SALMAN ASHRAF
Right to access to information and freedom of expression is a precondition for a nuanced, inclusive and transparent public debate and for the exercise of basic human rights.
This was said by Ambassador of Denmark HE Ole Thonke, while speaking at a journalism excellence award ceremony organized here on Tuesday by the International Media Support (IMS) in collaboration with Individual Land Pakistan (IL). In democratic societies, media played a vital role, as it provided excess to information and canalize opinion as well as act as watchdog, he further said.
“Why do we support media in Pakistan, we do it as promotion of freedom, democracy and respect to human rights are key priorities for foreign policy not only in Pakistan but throughout the world”, he said, adding that we firmly believe that freedom of expression is important for every democratic society.
Ambassador Thonke congratulated the winners and said that Denmark’s support to freedom of expression and a free and diverse media was intended to contribute to the development of a platform for democratic debate, to reduce poverty, and to promote peace and security in Pakistan. “By putting regional or district level information on the national agenda, we support a crucial process needed to support the overall national development in Pakistan”, said Ambassador Thonke.
The ambassador awarded the eleven (11) winners from both print and electronic media from different parts of the four regions for their outstanding journalism and reporting skills and for highlighting regional issues pertinent to national development.
Ms. Rubina Rasheed of CPNE, who attended the Journalism Excellence Award ceremony, said that promoting regional media and news stories for the greater development of media and development was a great initiative as it also augmented the reporting skills of journalists in Pakistan. “Journalists need to be continuously engaged through such interventions to ensure their capacity is being built and that information becomes more accessible”, said Ms Rasheed.
The ceremony was held under IL’s Small Grants Programme with the aim to recognize the best news stories from various regions showcasing critical analysis and information on important issues from their local areas. To apply for the media grant, journalists were asked to submit proposals on issues of interest, which were reviewed by a grants committee consisting of senior journalists and media experts.
IL’s Executive Director Ms Gulmina Bilal congratulated the winners of the Excellence Award by reiterating that “despite the lack of facilities in many of the far flung areas, the journalists showed great enthusiasm and worked very hard on developing important stories for the national mainstream audience”. The winners of the Excellence Award lauded the efforts of Individual Land Pakistan and demanded that such events should also be held in the future.
