AsiaNet-Pakistan Premier Editorial Content and Press Release Distribution Service
Islamabad: Uks Research Center, Islamabad, today launched ‘Talking back – II: From Passive to Proactive’ – a report based on the outcomes of the project on promoting media literacy in Pakistan by building linkages between media and public.
The launch of this report marks the conclusion of ‘Promoting Public Discourse on Media Content in Pakistan’ – a one-year project, first of its kind in Pakistan, undertaken by Uks in collaboration with the National Endowment of Democracy (NED).
The project is based on Uks‘s monitoring and analysis of media content in Pakistan in collaboration with its partner universities, and bringing forth the results of this research to the media practitioners. This project aims to point out the need to educate, both the audiences and practitioners of media on key media literacy concepts and that it is the only tool that can equip them with the skills to comment, critique and influence change in the way media content is packaged.
The launch of this report was organized at Hillview Hotel in Islamabad.
As part of this project, Uks partnered with 8 universities from all over Pakistan, to promote media literacy and public discourse and discussion on media content in Pakistan. A selected group of students at these universities undertook a 4 month long media monitoring exercise at their locations which included orientation sessions, followed by monitoring and analyzing different newspapers and TV channels in Pakistan on a daily basis, and conducting focus group discussions with various segments of the society based on this monitoring and analysis.
‘Talking Back – II: from Passive to Proactive’ is based on the findings put forth by these students and the analysis done by Uks and it represents the crux of this year-long effort. The report aims to encourage media nous in Pakistan by building connections and bridging the gap between the opinions, views and thoughts of the media and the masses.
The guests present at the launch of this report included media representatives, representatives from NGOs and INGOs and people from the civil society, all of whom greatly lauded Uks’s efforts on Media Literacy as well as the achievement that is this report.
The launch started with a presentation of the project given by Uks’s team. The speakers at the occasion – Ms. Tasneem Ahmar, director Uks, Mr. Amir Mateen, Senior Correspondent, The News, Dr. Zafar, HoD Media Studies Department at International Islamic University Islamabad and Ms. Ammara Fatima who was representing the public – gave their feedback and views on the report and the media literacy project and shared their views on the content that is being aired and written in electronic and print media nowadays, how the scenario has changed in Pakistan and what sort of effect it is having on the human mind. The launch ended with comments and feedback from the attendees.
For more information, contact:
National Endowment for Democracy
House # 51-A, Street 63, F-8/4 Islamabad –
Pakistan.
Tel +9251-2850906, +9251-7111419.
Tel/Fax +9251-2850908
Email: uksresearch@gmail.com,
Website: www.uksresearch.com