3-day Virtual Media Symposium Concludes At Sargodha University

SARGODHA, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 24th Jan, 2021 ) :A three-day virtual media symposium, organised by the E-Media Society of the Department of Communication and Media Studies of the Sargodha University, concluded here on Sunday.

The power of media and digital technologies, the impact of corporatism on the media, interference by the management and the government in editorial control and journalists' credibility were some of the topics touched upon by senior media persons on the last day.

National and international media practitioners and academicians including Voice of America (VOA) multimedia broadcaster Saqib-ul-Islam, Vice President National Press Club Islamabad Dr Sadia Kamal ,renowned journalist/analyst and Editor-in-Chief of Online International news Network Mohsin Jamil Baig, Vice Chancellor Sargodha University Dr Ishtiaq Ahmad, anchorperson Imran Sanaullah, media activist Nuzhat Nazar and Assistant Professor Abdul Rehman Qaiser sensitised the youth about media's role in nation-building.

Senior journalist and Vice President National Press Club Islamabad Dr Sadia Kamal said that media's job is to present facts to people to enable them to make up their own opinions about the issues at hand. She said that new media has given the power to influence public opinion by eliminating the monopoly of owners, pressure groups and institutions. With its association to citizen journalism, the social media is playing vital role by keeping a close watch on the state of economic and political events and highlighting its weaknesses and strengths at the domestic level, she added.

VOA broadcaster Saqib-ul-Islam said that the real art and the responsibility of journalists are to delink the political element and power association from the information based on facts. "Article 19 is still a promise not fulfilled yet. The new communication technologies could go a long way toward fulfilling the promise," he spoke.

"Speaking truth can bring you harm as the media business and the profession has both become difficult. Journalists need to see what they can do to protect their credibility. There must be unambiguous support for a truly free and independent media, not further equivocation," said Mohsin Jamil Baig. He also spoke about censorship and how it is achieved by behind-the-scene threats.

Concluding the session, Vice Chancellor Dr Ishtiaq Ahmad said that journalism was his first love. He said that the idea behind the symposium was to understand the realities and myths about media force and how they are shaping youth towards proposing new directions for the future.

Sargodha University is imparting future practitioners with digital literacy in fast-paced technological world as the social media has become one of the most important instruments of hybrid warfare, he added.