Stable democracy hinges on vibrant media
ISLAMABAD: Terming media an integral part and pre-condition for strong and stable democracy in a society, German ambassador Dr Michael Koch on Friday said that Germany actively supported the independent media in Pakistan.
“Pakistani media enjoy enough independence and is a source of hope for the long-term democracy in the country,” he stated this while addressing at national media conference hosted by Individualland Pakistan, a non-profit consultancy, in collaboration with Friedrich Naumann Foundation (FNF) at a local hotel.
The ambassador said that practicing journalism in Pakistan was a serious and risky businessÂ… hats off to its practitioners who are braving the conditions to further the cause of vibrant media.
The two-day media conference titled, `Pakistan Media: Present and Future` drew a large number of newsmen from all parts of the country including a strong contingent from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP).
Individualland is hosting the conference on the heels of a long series of workshops across the country to sensitise the media on gender equity issues. The series was supported by Aurat foundation and USAID.
Gulmina Bilal Ahmed, Director of IL, opened the morning session with some striking statistics. “Since 1992, as many as 41 journalists have laid down their lives in the line of duty. The media in Pakistan today is on the forefront of conflict without much safeguards,” she said.
Olaf Kellerhoff, FNF Resident Director said that FNF in partnership with Individualland started the concept of Free, Independent, Responsible Media (FIRM) and the foundation would like to continue promoting the professional and independent media.
In the second session of the day, the conference heard the views on citizen`s media space versus commercial space.
The participants were involved in the discussion on the basics like what media stands for while exploring contemporary themes like urban base and rural base.
During the last session of the day, the panelists picked the theme, `Dissecting the Jihadi Media.`
The session was presided over by Samina Ahmed, Director International Crises Group. The fellow panelists were Amir Rana from Pakistan Institute of Peace Studies and Syed Irfan Ashraf from journalism department of Peshawar University.
Dr Ahmed said: “One would have to define what constitutes Jihadi media or one should not equate Jihadi media with non-violent sectarian media.”
Source: Dawn
Date:11/26/2011
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