- Mass communication curriculum to be revised for effective disaster reporting and analysis
The two-day academic conference on Disaster Reporting and Mass Communication Curriculum organised by Society for Alternative Media and Research (SAMAR) with the collaboration of Oxfam-Novib commenced on Friday.
The conference is being chaired by National Curriculum Revision Committee for Mass Communication Chairman Professor Mughees-ud-Din Sheikh, Higher Education Commission (HEC), National Curriculum Revision Committee for Mass Communication Secretary Dr Mohammad Ashraf Khan, Federal Urdu University, Karachi Faculty of Arts Dean Dr Seemi Naghmana and distinguished faculty members from sixteen universities nationwide. Other participants include representatives of Donor agencies, members of civil society organisations and media persons.
SAMAR Executive Director Mazhar Arif in his welcome address expressed gratitude to the participants and gave an account of the background and objectives of the conference.
He said that the main objective of this conference is to cater to the needs of those affected by recent floods in the country and to educate people and promote a safety culture by incorporating such knowledge in the mass communication curriculum and through academic activities and other various innovative measures.
Mazhar added that this may strengthen the role of faculty in producing a community of young professionals for the media sector for reporting and preparing analysis on impact of disasters on life and society in the economic, social and cultural context throughout all stages of the disaster.
He also suggested to develop a draft of recommendations for improvement of Mass Communication Curriculum by inclusion of Disaster reporting related themes and substance in the course and to streamline Disaster Risk Reduction DRR in the journalistic practice and education by designing a consultative and comprehensive framework.
Professor Mughees-ud-Din in his address appreciated the initiative taken by SAMAR and called it a rare endeavor and seconded the perspective shared by Mazhar Arif , expressing that there exists a dire need to revisit the curriculum and to streamline disaster reporting with addition of a comprehensive curriculum in the course of Mass communication and Media studies nationwide. He also appreciated members of academia for their participation and concern towards the cause.
Centre for Civic Education Director Zafar Ullah Khan explained the task and importance of disaster reporting in its historic perspective and also highlighted the socio-economic and political impacts and implications of disasters and disaster reporting.
Moreover, documentaries produced by students of Mass Communication and Working journalists and main findings of related investigative research conducted by the students of different universities were also shown at the conference, followed by the formation of three working groups for discussion on draft of recommendations for a comprehensive curriculum for further consultation. These groups will present their recommendations in tomorrow’s session.
The two-day conference will be concluded on August 31 after the presentation of proposed course of disaster reporting developed by Dr Mohammad Ashraf Khan and the working groups.
The overall participants of the conference include University of Sindh Faculty of Commerce and Business Dean Dr Noor Muhammad Jamali, Federal Urdu University, Karachi Department of Mass Communication Chairman Dr Tauseef Ahmed Khan, University of Sindh Department of Media and Communication Chairperson Dr Chang Rizwana, University of Karachi Department of Mass Communication Chairman Dr Tahir Masood, University of Peshawar Department of Mass Communication Lecturer Ali Imran Bangash, University of Balochistan, Quetta Department of Media and Journalism Assistant Professor Dr Baram Ghouri, University of Balochistan Department of Media and Journalism Lecturer Babrak Niaz, Gomal University, D.I. Khan Department of Mass Communication Chairman Dr Mohammad Wasim Akber, Islamia University of Bahawalpur Department of Media Studies Chairman Dr Ghulam Shabbir, University of Gujrat Centre for Media and Communication Studies Chairman Dr Farish Ullah Yousafzai, Federal Urdu University, Karachi Department of Mass Communication Irfan Aziz, Director Colleges Professor Shamim Arif Qureshi, Superior Science College, Multan Professor Akram Mirani, FJWU, Rawalpindi Communication and Media Studies Chairperson Dr Shamim Mahmood Zaidi and FJWU Communication and Media Studies Lecturer Mohammad Ali.
