Call to allow progressive thinking in media
By: Sumaira Jajja
KARACHI: Media reflects the powers at play within society and at the moment, there is dire need for progressive thinking in the Pakistani media, whether alternative or mainstream media, said columnist Farooq Sulehria at an introspective session on the media and society on Wednesday.
The programme, Myth of independent media: an alternative viewpoint, was held at the PMA House.
With journalist Babar Ayaz and artist Durriya Qazi sharing their thoughts and perspectives on progressive thinking and its lack in Pakistani society, the over two-hour-long session highlighted where we stand and dispelled the notion of ‘free media’.
To his credit, Mr Sulehria has brought out his own version of ‘Viewpoint’, as the one that Mazhar Ali Khan used to edit was quite different.
Viewpoint was a prominent weekly of the ’70s and ’80s.
“The lies that PTV used to dispense were outsourced to private channels,” Mr Sulehria said while informing the audience that it was WTO that led to the monopoly of state TV channels and not a general as was widely believed.
He made some claims on how the media is more concerned with the advertisers than its readership base when he said, “The media in Pakistan or anywhere in the world is not independent. Rather it follows the dictation of the advertisers and corporate concerns. The advertisers are there to sell their products, be it mobile phone connections or tetra pack milk, and never the truth.”
He was of the opinion that to say that the media was independent and the media moguls self made was “a very wrong assumption. They use the amenities and utilities, infrastructure, supplied by the state and paid for by taxpayers. Also, TV channels and newspapers are dependent on the state for ads,” he alleged, adding that it’s a mutually beneficial relationship.
On the power of media, he pulled down the ‘Facebook’ revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt and said, “I went to Tunisia after the revolution and spoke with people there. Whenever I mentioned Facebook was responsible for the revolution, people laughed at me and said that revolution began in areas where there was no connectivity. So much for us believing in the myth that the west gave us a tool called a Facebook and that led to freedom”.
Talking about the initial days of Viewpoint when it was published from Lahore, journalist Babar Ayaz said, “Viewpoint provided a platform to the left wing which wasn’t there in the mainstream media, be it the Urdu or English press. Now, the Urdu press is full of right wingers and ultra nationalists. Same goes for the electronic media. In the name of nationalism, we end up supporting the Taliban.”
Stressing the need to have more critical and progressive thinking for the benefit of the country, he said, “We need more progressive voices in the press, particularly the Urdu section as the masses can comprehend it easily. Now, at this stage, Viewpoint might be able to revive progressive thinking.”
However, the most interesting speaker was Ms Qazi. Heading the visual studies department at the University of Karachi, she comes across students from all sections of society. “Youth is the most neglected segment of the society in Pakistan,” she said while elaborating on how there were no role models for the youth to follow.
“Are we encouraging and equipping out youth for the future?” she questioned.
“Our syllabus is irrelevant to our lives and doesn’t help the youngsters. We need to rethink out education system and allow for individual thought process.”
Her presentation contained images of works produced by the students of her department.
More like social commentary and less artwork (which itself has a niche market), be it the pop up guide to survival in Karachi to the mental agony caused by frequent bomb blasts and the tags and labels of ‘Nazimabadi’ and ‘burgers’, the works depicted the political maturity and social understanding of the students.
Source: Dawn
Date:7/28/2011
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