Media role vital in projecting disaster victims: PCP chief
ISLAMABAD – Chairman Press Council of Pakistan, Raja M. Shafqat Khan Abbasi has said that media has played vital role in raising difficulties and miseries of the victims of the disaster.
He was speaking at a seminar titled “Media Ethics in Disaster Reporting” organized by the Department of Media and Communication Studies, International Islamic University, Islamabad.
He said that during the devastating situation of earth quack and floods in the country in the recent years, it was media’s efforts to draw the attention of the society, government authorities as well as donors for responding to the survivals of the disaster events. Abbasi said that social media could also play important role in this regard.
He urged the media that they should not display or show the pictures of the victims while receiving aid. Showing such pictures will injure the self-respect and dignity of human being. If government officials or authorities provide any assistance or compensation to the victims, that is their obligation which cannot be displayed. Abbasi said self-regulation is the best regulation. Media should know the Para-meters and code of practice.
He said that the Press Council will involve the Mass Media Educationists and their Advisory Boards of different Universities to get their guidance. He said that self-respect and dignity of the victims has to be maintained while reporting on disasters. He urged the media organizations to train the journalists for the disaster reporting.
The following prominent speakers expressed their views in the seminar:
Fateh Muhammad Malik, Rector (IIUI), Dr. Zafar Iqbal, Ahmad Barkat, Aljazeera TV, Mateen Haider, Dawn, Hassan Khan, Khayber TV, Shafqat Munir.
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