PAKISTAN: The United states consul General in Lahore William K.Makaneole on Friday said that United States stand side by side with Pakistan and enjoying a cordial relationship in various fields including peacebuilding,strengthening democracy and freedom of press in Pakistan.
William K.Makaneole was speaking at the closing ceremony of a five-day masterclass conducted at the Forman Christian College in Lahore.
William congratulated the participants for successfully completing the program and urged them to improve the quality of journalism and public discourse in their local communities in the context of fact checking.
United State Educational Foundation in Pakistan and collaboration with Forman Christian College(FCC) jointly arranged a five-day workshop in which 40 established and emerging media professionals from across Pakistan participated.
The theme of the workshop was “Fact Checking; on countering fake news in modern media for supporting democracies.
Makaneole said the role of journalists was not only crucial during peacebuilding but they should perform their important role during the natural disaster.
He said journalista connect people to larger issues and the world around them. He added that journalists especially in a democracy, access to up-to-date and accurate information was key to strengthen democracy.
The US consul general said Journalists hold leaders and organizations accountable. Adding that journalista provide a voice for people who otherwise would be unheard.He said media related persons impart their vital role for good governance and a stable society.
Makaneole also noted that this year marks the 75th anniversary of United States-Pakistan relationship which he called a partnership based on shared interests, common goals and an expanding trade and investment relationship between the countries.
The US diplomate lauded the critical role that Pakistan-US Alumni Network(PUAN) plays in strengthening people-to-people ties between the United States and Pakistan. He applauded Forman College for its world-class expertise and innovative training that was a model for fortifying the media in Pakistan.
The participants, all alumni of U.S. government-funded exchanges, received in-depth mentorship and training to scale up their ideas and initiatives to combat fake news and disinformation. They also received training on ethical journalism and publishing skills to support safer societies regionally and nationally.
Forman Rector Dr. Jonathan Addleton noted the value of the program for its participants.
“FCCU is delighted to partner with the Pakistan-U.S. Alumni Network for this important event, one that emphasizes fact-based approaches to journalism as a viable approach for countering fake news,” he said.
Forman Christian College University humanities faculty dean Dr.Altafullah Khan also spoke on the occasion.
The United States government funds one of the largest professional and academic exchange programs in Pakistan, sending approximately 800 Pakistanis to the United States on exchanges every year.
During the past 75 years, the U.S. government has funded more than 14,000 Pakistanis to study in the United States, and more than 22,000 young Pakistanis have participated in our English language programs. It is pertiment to mention here the US governmemt donated 30M dollars for flood affectees for Pakistan.
