APP Pakistan
Published Date: Nov 27, 2013
Diverse media central to healthy democracy: Secretary Information
Nov 27 (APP): Federal Secretary Information and Broadcasting Dr Nazir
Saeed said Wednesday that diverse media is central to healthy democracy
and it represents our social institutions, politics, individuals and
governments. Dr Nazir Saeed stated this while chairing a session of a
two-day International Conference on ‘Alternative Media in
Pakistan-Opportunities and Challenges’ here. He said that the present
government has a vision of revolutionizing the entire communication and
information technology sector by introduction of most modern IT and
communication tools, offering immense opportunities to alternative media
to grow.
He said that mainstream media has
all along been playing a crucial role in shaping up opinions and
influencing thinking through targeted activities and other programmes.
The
Secretary said that government policies have helped unleash potential
and opportunities for the alternative media in the country.
"The
government encourages and assists state owned media institutions to make
use of the latest digital and information technology tools like
websites, Facebook and Twitter to reach out to more people", he added.
German
Ambassador Dr Cyrill Nunn, Secretary General SAFMA Imtiaz Alam,
Paksitan Feminist Watch Lahore, Nabiha Meher Shaikh, were also present
on the occasion.
The speakers said that age of the internet has
brought about a tectonic shift in the world of media. Citizens even from
the most peripheral areas can log into a globalised discourse or create
one without having to rely on established channels of information.
Heinrich
Boell Stiftung along with the Sustainable Development Policy Institute
(SDPI) has initiated a project to support efforts that use the new
opportunities to foster dialogue, education, human rights, development,
critical thinking and culture.
The conference showcases thier work
and brings together for the first time in Paksitan actors from civil
society, politics and media, who are using the internet and alternative
media for a progressive agenda.