Speakers at a workshop stressed upon the need of the capacity building of the media persons working in the disaster hit areas on Monday, saying that it was the media’s job to highlight the miseries of the calamity-hit people amid natural calamities.
They were speaking at a one-day training workshop entitled “Responsive Reporting during Emergencies” organised by the National Press Club and National Disaster management Authority (NDMA) here at National Press Club.
The workshop was attended by the journalists, intellectuals and NDMA chairman Zafar Iqbal while the Information Minister Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan was the chief guest on the occasion.
Firdous said that there was a great need to create awareness among the media people as to how their reports could be crucial for any relief work during natural calamities.
She said often the media had reported allegations that the government was not providing relief goods to affected people that could discourage relief activities those areas.
The minister added that during her visit to the flood-affected areas, she observed that many journalists had also fallen prey to destruction and their assistance was delayed simply because the lack of proper coverage.
She, however, was of the view that the government needed assistance from donors, the media and NGO’s to overcome the challenges being faced by the country.
Firdous said her ministry would assist the office-bearers of country’s all press clubs to hold different workshops for the capacity-building of the journalists working on district levels. “We have also established Media Coordination Cell, which provides its reports to the media and NDMA in order to inform them about the real situation in the disaster-hit areas and relief activities being under way there,” she added.
NDMA Chairman Zafar Iqbal said his department was also facing the same concerns, which the public had faced. “We have to think for many times before moving forward and my department is extending its all out support to the people affected by the recent floods caused by the monsoon rains,” he said.
The media, he said, can play a very important role during such situations while admitting that there were some institutional gaps which also created hurdles in the relief activities.
The NPC office bearers also urged the media persons to report responsibly, while working in the calamity-hit areas.