By practicing the four principles of Brahmavihara: metta (loving-kindness),
karuna (compassion), mutita (sympathic joy), and ubekka (equanimity), one should
also be able to communicate with others fruitfully and successfully. This means one
should let go of egoism, racism, ethnocentrism, institutionalism, regionalism,
nationalism, etc. to see others as friends who have to face all sorts of sufferings as
well as one does. One should cultivate the mind to have empathy. One should be
able to congratulate others on their success. And one should have a steady and
neutral mind, not beingfluctuated by envy, ill will, anger, or delusion.
A practice of being selfless by walking or sitting meditation helps us get rid of
our ego, so that we are aware that all of us are interrelated. Speaking and treating
others with kindness and practice being selfless is important to socially engage with
others.
7.6 Mindful Journalism....................................
In order to distinguish professional journalists from citizen journalists in a glob-
alized world, the professional journalists should empower and mobilize the socials
as change agents. Not only must professional journalists be multi-skilled or
well-rounded, but they must also be able to think critically. As journalism was
invented in the Western world, Western ethics and epistemologies influence the
codes of conduct and practices of journalists. Practicing journalism as an occupa-
tion of constructing the reality has encountered a number of discourses such as
empiricism versus interpretivism; objectivity versus subjectivity; relativism versus
idealism; and interventionism versus non-involvement (worldofjournalism.org).
As the world is mediatized, demands for revisiting the functions those journalists
perform to mediate the reality, the media, and the audiences have been subjects for
discussion. Those functions are the populist disseminator, the detached watchdog,
the critical change agent, and the opportunist facilitator (Hanitzsch 2011 : 477). New
demands for new genres of journalism are more pronounced such as public jour-
nalists, media affiliated political commentators, and journalists on religion. As the
audience is no longer considered a passive one, they have more chances to par-
ticipate in the interactive Internet world. Traditional functions’journalists perform
such as to inform, to be a watch dog, to entertain, to form the public opinion, and to
educate may not be enough. It is expected that journalists in the postmodernity
should serve the public; addressfluxes of challenges posted by new economic,
technological, cultural, and social realities; and be innovative, self-reflexive, and
agile in social negotiation of information and knowledge (Servaes 2009 : 371–374).
Knowing that dukkha is caused by clinging or attachment to the self or ego
(uppadana), tanha (craving), kilesa (defilements), or avijja (ignorance) would help
journalists to report news and features that cause less suffering to the audience. How
applying anatta or no-self framework in reporting the news will be elaborated. How
objectivity can be addressed from the doctrine of anatta and Paticca Samuppada
will also be addressed.
7.5 Mindful Communication 111