there you know books and write handwritings which both copies you know they're the same practically almost the same but the printing press ever since that made the mass production print of media very possible everyone was looking at it as like wow this is something new you know I'm getting it delivered to my door or not there yet we're not there yet but you know as printing we go pick it off instead of you know someone telling you a story or something and you have to write it down so it's it's a book handwritten or printed and it gives out to you now then gradually the new transportation methods got in where the book or newsletter now the newsletters were introduced now they're sent to your home based on the address you provide now moving along to the big part that we all use social media sometimes are watching us you know people watching us right now Facebook and you know sometimes following us on Instagram which you both you have to do so go do that during the show just pause it go do that come back but tonight we're trying to talk about the different forms of media but we'll do that but if we can just take a few a few moments as a break and we can come back to you very very very short inshallah to continue talking about social media and media in general if you got that name imprinted on your head you know I just took that break just to get it you know a sip of water so it was good three loops of hashtag in tea break but as I mentioned tonight we're trying to talk about the importance and the pros and cons of media now according to a few research done 76% of American adults online use social media sites just like Facebook Instagram Twitter LinkedIn and Pinterest as of July 2015 which is you know I went up from 26 in 2008 now nowadays most people get their news updates and what's going on around the world from Facebook Twitter and Instagram it's it's much easier for a lot of people it's not just for you know snapping selfies and posting it you know the old selfies that people even now they still take in the bathroom with the stall behind them I still don't get the idea of you guys doing that so I I think I should stop that you know because because I think we're over you know high school days yes you can probably take that picture and get away with it because maybe stalls were the thing back then I don't know but it's not just for snapping selfies and putting it on or you know praying to God that you get you know so many likes and so many comments on your post it's much more than that social media has changed people's lives in so many ways as we'll get to talk about that inshallah later on the episode but before we do that let's take this text message so Jabbar from the USA he says a pro keeps everyone updated with what is happening in the world a con it can help spread false news quickly and absolutely thank you very much Jabbar from the United States of America Jabbar I had a friend named Jabbar he was in Texas so maybe that's him shout out to him if he's watching the show now as we were saying a few research that was done saying that 76% of ad American adults use social media websites such as Facebook Twitter Instagram so on and so forth however a lot of people sometimes tend to misuse it which we'll get to talk about the as well now we can say that there are hundreds hundreds maybe tens of thousands of TV channels radio stations out in the world right now you know from TV channels and radio stations to newspapers magazines journals all of them having one motive printing all kinds you know or targeting all kinds of readers and of course the immeasurable platform or range that the internet provides yes maybe the newspapers delivered to you on a daily basis except maybe Saturday and Sunday maybe what it is seven days a week but at the same time you might not read or the news in there might not catch your attention because newspapers are so huge last time I read newspaper was back in like 2013 or 2014 now it's open a Facebook and you can get that newspaper just follow them on Facebook and you'll see the news coming up so you don't have to spend that much money you don't have to waste paper and you know at the same time you're getting what's good in the world you're knowing everything that's happening in the world now all told we have more ways to reach people out in the world then we had you know a few decades or a few centuries ago you know back then people used to send letters you know thousands of miles or even just ten miles away they would have to send a letter to someone write it down and then take like a day to get there day back and then wait for that person to reply which is another day and as if they reply right away but if they reply with like an LOL or a K then I don't know how they replied with like those kind of words or terms but you are subhan Allah as we just got it right now subhan Allah someone around the world texted us and we just got it in a few seconds who is it from Zidjvi Zidj Zidjavi from Tanzania he says we all use media on a daily basis and I think the pros outweigh the cons yes maybe as we'll get to find out in a few moments inshallah but thank you Zidj Zidjavi from I think it's not like a Russian Russian name maybe like a never mind but Zidjavi thank you very much from Tanzania for joining us tonight now I want to take a few moments to check out the pros and cons as the brother from Tanzania message I hope it's a brother sorry if it's a sister but for joining us tonight now one pro will be able to pose one pro that is affiliated to social media or media in general is that before mass media as I mentioned people used to take a lot of effort to write the message down on on you know like skins and then roll that up with a stamp and then send it somewhere and it takes forever for them to reply or you know just the distance distances sometimes if something happens on the other side of the world you won't know about it but now because social media is so available everywhere every country has social media now especially internet you need internet for social media but it keeps everyone connected everyone knows you know for example when the the law that out ruled adultery or that you that removed adults from being a crime reach CNN and Fox News and everywhere just in a few moments as that rule was was billed as you can see right there it brings everyone across the world whether you're living in Africa North America South America wherever wherever it brings everyone together as we saw in the World Cup everyone was watching and supporting their own team another pro of media is business expansion you can expand your business you know now imagine you starting up your business but absolutely no advertisement absolutely no flyers going out you're not telling anyone what you have in the store so you're probably the only one you're the only consumer of the products you sell you probably take you know this grocery shopping you know a cart and you just pile up stuff take it home however on media now you can post ads you can post so many things on there that a lot of people might be attracted to so what happens then is that your business starts to expand and that's one of the pros of media and social media another one is that it spreads education and culture and this is very important one of the main objectives of IH TV 3 is spreading education and culture it shows you know we're not limiting it just because I work for the channel but what I'm trying to say is that TV channels in general if you were to go to you know Abu Dhabi Discovery Channel you know probably see their ads on you know the culture in Africa what's found in Africa what people know about Africa and different countries as well people living in the West don't really know what's happening in the East don't know the cultures you can basically go write something quickly on the Internet what are the cultures of Iraqi or what are the cultures present in Iraq and you can find a hundred thousands of websites that give you the cultures in Iraq you ask about who is Hussein who is Hussein what are the Hussein the cultures so to speak you can just type that into Google and it comes out to you so in a way social media and media put together they're a way to spread education and culture and nowadays if you if you're stuck in in mathematics and calculus or functions you can probably go on or you know biology or whatever I remember in university I used to do that every time I'm stuck on something I don't go to the tutor or the professor I just go online write the the question that I have and the solution comes up so education is at your fingertips another one is that it gives a voice to the voiceless and that's one of the most beautiful parts I love about social media and media a lot of people are on the world right now don't have a voice a lot of people view others and look at how successful they become and look how rich and wealthy they've become based on you know maybe poverty or something else a lot of people right now don't have voices they're poor they can't you know bring out their voice they live in a remote village somewhere out of the city you know the probably the most advanced thing is they have a small cell phone and that's it where they can call however when media came in the tribes in Africa and and safari they were explored the tribes in Iraq they were explored the tribes everywhere cultures everywhere were explored if there was a poor village a reporter would go there do some interviews bring it in back to the back to the agency and they would write something about it to get help for those individuals how do you think that the Arab Spring came about yes it started from you know maybe hundreds of people who began to you know to protest against the government but the same time if it wasn't for the media to boost whatever was happening in Egypt or Libya or Syria or wherever it boosted up so much that a lot of people started supporting the cause of those who wanted freedom and justice for their country but I believe we should take a break very quick break and come back to you guys in a few moments to continue talking about the pros of social media you don't think I was trying to get another quick water break as I was actually was but thanks to social media I was able to tell the guys to bring me some water because you know technology is a type of some sort of media but anyways now we got over the pros of media and social media and we ended it off with giving voice to the voiceless another one if we were to move on we would move on to the cons there are a lot of pros but we just a quick summary one of the pros or the first sorry one of the cons or first con of media is that empower the already powerful what do I mean by that right now a lot of agencies a lot of channels and everyone knows this especially in the Arab world and in the West as well the people in power tend to have influence and heavy influence on TV channels in Iraq majority if not 99 percent of the channels are run by politicians each politician has his own channel where he brought you know sends propaganda you know in favor of his channel same in the world right now whatever we see on channel as news has another story to it why because that story is biased to that channel or bias to that group that supports this channel so you have to always look at it from different angles even the news nowadays people have you know the analysts going through and analyzing each news that comes out to see the different ways that the story is put forth whether it's right whether it's wrong sending people to check out if this information is right or wrong another con of media is that it can be used for discrimination now what's happening it's unfortunate what's happening in Syria what's happening in Yemen is a form of discrimination the news isn't really showing the world what's actually going on in Yemen and who are the ones being killed in Yemen the ones being killed in Yemen are children Saudi Arabia is only targeting hospitals schools and villages where children are in just like what we saw a few a few weeks ago with the school bus so the media is showing that you know what some rebels are in this city and then you the city got bombed and so on and so forth there always has to be another story to that and that's what social media what media is somehow right now it's unfortunate to see it is sending discriminative propaganda where others you know they might understand the wrong story about someone just like how Islamophobia right now a lot of people are are Islamophobic why because media and YouTube videos and YouTube channels and people going out speaking against Islam not knowing what Islam has to offer are putting up these videos and putting up these statements and people as a result of that people now are Islamophobic at the end of the day is discrimination another one the other con of media or social media is it's harmful if overused now those people who spend you know their their their whole life watching TV playing games on social media you know as I mentioned earlier sleeping on the bed you know being a couch potato not going outside you know actually achieving something spending time on social media can can be dangerous you know and it can why because not have not everything on there should be read it should be viewed that's why there's there's the disclaimers there's the warnings out there that's telling you this is not this content may not be right for you you know that's why YouTube has age restrictions why because if a lot of people use social media and use the media overuse of it can cause irritation to the eye sometimes diseases to the eye and sometimes even worse things that we don't want to get into that but let's get this text message Zahra from the UK says there are pros and cons for media it just depends on how we use it thank you very much Zahra from the UK for letting us know that yes it does depend on how you use it now and we'll tell you right now what the correct way of using it right now one beautiful way and I mentioned it in the last episode of season one if you guys want to go check it out you can go view all the episodes of hashtag LNT as they are uploaded to YouTube inshallah you can just type hashtag LNT and the episodes will come out now one beautiful way where you can take advantage of social media and media in general through TV channels through radio stations through newspapers through social media websites through everything you know everything documentary films the way to take advantage of those is disseminating the right knowledge you know for every story you know there's another side to it but there's one story that everyone needs to focus on and that's the story of al-bayt the biographies the information the knowledge of al-bayt that needs to be disseminated a lot of people are sitting and watching us right now thinking that you know what why are they focusing on you know always mentioned disseminate knowledge of al-bayt disseminate knowledge of al-bayt right now the world needs to understand who the ahl al-bayt are because she right now are not only in the middle east they're everywhere sometimes people discriminate against them not knowing who they actually are who they follow what teachings are in their books and Muslims in general not just Muslims in general so the best way is to disseminate the Islamic knowledge derived from the al-bayt piece of blessings be upon them so one of the best ways is to always remember al-bayt in a post you know you can share you can do whatever but at the same time use these platforms that are provided to you at your fingertips everyone has a smartphone now your fingertips spread something about Imam al-Hussain one quote a day one lesson that you've learned from Imam al-Hussain once a day once every three four days once every month or week do it for the sake of Imam al-Hussain because trust me everyone gains from the post you post thank you very much for joining us do stay tuned for the upcoming episodes wassalaamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakat