Changes in Urdu journalism suggested
KARACHI – As 90 per cent population of the country read Urdu newspapers, they should be considered a vital force for maintaining solidarity, unity and integration among various sections of society. Speakers on the first day (May 24) of a national conference on Urdu journalism proposed many suggestions for bringing about qualitative changes in Urdu newspapers, keeping in view their pervasive and influential status in society.
The Department of Mass Communication, University of Karachi, organized a three-day national conference on Urdu Journalism-Problems and Prospects at Sheikh Zayed Islamic Centre.
Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali was scheduled to inaugurate the moot but he did not come due to his last-minute departure for a visit to Saudi Arabia.
Speakers stressed for printing of adequate number of informative, investigative and analytical news reports instead of relying on the statements of public figures.
In his presidential remarks, KU Vice-chancellor Prof Dr. Pirzada Qasim said the departments of mass communication in public sector universities are fully capable of identifying genuine issues concerning the national press. He provided certain statistics to highlight challenges lying ahead for the practitioners of print journalism in Pakistan.
He said Urdu newspapers are playing a key role in initiating and carrying out debates and discussions on important national issues. Managing Director, Orient Advertising, SH Hashmi said Urdu newspapers will flourish to full bloom in the wake of complete adoption of the national language. He said the circulation of Urdu newspapers is very too little due to low literacy.
Sindh Chief Minister’s Adviser on Information Salahuddin Haider said efforts should be made by the quarters concerned for raising the standard of Urdu newspapers. He said the abundance of news items based on statements in Urdu newspapers is a major indicator of the declining standard of the national-language press.
He suggested that newsmen should be sent on reporting assignments to neighbouring countries to write analytical and investigative reports on major political issues.
Chairman, Mass Communication Department, Prof Dr. Tahir Masood said Urdu newspapers are faced with serious challenges concerning their contents as they devoid of thought-provoking and analytical articles.
Resident editor of a daily said journalism was being widely practiced in Lahore before partition and those newspapers were mostly mission and ideology-driven. He said the newspapers from Karachi after the creation of Pakistan were more commercial in their approach.
Another journalist said after the Middle Eastern countries, UK, US and Canada are emerging as major centres of Urdu newspapers.
Source: The News
Date:5/25/2004
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