AEMEND discusses challenges to media

LAHORE: The executive committee of the Association of Electronic Media Editors and News Directors (AEMEND) met here Thursday to deliberate the challenges facing media in the country.

The association’s office bearers from Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar and Islamabad attended the meeting with association’s President Azhar Abbas in the chair.

The meeting deliberated on problems and challenges faced by media and called upon the federal government to fulfill its promise to revoke Peca Act and take all stakeholders into confidence before amending and implementing media laws, says a press release on Thursday.

The meeting condemned registration of sedition cases and vindictive actions against.

Expressing concern over the issuance of notices by Pakistan Electronic Media Authority (Pemra) to TV channels, the AEMEND decided to exercise the right of legal recourse against the authority’s action. The association also decided that an AEMEND representative delegation would meet the Pemra chief in this regard.

AEMEND’s executive committee also decided to arrange training of reporters and producers for effectively implementing journalists’ code of conduct, besides holding an international seminar in connection with the day to mark freedom of media in Islamabad.

The meeting appreciated implementation of Journalists Protection Act in Sindh, and urged the federal and other provincial governments to take sufficient measures to ensure protection of journalists. The AEMEND also demanded increase in the salaries of media workers keeping in view mounting inflation in the country.

The meeting also approved inclusion of news digital media platforms in the AEMEND and approved names of eight new members.