Bright Minds

In history, Western leaders like Napoleon saw the East (or Orient) through books and ideas shaped by "Orientalism." Orientalism is a way of thinking about the East that often simplifies and misrepresents it. People like Napoleon and others who followed this tradition believed what these books said about the Orient and used them to guide their actions without actually knowing or understanding the people of the region. Books vs. Real Life: When people only rely on books or written information, they miss the complexity of real life. A book might say that all lions are fierce, and if someone encounters one fierce lion, they’ll believe that all lions are exactly like that. If the book also says how to handle a fierce lion and this advice works, people will trust that author even more and might even rely on them for more "knowledge" about lions. Over time, more books will repeat this idea of fierce lions, creating a belief that doesn’t leave room for other views. This hap

  Today, many people with microphones and cameras act like they are real Journalists, even though they don’t have any educational background in the media. For example, when someone is accused of a crime, they are not guilty until the court decides. But some reporters, like Yousaf Jan Utmanzai, talk about these people as if they are already guilty. This hurts the person’s reputation deeply. If that person is later found innocent, the damage is already done, and cannot be recovered. This style of reporting is unethical and harmful not only to Journalism's credibility but to that victim as well, who has to face the harsh judgement of the society later on. Another big problem with these “mic reporters” is that they mostly portray negative stories about Pukhtuns, which gives viewers the wrong idea about the community. They highlight rare incidents or problems and make it look like they are common. This makes others believe these stereotypes about Pukhtuns. These reporters often say that

There are many ways women are shown in the media, but often in a patriarchal system, women are looked down on by men. In this post, I want to talk about how women are shown in visual media, like TV and movies. As a media student, I will use the "Male Gaze Theory." This idea was introduced by feminist film expert Laura Mulvey. It says that women are shown mostly to please men’s eyes—they are objectified and sexualized, instead of being shown as full and complex people. This type of portrayal supports patriarchal ideas, where men play active and important roles in stories, while women are passive and exist mainly to be watched by men. In other words, women are put there for men’s benefit.h The Male Gaze theory explains how media strengthens gender roles by giving men the power of looking, while women are just there to be looked at. This continues the unfair treatment of women in visual culture. The theory also shows how women in media don’t have control over their own stories a