Benazir Bhutto Media University Workshop

Islamabad,  Federal Minister for Information & Broadcasting, Qamar Zaman Kaira, Friday, distributed awards and certificates among the participants of eight-day long training course, for district correspondents on “Media and Communication”, which was aimed to equip the remote areas journalists with the contemporary understanding of media-related issues.

As many as 32 correspondents from 25 districts all across the country attended the eight-day long training course, a project of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Media University, which concluded on Friday. Eminent journalists were invited as the guest speakers during the training course.

Those who delivered lectures included Zafarullah Khan, Dr Mehdi Hassan, Wusatullah Khan, Badar Alam, Amjad Bhatti, Atif Afzal, Fouzia Tanvir, Afzal Khan, Mazhar Arif, M Zia-ud-Din, Nasir Zaidi, Mazhar Abbas, Pervaiz Shoukat, Noreen Haider and others.

The correspondents were given lectures on the topics including “Media and Democracy”, “Fundamentals of Journalism”, “Movements for Freedom of Press”, Trade Unions in Media”, “Media Ethics and Laws”, “Public Media Outfits”, “Public Trusts - a Gap Analysis”, “Conflict Reporting”, “Media Democracy and Disaster Management”.

Besides lectures, field visits of Nawa-i-Waqt House, PML-N and PPP Secretariats, UKS Research and Associated Press of Pakistan were also part of the eight days long training session.

Addressing the concluding ceremony Qamar Zaman Kaira said that it was just beginning and with the active participation of journalists such courses would also be organized at districts level beside provincial capitals.

He said that the incumbent government would leave no stone unturned to equip the journalists with modern techniques. Senior journalists who were invited to deliver lectures to the correspondents are known for their free opinion in media circles, he added.

He said that the government was also considering holding such courses for non-journalistic staff of media organizations.