Pak journalist elected  vice president of global broadcasters association

MONTREAL: Pakistani investigative journalist and media adviser Ahmer Shaheen has been elected as vice president of Public Media Alliance (PMA), the largest association of public service broadcasters globally.

Membership for PMA spans to 54 countries, communicating with around 2.5 billion people every day. PMA has maintained a clear stance in favour of freedom of expression in Pakistan and around the globe.

The association envisions ‘a world where the public can continue to access free, independent, engaging and representative national and international media wherever they are – urban or rural, in rich or poor countries and via old or new technologies’.

Paul Thompson, Chief Executive and Editor in Chief of Radio New Zealand, is elected as the president whereas Gary Allen, Managing Director RJR Communications Group from Nigeria, has been elected at the other VP of PMA. 

Earlier, the elections for the governing board for PMA were held. Ahmer Shaheen of Geo News was among 10 members who were elected to sit on the Public Media Alliance Board. Ahmer Shaheen has vowed to raise issues pertaining to freedom of expression, media independence and safety of journalists in Pakistan at this global platform.

He is keen to include more public service broadcasters into PMA and raise a collective voice for the benefit of free media that will strengthen democracy in the country. “I want to thank the membership and board of PMA for trusting me with this challenging task of assuming the position of the vice president of this prestigious association of public broadcasters.

“I will tirelessly work alongside the president and co-vice president, the board and the administration to strengthen and protect public broadcasters around the world”. Ahmer Shaheen is the youngest ever vice president of Public Media Alliance (formerly Commonwealth Broadcasting Association) till date.