The Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) has planned to set up a “Media Foundation” in collaboration with the media to work for improvement in education and training in Mass Communication so that a behavioral change is brought about in the society to resist negative impact of embedded journalists and vested interests. This was stated by Prof Dr Nazir Ahmed Sangi, the vice-chancellor of the university, in his address while presiding over the function “Speaker at the Campus” on Tuesday.
Herald Publication Karachi Associate Editor Idrees Bakhtiar delivered his lecture on “The Role of Media in Pakistani Society”, which was organised by the AIOU Department of Mass Communication. In his lecture, Idrees Bakhtiar said there were a number of news channels that had maximum coverage throughout the country. He said media contributed a lot to develop public knowledge but even after years of success, media could not alter public’s attitude towards issues.
He said it contributed to multiply words over issues and crises instead of exposing true root causes and facts of the issues. “Our media coverage of political issues is heavily episodic instead of thematic.” “ There are a number of political talk shows and debates on all news channels of Pakistan, but the issues discussed in those programs has no ending and determining words that could help people to understand that whether there is any solution to these issues or not? Even the views of politicians from different political parties give no hope of the solution of issues.”
