‘Dr Altafullah Khan said that journalism has a key role to help maintain peace and harmony in the Society’
LAHORE: Oslo Metropolitan University in collaboration with Forman Christian College Lahore organized a three-day training workshop for working journalists and journalism teachers in Lahore.
The workshop was themed as “Peace journalism workshop and onslaught of social media on mainstream media”.
Dean of humanities departments at Forman Christian College and University(FCCU) Dr Altafullah Khan thanked the participants and highlighted the aim and purose of the workshop.
Fifty participants including teachers and heads of the journalism departments at various universities Pakistan and journalists from Khyber Pakhunkhwa and merged districts participated in the workshop.
Dr Altafullah Khan said that journalism has a key role to help maintain peace and harmony in the society. He said journalists and media organizations must understand that they could mould people’s towards either side.
He said fake news a tough task for readers to understand.He said freedom of expression on social media was also restricted at some staged. He said social media was spreading unauthentic news but still it becoming an important tool for readers.
Head of journalism and media studies at Oslo Metropolitan University Norway, Anne Hege Simonsen said that along the fake news fake photos surfing on social media.She said every citizens must check and confirm whether the picture uploaded is genuine or not.
Senior journalist Rifatullah Orakzy also shared his experience of his work.He said journalist was being harassed every day by various school of thoughts add followers of political and religious parties on social media just because of his news and views.
Oslo Metropolitan University professor Elisabeth Eide talked about media role in war times. She said media and social media had been used as propeganda tool by individuals,groups and even by countries.
She said the main tool has been used was media against opponents in wars so that rivals could be defeated easily. He added that the aim of propeganda spread through social media was to demoralize rivals and get sympathies of others who read and watch on social media.
Brigadier(R)Dr Muhammad Fayaz said they were in the era of media war. He said media was more powerful that could not be avoided.
He said journalists must be very responsible and honest with their profession. He said one single word by a journalist can ruin and make life of a citizen.
Britta Peterson of GIZ talked about the challenges of social media and public sphare in democracy.She said that media played an important part in public sphare in many transitional periods in the past. She said media also face criticism but ut should keep maintain its work in the best interest of public. She said that democracy could be further strengthen if social media could be used positively.
