Experts discuss media, gender, peace in Pakistan
I was honored to be the keynote speaker at the event. But before my speech, four Pakistani journalists gave their own takes on the subject.
(Sukkur, Pakistan)--Can media be a force for peace in Pakistan?
That question, among others, was on the table today at a
conference titled “Peace Through Education and Journalism” today at Sukkur IBA
University in Sukkur, Pakistan.
I was honored to be the keynote speaker at the event. But before my speech, four Pakistani journalists gave their own takes on the subject.
Naz Sehto (bureau chief, KTN-Pakistan) started the day by
noting that “something is wrong” with education and journalism in Pakistan. He
cited examples of how hate speech still proliferates in Pakistani textbooks.
For example, he quoted several texts that said, “Islam is superior to all other
religions;” and “Many other religions claim equality but do not act on it.”
Sehto noted that current media reporting “creates hate,” and
that the lack of openness and freedom in media fuels conflict and “makes people
easy to manipulate.”
Mahim Maher |
Picking up this theme, Mahim Maher (news editor, Friday
Times) presented data that demonstrated the marginalization of and hostility
towards women in Pakistani media. A 2013 study analyzed 21,949 TV and newspaper
stories, and found that women were used as sources only 74 times—hence the
title of Maher’s presentation, “Silence of the Lambs.”
She also discussed language and framing of stories. Maher
said women are portrayed only in limited narratives—as poor, sick, or victims. She
analyzed terms like “allegedly” and ”domestic dispute,” noting that they are
used by Pakistani media to sanitize or misrepresent violence against women.
Hira Siddiqui (Center for Excellence in Journalism, IBA
Karachi) discussed language and diversity in media. She noted that newsrooms
have failed when it comes to diversity, and indeed, that Pakistanis generally
think about diversity in only “a limited way.” Siddiqui also led an interesting
discussion about language, including the use of the term “enemy” to denote
Indians.
These excellent speakers set the stage, and a high bar, for
my keynote address. I’ll discuss that presentation in my next blog on Monday.
No comments:
Post a Comment