‘It is the need of the hour that Pakistani media should perform its role of a society’s reformer and not only as an informer, which is being done by it at present. Rating is the only purpose of electronic media now and the sense of power has made it self-proclaimed. It seems that T.V. Anchors became the extension of political parties and no research has been done before starting a take show with no result in the end in which substandard language is used. While conclusion note by the anchor at the end of a talk show is given on channels of BBC and CNN. This was stated by the renowned journalist, writer and poet, Mehmood Sham while he was addressing the meeting of Shura Hamdard Karachi chapter, presided over by Justice (Rtd) Haziqul Khairi on August 10, 2017 on the theme: “Basic national problems and priorities of media” at a local hall. Mrs Sadia Rashid, President, Hamdard Foundation Pakistan was also present at the meeting.
Mehmood Sham further said that the services of Madam Ruth Pfau to Pakistan were most valuable and extraordinary, but Pakistani media gave a brief news about her and all the time it was busy in covering the journey of a disqualified prime minister. Priorities of TV channel had changed, because dealers of gold, cigarette and ghee had become the owners of TV channels, having no background of journalism. Owners of newspaper had become the editors-in-chief and thus became entitled to intervene in editorials and news items, resulting in less control of editors on news and editorials, he added.
He said, no reach-based reports on education, health, pure water and encroachment are being published in newspapers and telecast on TV. However, these are being published in his magazine, he added and suggested that Hamdard should start its own TV channel.
Seconding the suggestion of Mehmood Sham, Justice (Rtd) Haziqul Khairi said that Shaheed Hakim Mohammed Said wanted to reform the Pakistani nation in order to make it a good nation of the world. This purpose could be achieved through Hamdard TV channel. There must be a channel to which we could see sitting together with our whole family, he added.
Justice (Rtd) Zia Pervez was of the opinion that the new and comprehensive definition of news items should be determined so that news item could be able to set the whole city a blazed. Anwar Aziz Jakartawalla was of the opinion that TV channels had become the political parties whereas they were supposed to be the representatives of the nation and they should do the same role.
Dr. Rizwana Ansari said it was not good to telecast horrible news again and again on TV channels as it raised the level of blood pressure of viewers. Media should take due care of it when they were going to cover such events. Engineer Anwarul Haq said that the prime minister and chief minister of Sindh both being engineers, so was expected that the country and province of Sindh should be run in fine way as mostly leaders of China were engineers and they made China an emerging super power. Talk shows now became ‘snatch shows’, as snatching of talking and mockery became a normal practice during discussion in talk shows, he added and suggested to make a media commission to avoid all these things. Prof. Kafeel Ahmed said that our society was deteriorating day by day as news published today read that woman was burnt out alive at Nankana Sahib in Punjab. This was the result of negation of education, merit and social justice in our society, he added.
Dr. Tanvir Khalid said that media is called the fourth pillar of the state and put impact on whole society. We could bring it on right path through joint efforts of civil society and think tanks like Shura Hamdard. Sheikh Usman Damohi said that media has been clouded by polarization which was rampant in our country. Khurshid Hashmi lamented that the nation has been deprived of brave journalism which was accredited to our great journalists like Maulana Zafar Ali Khan and Shorish Kashmiri who never afraid of telling truth before the rulers. Prof. Dr. Khalida Gaus said that we had not identified the real issues facing by the country and thus failed to solve them. Journalists have information but they didn’t have the in-depth knowledge of analyzing the situation and media studies and they even didn’t understand the researches, done in this connection, she added and further said that Ramazan programmes were being allotted to celebrities because they have rating potential.
Shamim Kazmi highlighting the importance and work of media said that median had done good job in high lighting the violence against women, including domestic violence. ‘Media has its own limitation. They cannot become a preacher and have to telecast what the people want to see’; she said adding that if we have some complaints against media, we should form a monitoring committee, comprising members of civil society and think tanks like Shura Hamadard Pakistan.
Shur in a unanimous resolution has condoled death of great social worker, Dr. Ruth Pfau and paid rich tribute to her services for helping leprosy patients in Pakistan.