Society to be better if media follows code of conduct, says Pemra chief

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) Chairman Absar Alam has said that improvement will take place in the society if electronic media follows code of conduct.

While talking to The News on Wednesday he said that news channels were heading towards improvement but there were a lot of things which needed to be done for increasing realisation of responsibility in electronic media. He said that action would be taken against anchors and programmes along with notices on repeating violation of code of conduct. 

He said that around 100 talk shows, 177 plays, about 100 morning shows and 57 crime shows were presented daily and it was extraordinarily a big task to issue notice or to shut those programmes by scrutinising their broadcasting material and violation of code of conduct. 

Pemra chairman said that image was affected due to irresponsible reporting of some news channels and therefore, people did not trust their talks.  “The journalists, who are associated with print media, have raised their stature with the struggle of decades and sacrifices,” he said.

Absar Alam said that in democratic societies the media pointed out irregularities of institutions, political parties and government office bearers in such a way that could lead the people to elect competent leadership of the country in true manners in the future elections. He said being a fourth pillar of state the media still had to learn a lot. He said that electronic media should act upon code of conduct which leads to improvement in society and change of social behaviour.