PFUJ forms body to identify causes of media industry crisis

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) has constituted a ‘Fact Finding Committee’ comprising senior journalists to identify causes and reasons that led to crisis currently faced by the media industry.

The committee will deal with a wide range of issues including employees’ wages, downsizing, rightsizing, and government/private advertisements.

The committee will find the reasons during a period spanning three years from May 2017 to May 2020, says a press release on Thursday. The committee headed by senior journalist, Mubarak Zeb Khan will comprise Zulfiqar Ali Metho, Qama Bhatti, Ahmed Khan Malik, Faheem Siddiquie, Waseem Ahmad Shah, Abdul Quddus, Ayub Tareen, Mehtab Haider and Shahbaz Rana.

The terms of reference of the committee are, compilation of data on lay-offs in media organisations in each province and the Islamabad Capital Territory; collection of data on cut in wages; collection of data on delays in payments of wages; identify reasons for shutting down of TV channels or newspapers, magazines and periodicals; to look into the advertising policy of government and advertising budgets; to study negative impact of digital advertisement on traditional media; studying reasons of private sector advertising policy.

The committee has also been authorised to identify any other it may find. Shahzada Zulfiqar, President PFUJ, Nasir Zaidi, Secretary General in a joint statement have requested all UJs to cooperate in identifying these reasons in better interest of media industry.