‘Mainstream media’s reach still surpasses that of social media in Pakistan’

A session on the second day of the 17th International Urdu Conference on Friday discussed the current situation of the Pakistan media in the context of the changing landscape of the global media.

Titled "Pakistani Media Bain-ul-Aqwami Media Ke Tanazur Mein”, the session featured renowned journalists from both national and international media. The session was moderated by Owais Mangalwala, with participants including Geo News Director News Azhar Abbas, BBC’s Javed Soomro, Atif Tauqeer from the German broadcasting network DW, US-based journalist Ghazanfar Hashmi and Kazim Raza.

Abbas stated that mainstream media still surpassed social media, as most people relied on it for accurate news. He shared that mainstream media reached 170 million people in Pakistan, whereas YouTube, the largest social media platform, reaches only 70 million people nationwide. Social media, as a whole, was still half the size of the mainstream media, he explained.

Tauqeer emphasised that news must always remain unbiased. "If an account reflects bias, it is not news but commentary," he remarked. Soomro was of the view that in international media, any information included in news or programmes must be defensible in court. He praised Pakistani journalists for risking their lives and jobs for reporting.

Hashmi noted that journalists in the US worked without fear, but both good and bad journalism existed in Pakistan and abroad. He commented that people in Pakistan tended to seek only the truth that aligned with their interests.

Raza highlighted that journalism in Pakistan had become a victim of social media, making it difficult to differentiate between real and fake news. He criticised the media's reliance on negative news.

Summarizing the discussion, Abbas pointed out the constant pressure faced by media on every news item and headline. He said that in every era, red lines were drawn, and the true role of journalists was to push back against such boundaries. He noted that many journalists continued to do so despite Pakistan being one of the most dangerous countries for journalists. He concluded by stating that Pakistani journalists were continuously fighting this battle.