Media needs to devise self-accountability
ISLAMABAD: Chairman Press Council of Pakistan Raja Shafqat Abbasi on Friday said that media needs to devise a self-accountability mechanism as this practice would add to its credibility.
He stated this while addressing the concluding session of two-day national conference on “Media Ethics-Theory and Practices”, organized by the PCP.A large number of foreign dignitaries, civil society representatives, renowned columnists, editor of newspapers, anchor persons of different news channels, members of PCP including APNS, CPNE, PFUJ also attended the two-day conference.
Chairman PCP Raja Shafqat Abbasi said the Council, was expanding its network at local and international levels by establishing linkages with various organizations for collaboration and experience-sharing.
He said the purpose of the two-day conference was to promote and highlight the ethical code and practices within and outside of the media world, adding that in conference, around 24 head of mass communication departments from different universities were participated with their research papers covering the topic, for the new opening, prospects, scopes and horizons of media ethics.
While expressing gratitude to all participants, he said the academia had a paramount role in building a nation. He said that despite several hiccups and hurdles, the PCP would keep playing its mandated role.
“I am trying hard to bring in activism the PCP and innovative ideas are being explored to bring together media organisations, subscribers and other stakeholders,” he said and added that the welfare of the working journalists was his priority.
The chairman PCP said that council has taken all educational institutions on board which were offering media education and organizing seminars to make students aware of the media code of ethics. A debate has been initiated in universities on ethics to create awareness, he added.
A number of senior representatives from media, academia and social sector also urged the Press Council of Pakistan (PCP) to play its role in redressal of complaints against media industry. They urged the media to report correctly, truthfully and accurately without being any bias, pressure or influence from any segment(s) of society or organisations.
Dr. Mughees Uddin Sheikh, Dr. Rafia Taj, Dr. Muhammad Ashraf Khan, Dr. Mohammad Aslam Pervaiz, Dr, Masroor Alam Khan, Dr. Shafiq Jallandhri, Dr. Syed Abdul Siraj, Dr. Tahir Malik, Tauseef Ahmed Khan, Dr. Anjum Zia, Dr. Farzana Bari, Dr. Muhammad Nawaz Mahsud, Dr. Shamim Mahmood Zaidi, Ms. Sidra Chaudhry and Prof. Rizwan Taj and other presented their research papers on the topic and suggested remedies.
Giving proposals, the participants said there was a need for holding seminars in universities to teach the students of mass communication and working journalists about basics of code of ethics. They put forth various proposals for creating coordination among the educational institutions and media organizations.
They appreciated the PCP for organizing two days national conference and for inviting academia and working journalists including electronic media.Dr Mugheesuddin Shaikh said that media was not the sole agent of change and rather it was a facilitator of change. He said there was a need for a proper code for media.
Pervaiz Shaukat, President Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) lauded the efforts of the PCP for holding the interactive session for media students and teachers with the working journalists. He lauded Chairman PCP Justice (retd) Shafqat Abbasi for taking the initiative and said the activation of the PCP was the biggest achievements.
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