Media motivated youngsters to vote: study
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani media played the most imperative role in motivating the young generation to vote for the new democratic government in elections on May 11, says a research conducted by students of Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology (SZABIST) Islamabad Campus.
The research which covered interviews of youth supporting different political parties revealed that it was the electronic and print media which made them aware of their responsibility as a citizen to vote and elect genuine, honest and competent leaders.
Students said that the political awakening comes through information and knowledge which helps the voter to distinguish between the good and bad leaders. The sample survey covering more than 250 students of various disciplines revealed that 99% of them did cast their votes. On the contrary a similar survey conducted by SZABIST following the general elections 2013 had concluded that only 25% youngsters cast their votes.
While the remaining 75% said that they neither had enough knowledge about the election process nor were they interested to exercise their democratic right of voting. The results of the 2013 election survey were shared with prominent journalists including Imtiaz Gul, Matiuallah Jan, and Raza Rumi. It was followed by orientation session held by the three media representatives for the students of Media and Communication Studies to guide them through the techniques and skills of election reporting.
The trainers said election reporting is a specialised job and somewhat dangerous in terms of potential threats from different political parties. However, they informed the aspiring journalists that the skills of election reporting are most essentials for any professional journalist who wants to create a mark in this profession.
Source: The News
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