WOMEN JOURNALISM TRAINING WORKSHOP
AhmedpurEast, Bahawalpur District
June 2 to June 4, 2012
229 Participants attend series of 9 training workshops
in three districts of Southern Punjab (Rural Pakistan)
AhmedpurEast June 4 (2012) Series of nine three days long basic journalism training workshops concluded here in rural Pakistan today which were attended by 229 male and female journalists including 68 boys and girls students of Media Studies Department of the Islamia University Bahawalpur.This training programme was organised by the Rural Media Network Pakistan in collaboration with IPDC/UNESCO in three districts of MuzzafarGarh, Bahawalpur and RahimyarKhan of Southern Punjab. Last three days Basic Journalism Skill Development Training Workshop for Women held at Tehsil Head Quarter AhmedpurEast district Bahawalpur. It was attended by twenty female contributors; the basic aim of the training workshop was the capacity building of the deprived women of the remote area. First day the resource persons Nasir Hameed ,Nouman Masood Khan, and President RMNP Ehsan Ahmed Sehar taught them the basic principles of journalistic writing which enhanced their capacity to write a feature and an article in a professional way.
The resource person Mr. Nasir Hameed delivered an extensive lecture on a popular form of Journalistic writing found in modern press is called a “Feature”. He told them feature is closer to an investigative report in the sense that facts multiplied through research, study and interviews. He elaborated its various kinds and revealed its purposes mainly to guide inform and entertain even those average readers who are not capable of grasping the subject through a news item only. Answering a question he explained how to select a topic which will attract most of readers by recognizing the elements of drama and human interest in a particular topic.
A practical exercise session for feature writing was also held and the writings of the female trainees of a less privileged area and they surprised the trainers with their excellent write ups and resource persons paid due satisfaction over the performance of all students. Chiefly, they wrote features on the topics regarding women issues of the area such as un-equal educational facility for girls; without consent marriages; dowry; deprivation of women in inheritance; acid victim cases etc. After evaluation, the feature written by Ms. Salma Lall declared best article of the workshop and President Rural Media Network Ehsan Ahmed Sehar awarded Rs. 500 to the said student.
In the second session resource person Nouman Masood Khan delivered his lecture on the topic of “Article” writing. He taught them various kinds of articles and asserted qualities of a good article. He differentiated the style of journalistic writing and literary write up.
Question-answer session grabbed the attention of all the participants and the trainees took keen interest to explore the new dimensions of the media. Ms Sobia Irum threw light on the negative aspects of TV channels especially impact of crime stories on children and youth. Replying, President RMNP Ehsan Ahmed Sehar admitted the fact that with the abrupt and mushroom growth of electronic media caused haphazard and resultantly media ethics set aside. He stressed on firm implementation of code of ethics and suggested proper professional training for the agile journalists of the peripheries.Shehzadi
Muzzamil,Fauzia Hashmi and Fauzia Hameed also took active part in this session. They put volley of questions on resource persons,Ehsan Ahmed Sehar cited the examples of CNN and BBC relating to " Breaking News" and underlined the need of the exposing the hidden incidents of violence against women in rural and far-flung areas.
Second and third day, resource persons Mrs NajmaunNisa,QuratulAin,Zahida Perveen and Professor Shehzad Ahmed Khan briefed the participants on " Protection of Women against Harassment at Workplace Act 2010". Existence of sexual harassment in society and in particular harassment against women at workplace was discussed in detail. The myths and stereotypes related to the women and sexual harassment were communicated to the participants. The participants showed their concerns on some gaps in harassment act. Female participants in a session highlighted the forms of violence against women and its reasons in feudal dominated areas. They said that there is urgent need of the exposure of such type of incidents and human rights violations in national and local media but due to non existence of women journalists in rural areas, dozens of cases go unreported. Newspapers managements fail to encourage women reporters. Women participation in Journalism, like the history of Pakistan,is moving one step forward and one step backward. It is the need of the hour that more and more women come in reporting, who can get into the field and can write on issues, which in the past have been left uncovered by men. Women can be more sensitive to an issue while writing in newspapers, especially when it is something related to women, RMNP Coordinator Fauzia Hashmi observed. She opined that this type of project will help in establishing a network of women contributors to gather, document, and monitor hidden incidents of violence against women in rural Pakistan by using Internet, which opens new possibilities for exercising freedom of expression. The collected information will be passed to local, national media, human rights groups, women rights organizations and international professional organizations to keep them informed of threats, she concluded. Professor Shehzad Ahmed Khan said that the greatest development for freedom of expression is of course Internet. This is one medium with the promise of making Article 19 of The Universal Declaration of Human Rights a reality. The “right to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media regardless of frontiers” seen almost within a reach of rapidly increasing proportion of humanity. The Internet also has the potential of providing of global reach to third world media,as publications in developing countries like Pakistan have entered the era of electronic publishing and news dissemination through the Internet, he told the participants. In Pakistan greatest threat to freedom of expression in rural areas where violence against women is rising day by day. He stressed need to create women journalists in rural areas where Pakistan 65 percent population is residing. Rural women, especially young rural girls in Pakistan are facing many problems due to lack of awareness, protection and poverty. There are educated women with master degrees even in Journalism but they are reluctant to join this profession .
Ex-Member District Council Bahawalpur & renowned social activist Mrs Aasia Rasheed was the chief guest in the certificate giving ceremony who lauded the services of President RMNP Ehsan Ahmed Sehar and his colleagues for the uplifting of women issues at various platforms and thanked UNESCO for organizing training for the women of under privileged and remote areas. She distributed the certificates among 20 participants Ms Mohsina Bibi, Ms Sumera Ayaz, Ms Rabia Naureen,Ms Farhana Sadiq,Ms Saba Aslam, Ms Kousar Perveen, Ms Safia Khanum, Ms Huma Perveen, Ms Fauzia Hashmi,Ms Sumera Perveen,Ms Sadia Bashir,Ms Nayla Kanwal,Ms Neelam Khan,Ms QuratulAin,Ms Mubeen Wazir,Ms Ayesha Saba,Ms Sobia Irum,Ms Salma Lall and Shehzadi Muzzamil and appreciated their awareness regarding women empowerment.
Basic Journalism Training Workshop
May 20-21-22, 2012
Sub Tehsil Uch Sharif , Bahawalpur District
Uchsharif: May 22 (2012)A three days long training work shop was organized by the Rural Media Network Pakistan in collaboration with IPDC/UNESCO on Basics of Journalism in town Uch Sharif District Bahawalpur from May 20 to May 22,2012.. In this workshop twenty one journalists belonging to national and regional newspapers and TV channels were equipped with journalistic basics professional skills and modern techniques of the profession as well.
During the interactive communication session the journalists of Uch Sharif vicinity told the workshop about the problems and hardships they face. On the other hand they all agreed that they don't receive any sort of threat from intelligence agencies of the government but some police officials used to do so. Mr Sajjad from daily Ausaf told that he had been attacked with gunshots by the drug peddlers on reporting their illegal activities but he was safe at all. Mohammad Amin from daily Kainat said that some doctors threaten him on reporting the illegal clinical practices and use of substandard medicine and its business in the area. Mr. Asif Raza from daily Khabrain told that that a local politician belonging to this area also threaten him on reporting news of his corruption. Several other journalists also shared their views about threats on sectarian and religion rivalry reporting.
Mohammad Sajjad from Daily Ausaf said that this workshop provided him an opportunity to groom his skills in the field of journalism. Another journalist Asif Raza from Daily Khabrain and channel 5 shared his views about this training workshop that this workshop has built confidence in him to cope with difficult tasks. Syed Zakir Hussain Naqvi said that this training workshop has satisfied his urge for knowledge.
In this workshop 9 sessions of lectures were conducted. On the very first day, after beginning with the name of Allah Almighty District Information Officer Bahawalpur, Mr. Nauman Masood Khan Resource Person delivered the first lecture on the philosophy of journalism as a profession. He taught about the definition of Basic journalism, history of journalism and discussed the characteristics of a good journalist. He also told the journalists different elements of News .He also elaborated the specific language of journalism. He helped the journalists in learning News making, types of news, shape of news, intro making, and types of intro.
On the second session of first day the resource person Mr. Nasir Hameed District Information Officer Multan delivered his lecture on resources of news, crime reporting and political reporting. He asserted on various dimensions of political beat and told the agile journalists of Uch Sharif how to tackle political celebrities with news sense. He stressed upon research and complete knowledge regarding respective beats. He described a few methods to get exclusive scoop. He told them technical aspects of crime beat and briefed them about precautionary measure of filing crime stories. He also described the security measures during any untoward situations. After that a practical exercise was conducted and a crime story was formulated. The trainer paid satisfaction over the practical performance of the trainees. Professor Shehzad Ahmed Khan,Syed NajamulHassan Bukhari and President RMNP Ehsan Ahmed Sehar also delivered lectures on the freedom of expression issues in two sessions. President RMNP informed participants about the killing of journalist Razzaq Gul in Turbat Balochistan and said that this is the fifth killing of the journalist in Pakistan this year.He constituted seven members press freedom monitoring committee headed by senior local journalist Mohd Akmal Sheikh while Abdul Ghani Langha,Siddique Khan Sodha,ZiaulHaq Shehzad Badani,Ameer Haider Rizvi,Azhar Iqbal Mughal and Khawaja Ghulam Shabbir wrere included as its members.Fateha Khawani was offered for the departed soul of slain Baloch journalist Razzaq Gul.
On the second day, Resource Person Nauman Masood Khan briefly described the philosophy of inverted pyramid to the journalists. He told them that this basic principle of news can be used in news making, article writing and feature writing at the same time, on the 2nd day’s session he explained the methods of article and feature writing. He taught the journalists that how they could select the topic of an article. He told them about characteristics of a good article. He also delivered lecture on feature writing and different types of feature i.e. historical feature, research feature, autobiographical feature.
Resource Person Mr. Nasir Hameed on second day taught about interview its types, techniques and pre requisites. He told them good interview can be had with proper research and planning. The resource person described the proper methods of questionnaire making and language of the interview. He defined various types of interview questions and stressed upon the importance of open ended questions. In second topic he explained the procedure of press conference. He trained them how to cover press conference and defined Jargons of press conference in understandable language.
On the 3rd day Mr. Nauman Masood Khan delivered lecture on disaster reporting. He discussed technical terms of disaster reporting hazards, risk, vulnerability, response, preparedness, mitigation and also reporting during the rescue, relief and rehabilitation process, In the last lecture he discussed the ethics of journalism as a profession.In general discussion mostly journalists said that they received continuous threats from feudal and drug peddlers on reporting or to raise curtain from their corruption.
Mr. Nasir Hameed in this session demonstrated the press laws. He explained the major clauses of law of libel, defamation and slander. He expressed the official secret act and contempt of court. He vowed that the reporting should be objective and abide by laws and a reporter must aware of the laws concerned before filing a story. Question ad answer sessions were also held in all the three days of the training workshop. A practical exercise was also conducted by the resource persons.
At the end the trainees filled up the evaluation Performa and paid their utmost gratitude to the Rural Media Network Pakistan and Unesco for organizing such a fruitful workshop for the journalists of the far flung area. They termed it a mile stone in the capacity building of their professional career.
Certificate giving ceremony was held on May 22,2012. The chief guest of this ceremony was Mr. Hassan Askari Sheikh Vice President Pakistan People's Party Southern Punjab and guest of honor was Mr. Sheikh Nasir Saleem Advocate President Agriculture Chamber of Commerce Punjab , Mr. Hassan Askari said that underdeveloped areas like Uch Sharif practically and socio economically needs such type of trainings and workshops to uplift the skills and knowledge of journalists belonging to native areas .He thanked Rural Media Network Pakistan and UNESCO for the provision of such a great opportunity to the journalists of Uch Sharif. Mr. Sheikh Nasir Saleem said that journalists are eyes of nation, who perform the function of accountability in our society. He further said journalists also help us to reach our destination and they raise their voices against injustice and cruelty. Both Hassan Askari Sheikh and Sheikh Nasir Saleem gave certificates to participants Syed Azahar Ali Rizvi,Ahmed Hassan Awan,Mohd Saleem Shehzad,Syed Ameer Haider Rizvi,Sajjad Hussein,Rana Mohd Irfan,Mohd Siddique Khan Sodha,Khawaja Asad Nawaz,Syed Zakar Hussein Naqvi,Sheikh Suleman Sajjad,Khawaja Ghulam Shabbir Mohd Aamar, Abdul Malaik Badani,Mohd Ismael,Khalid Mehmood Langha, Mohd Aamar Sial,Mohd Tehneem Jaffer,Hameed ullah Khan Aziz,Asif Raza,Mohd Sajid Khan and Mohd Akbar Khan.President RMNP Ehsan Ahmed Sehar presented gifts of RMNP training manuals to both guests alongwith senior journalists Shahid Bashir Chaudhry,Mohd Akmal Sheikh,Abdul Ghani Langha,Khawaja Suhail Siddiqui,Zafar Iqbal Mughal, and ZiaulHaq Shehzad .
Basic Journalism Training Workshop
May 3-4-5, 2012
Ahmedpur East District Bahawalpur.
AhmedpurEast.May 5 (2012) Two Press Freedom Monitoring Committees (PFMC) were formed for the towns of Chani Goth and Mubarakpur before the closing session of three day training workshop on Basic Journalism in Ahmedpur East, District Bahawalpur, organized by the Rural Media Network Pakistan in collaboration with Unesco.
Shahid Bashir was unanimously elected as convener of the committee for Chani Goth while Fahim Akhtar, Tariq Abbasi and Abdul Hafeez were opted as member.
For Mubarakpur, Mazhar Rasheed was elected convener while Asif Shehzad, Mubashar Shah, Rao Muhammad Farooq and Kashif Mehmood were elected as member of the PFMC.
The committees will monitor press freedom violations in their area. If a violation takes place they will immediately alert the Rural Media Network Pakistan (RMNP) and call urgent meeting to investigate the facts. The meeting after discussing the situation will prepare a comprehensive report to place before the RMNP for further action.
Ehsan Ahmed Sehar, President RMNP addressing the participants stressed the need to protect media freedom at any cost. If a fellow newsman is assaulted, threatened, harassed or humiliated this information should be conveyed immediately to RMNP. This is responsibility of Press Freedom Monitoring Committee which should never ignore and take it as a serious problem. Resource persons also spoke and briefed the journalists how to monitor press freedom violations and how to design action alerts?
Many participants said that police and government officials not the intelligence agencies intimidate journalists directly or indirectly if stories are published or broadcast which they consider uncomfortable for establishment. Influential segments of society also threaten if their interest is put on stake due to coverage of various issues.
Chohan, one of the participants said 'a man was murdered in his small town. Family of the deceased filed the FIR (First Information Report) in the local police station which hide basic facts and bribed the police to investigate in wrong direction'. Chohan said, he investigated the case at his own and came to the conclusion that some members of the family were involved in this murder. He filed the story and when factual position came in light he was threatened by the family. This matter was reported to the RMNP which took immediate action.
Another participant Zahid Gull said, a child was killed in a road accident. The vehicle which hit the boy belonged to an advisor to the Chief Minister of Punjab province. Provincial officials advised not to mention identity of the vehicle. He filed the story with all the facts, Next day a high up of the govt threatened him with dire consequences.
A local journalist Azhar Danish who also runs a Pharmacy in Uch town said, in 2010 floods 16 small dwellings in Uch Sharif town swept away with flood tides. District Coordinating Officer (DCO) and Commissioner of the area continuously denied the floods. When the local population protested against the official denials and appealed the NGOs for help, he filed this story. A health official met him next day and threatened to cancel the license of his medical store.
Asif Mehmood a reporter for national language daily from Mubarakpur told the participants that he had investigated embezzlement of millions of rupees in local Rural Health Complex in which two doctors were involved. After publishing the news Mehmood was assaulted by some unknown persons. He got serious injuries on his face. He lodged FIR with local police and held responsible both the doctors for this assault. Police collaborating with accused declared them innocent and filed weak prosecution documents in trial court. Insufficient evidence compelled the court to set free the accused. Later, a revision appeal was not maintained in higher court on technical grounds.
Total 20 journalists including 3 students of Mass Communication Department from Bahawalpur Islamia University (IUB) attended the workshop, excluding two other participants had never attended any training course before.
Resource person Wusat Ullah Khan from BBC delivered a detailed lecture about interviewing, covering press conference and disaster reporting.
He told them to be careful during interviews with high profile political figures. First question should be very strong. They should prepare their questions well before the appointment and have a clear target about the information they want to get through the meeting. A journalist must have vast information about the personality whom he is going to interview. During press conference, media correspondents should first listen with the statement patiently and then prepare themselves for questions. Repeating same questions again and again is a bad habit. Questions should be concise, to the point, short and clear. You must have two recording devices as one can develop fault when you start your job. If you do not have the other one, for get about your assignment. Do not trust only on recording, take notes also to make sure you are safe when you go back to office and start writing the story.
He also told the participants while covering flood like disasters never ignore the aspect of helping the people who are in distress and can not leave their place. They should be in regular contact with NGOs and other rescue teams working in the affected areas to inform them about the families who need help.
Resource person Khalid Saeed from Mediators delivered his lecture about news writing. He told them how they can start their story with a powerful intro and what aspects they should have in their mind. The inverted pyramid is the model for news writing. Heaviest or most important information should be at top and least important information should go at the bottom gradually. He said, journalists use five "Ws" and one "H", Who, What, Where, When, Why and How. If a reporter covers five Ws and one H, the intro of his story will be perfect. Practical exercises were also conducted during the workshop.
Central Additional Secretary General Bahawalpur National Awami Party (BNAP) & Ex-Leader of Opposition in District Council Bahawalpur Mian Rafatur Rehman Rehmani was the chief guest in the certificate giving ceremony who gave certificates to twenty participants,Hafiz Mohd Ejaz Baloch, Mohd Siddique Asim,Asif Mehmood Chaudhry,Syed Asif Shahzad,Abdul Hafeez Faheem ,Mohd Imran Bashir,Mohd Ishfaq Sandha,Mohd Asif Ch, M.ShahidAli,Azhar Danish,Qalandar Hussein Syed, Jan Mohd Chuhan,Mohd Kashif Lashari, Hassan Mehmood, Zahid Gull, Shabbir Ahmed Qureshi M.Sajid Durrani,Mubashar Hassan Syed,Syed Ishrat Abbas and Nouman Ashfaq.
Basic Journalism Training Workshop
Feb.17-19, 2012
Alipur, District MuzaffarGarh
Alipur.February19 (2012) "The real threat to journalists in Southern Punjab is from govt. agencies, extremists, criminal gangs mafia and non state actors". This was stated by the participants of 3 day training workshop on Basic Journalism organised by the Rural Media Network Pakistan (RMNP) in collaboration with UNESCO in Alipur, a sub division of MuzaffarGarh District.
Syed Shakir Kazmi, Shamshad Ahmed Qureshi, Muhammad Shafi Siddiqui, Mian Bashir Ahmed,Ghyoor Sherwani and Syed Hidayat Ali Rizvi President Tehsil Press Club while addressing the concluding ceremony said that powerful feudal lords intimidate media men and often abuse through different means to violate the freedom of press. They expressed their indignation that a criminal case was lodged against a local reporter in a police station recently and was set free after taking bribe by the law enforcement officials.
Government functionaries are angry over the corruption stories and refuse to help journalists to provide with relevant information on issues of public concern, they said. They asked the media gathering to be vigilant against the disgruntled elements who resist the free press and deny the peoples' right to know.
Ehsan Ahmed Sehar, President Rural Media Network Pakistan (RMNP) said despite the dominant character of the electronic media, international standard is still in favor of print media, which is playing its due role not only in developed but also in under developed society. Increasing number of regional newspapers is the ample proof of this healthy trend. Expanding market of newspapers readership has increased the number of journalists in far flung areas of Pakistan, he narrated.
Training of journalists is sole responsibility of media houses which take benefits of their skills but show no interest in this regard, he deplored. Sehar said RMNP is doing whatever possible with in its limited resources. Our activities are on small scale, but we will continue this noble cause. We are living in cyber age and should try to understand its dynamics. He said, cross media ownership is not permitted worldwide but we are the only country where media owners have been given free hand to publish newspapers and run news channels parallel, he added.
He criticized the inhuman attitude of media owners who provide insurance cover to their video cams and equipment but not the staffers.
A Press Freedom Monitoring Committee (PFMC) was formed for Alipur and adjoining areas, which will collect the information if a journalist is killed, attacked threatened, harassed or abused in line of duty, or denied his legitimate right to perform his professional responsibilities.
Mohammad Shafi Siddiqui was unanimously elected as president, while Iqbql Mashhadi, Irshad Qureshi, Rana Muhammad Arshed and Hidayat Ali Rizvi were nominated as member of the PFMC Alipur.
Ehsan Ahmed Sehar asked the committee members to report about any violation of the freedom of press to RMNP through email or any other available means of communications. Email IDs postal address and contact numbers of RMNP were also provided to all the participants.
Guest of Honor in certificate distribution ceremony Abdul Ghafoor Malik, principal of a local educational institution and chief editor of a magazine appreciated RMNP for its training activities and expressed hope that local journalists will work in a better way and apply new techniques in their professional duties in future.
"Although I attended the event for a very short time but I think I have learnt a lot" Malik said.
Syed Shakir Kazmi said, we have been taught basic journalism which previously we had no knowledge. There are few people in this country who think about to educate and train journalists. RMNP team came at our door to impart training and we are thankful to them.
Shamshad Ahmed Qureshi said, lectures were in simple manner and impressive. He expressed his hope that training process will continue in future also.
Muhammad Shafi Siddiqui, senior most journalist of the area and newspapers distributor said, whatever we were taught was useful from all aspects. Now we have good understanding of the profession and this training will improve our abilities.
Mian Bashir Ahmed said, journalists of small towns need more training and we appreciate RMNP which took the lead in this regard.
Hidayat Ali Rizvi said, "The workshop proved successful as all of us are now better equipped." He appreciated hard work of the RMNP team and expressed his thanks.
Resource person Khalid Saeed told the participants about 'Intro of the News'. He underlined the importance of 5 Ws and 1 H and advised them to use simple and short words. He said story should be in small sentences and easy to understand. Important information should go first and less important details at secondary stage but it must be interlinked and gradual according to the facts. He also gave a lecture on Ethics of Journalism and asked them to be careful about their limits.
He also told them how to cover crimes, political developments, social issues, development projects, court’s proceedings, corruption scandals, religious gatherings and conflicts among different segments of society.
Resource person Nazir Khalid in his lectures told the participants about Sources of News, art of interview, how to cover press conference and types of news.
During practical exercise, participants were given a news story to point out the flaws and mistakes. Participants were asked to edit the news and write their comments about the story. This interaction heightened their interest and all the participants took lively part in discussion.
Chief guest Manging Director Rashad Minhas Higher Scondary School Abdul Ghafoor Malik donated net cash of Rs 25 thousand and a new dice to Tehsil Press Club in the ceremony and distributed certificated among all 23 participants.President RMNP Ehsan Ahmed Sehar presented RMNP training manuals to Abdul Ghafoor Malik for his educational institution.
Basic Journalism Skills Development Workshop for Women
Dera Nawab Sahib,Bahawalpur District
January 16 to 18,2012
Dera Nawab Sahib.January 18(2012)Three days long Basic Journalism Skill Development Training Workshop for Women held with the collaboration of Rural Media Network Pakistan & Unesco in the office of Sadiq Dost Academy at Dera Nawab Sahib town in Bahawalpur district. It was attended by fourteen female members of education department, girl's students and house hold women while Ms Saman Khan acted as coordinator of this workshop. The basic aim of the training workshop was the capacity building of the rural women of this backward area. The resource persons , Professor Shehzad Ahmed Khan,Ms Najamun Nisa Bukhari and Ms Tahira Nasreen delivered lectures on artice writing and feature writing. Prominent educationist NajmunNisa Bukhari and Ms Saman Khan said that journalists and media play a very important role in raising gender awareness in today's world. The media's correct handling of gender issues has an enomorous effect in the way people understand and support gender equality. Usually, introducing gender related policies and laws is not enough to succeed in fighting women discrimination ,behaviours ,values, judgments, roles, stereotypes, prejudices and so on, must be changed. Media has the responsibility of influencing positively in this process ,there fore it is necessary to provide media professionals with the knowledge and skills to address gender issues in all communication process and to be gender sensitive while producing news and reporting objectively.
Resource persons in different sessions stated that gender discrimination is also a big problem of Pakistani society.. The female section of the population is often looked at with scorn and contempt. They are treated in a way as if they were a second degree creature. Many people in the area are oblivious to the fact that man and woman are two wheels of a vehicle. They do not concentrate on the development of this important part (53 percent in the country is female) of the nation, and as a result Pakistan lags behind within the community of nations. Successive governments in Pakistan have endeavored to raise the status of women by providing them better chances of education and other amenities of life. But despite the encouragement of women participation in different kind of activities, the problem still exists. For example, newspapers managements fail to encourage women reporters. The situation for women is especially bad in feudal dominated, rural areas of the country.
President RMNP Ehsan Ahmed Sehar said that the area where Rural Media Network is based: in Bahawalpur, to the north of Sindh province in South-Central Pakistan. The population of former Bahawalpur province consists of 12.5 million inhabitants. The area is mainly agricultural. Until 1954 it was an independent princely state with provincial status. Then it integrated with its giant neighbour, but this has not brought many fruits of development. It remains profoundly conservative. The conditions, under which rural journalists, male and female, work, are bad. They are usually unpaid and they avoid to report against feudal, who threaten them with kidnapping the female family members. So often journalists remain silent about what they have seen or heard. It has also been observed that in some places, rural 'journalists' are acting as puppets in the hands of feudal who pay them money to report in their advantage. About 48 percent of the women in Bahawalpur must go covered. They have few opportunities for work outside the teaching, where they earn very little. Often they experience sexual harassed by the management, but they don't dare to complain because they fear losing their income. The same holds for girls being exploited within rich households, who are paid less than their male colleagues and are often physically harassed by the male owners. Women and young girls are sometimes forced into prostitution through fake weddings, but these human rights violations against women are rarely reported. The honor killings and acid attacks, reported from small towns and rural zones by civil society activists, are widespread. Due to the lack of communications, these incidents often go unreported, but sometimes female teachers and elected female councillors disclose these stories., he observed.
In the rural areas of Pakistan, where 65 percent of country inhabitants live, only one percent of all journalists are female, and often without much authority. In Bahawalpur not even a single female journalist is present. Rural societies in Pakistan are highly segregated and in the grip of religious powers. Men cannot report about women's issues due to cultural barriers: they cannot approach and talk with women freely. So the almost none-existence of women journalists means that the media does not cover a large segment of rural life. Women's' perspective is missing in the news coverage, he added.
Ms Saman Khan stated that the Rural Media Network Pakistan is trying to fill this gap by organizing training programmes for rural women with the support of IPDC/UNESCO.More than 60 women contributors are being trained in article writing and feature writing There is an urgent need to expose human rights violations against women in local and national media. Therefor these female teachers and elected female councilors, who sometimes disclose stories, must be stimulated and enabled to report more frequently and to become a female journalists. They must remedy the glaring absence of women among district correspondents, get into the field and write about women's issues, which in the past have been left uncovered by men. RMNP has also encouraged Pakistan first female video journalist Sadia Haideri by honoring her with US Dollars 1500 press freedom award in October 2011.RMNP has trained more than 200 women contributors during last six years out of while more than one dozens working with national print media organizations’ and my colleagues here in AhmedpurEast who are the old beneficiaries of RMNP trainings regularly monitoring violence incidents on rural women and reporting it to human rights and media organizations for further action,she disclosed.Participants Shehar Bano, Rabia Bibi,Muneeba Fatima,Madiha Manzoor,Huma Akhter,Kundan Bibi,Wardah Khan,Moeza Khan, Nayab Sherwani,Syeda Saima Shah,Sabahat Bibi,Zahida Perveen,Saira Bibi and Saima Farooq received RMNP-UNESCO training manuals and took part inpractical excercise followed by questions and answer session. At the end of the workshop certificates were distributed among participants.
Basic Journalism Skills Development Workshop for Women
Mubarakpur, Bahawalpur District
December 26 to 28, 2011
Mubarakpur. December28 (2011) Three days long Basic Journalism Skill Development Training Workshop for Women held with the collaboration of Rural Media Network Pakistan & Unesco at NGO Ever Green central office at Mubarakpur town in the vicinity of Bahawalpur district. It was attended by fifteen female members of education department, NGOs and house hold women while Ms Shazia Mazhar acted as coordinator of this workshop. The basic aim of the training workshop was the capacity building of the deprived women of the rural area. The resource persons Nasir Hameed District Information Officer Multan, Nouman Masood Khan District Information Officer Bahawalur,Ms NajamunNisa Bukhari Coordinator RMNP for Ladies, Professor Shehzad Ahmed Khan,,Ms QuratulAin, Mazhar Rasheed and President RMNP Ehsan Ahmed Sehar taught them the basic principles of journalistic writing and enhance their capacity to write and report in a professional way. The resource persons Nasir Hameed and Nouman Masood Khan delivered extensive lecture on Feature & Article writing. The female participants took keen interest and highly motivated to learn their due rights and tried their best to polish their skills. Resource persons told the participants that article writing skill is important for thousands of educated women living in rural areas and small towns as they can write of their concern from offices and homes. They further informed that material for these articles is easily available around them. Unlike literary writing like poetry, short story writing, article writing is an acquired ability can be learnt and practiced by any one.
The trainers put their efforts to aware the participants about hidden violence against women and women rights. They focused to sensitize the rural women about their due rights in the society and inculcate the capability how to report the hidden violence through media and other government & non governmental agencies .The participants were provided with journalistic training manual and other allied material for their future concern .After that a brain storming and question answer session was held that kept the interest of the participants which followed by a practical exercise of article writing and trainers paid satisfaction over the efficiency of the class. The participant pinpointed in their features that early marriages, lack of educational institutions and cultural barriers are the main obstacles in the development of females in Mubarakpur and its adjoining areas.
President RMNP Ehsan Ahmed Sehar highlighted the issues of violence against women and stressed the need to address it at different levels of the society. He said that woman is the best companion of man. Woman is the best companion of man. Woman is a great gift of God in the shape of a mother, a sister, a wife and a daughter. He urged women to promote better patience in them to reduce the incidents of domestic violence. President RMNP opined that not only men, but women are also involved in violence incidents against women. Islam also teaches us equality with men and women. He said the reasons behind violence against women in our society are lack of education and unawareness about their rights. RMNP Chief said that in foreign countries, the reason behind low number of violence incidents include women are educated and know about their rights.
Guest of honour Dr Syeda Ujala Suhail in her speech lauded the role of Unesco and RMNP for organizing training programme for women contributors in far-flung areas and hoped that it will remedy the glaring absence of women among the thousands of district correspondents. She stated that rural societies in Pakistan are highly segregated; lack of women means that the media does not properly cover a large segment of rural life. Dr Syeda Ujala hoped that beneficiaries of this training programme will highlight the women issues in regional and national media in near future. Later on she delivered certificates among 15 participant Shazia Mazhar, Ruqiya, Khanum, Nosheen Qadeer, Rehana Adrees, Seema Abdul Khaliq, Hala Sadaqt, Aliya Rasheed, Babara Sadar, Khushbakhat Alam, Saliha Ibrahim, Khizra Ahmed, Shabana Hafeez, Rafia Malik, Sadaf Rafique and Rizwana Hafeez.
Basic Journalism Training Workshop
Organized by
RMNP & UNESCO
Media Studies Department
Islamia University Bahawalpur (IUB)
(Nov.16-18, 2011)
Resource Persons:
Khalid Saeed (Karachi) and Nazir Khalid (Lahore)
Assisted by:
Ehsan Ahmed Sehar
President
Rural Media Network Pakistan
Prof. Dr. Ghulam Shabbir
Chairman:
Department of Mass Media
Dr. Sajjad Ahmed Paracha
Department of Media Studies
Dr. Abdul Wajid Khan
Assistant Professor
Department of Media Studies
Dr. Muhammad Shahzad
Department of Media Studies
Ms. Shumaila Ahmed
Faculty Member
Department of Media Studies
Ms.Shafaq Manzoor
Faculty Member
Department of Media Studies
Muhammad Nauman
District Information Officer
Bahawalpur
Nasir Hameed
District information Officer
Multan
In their first experience of its kind, media students of Islamia University Bahawalpur (IUB) watched a documentary film about a corruption scandal of a local government in Rajasthan (state of India).
After approval of 'Access to Information' law, a group of volunteers obtained the local government record and started investigating the development projects. They found that government approved the construction of a number of roads, bridges, water supply schemes and hospitals in the area. Officials of the civic body embezzled the huge funds and made fake record to show that all the proposed public schemes had been completed.
The documentary narrated how the state government took action after the disclosure and started investigation. Those involved were taken to the task. People were happy and resolved to expose corruption scandals in government offices. They celebrated their victory.
In another documentary film, working in electronic media was highlighted with different angles. It showed that how editors decide to send different stories on air and which aspects they keep in mind while finalizing some content of information for viewers and listeners. The documentary also narrated how the TV and radio stations receive ‘users generated content' and how we should check and recheck authenticity of the material before use.
The total participants of the work shop were 68 but when the documentaries were shown university auditorium had over 200 viewers including mass media teaching staff. Candidates for master's degree and students in four years BS program were also present.
These documentaries were produced and distributed by Wan-IFRA, World Editors’ Forum, UNESCO, Commonwealth Broadcasting Association (CBA) and International Center for Journalists (ICJ).
Some CDs and books were presented to Mass Media Department of the university, for library including two booklets on basic journalism and safety produced by Rural Media Network Pakistan (RMNP). The total value of this material is around US$ 1,000.
At the concluding ceremony Ehsan Ahmed Sehar, president RMNP announced annual RMNP Award for the best student of the Media Studies Department. The award contains Rs.20,000 in cash. In his remarks Sehar said, RMNP is a press freedom body and working in collaboration with different international forums and training organizations. "we monitor press freedom violations and post all the information on our web site. 17 journalists were killed in 2010 and 15 this year in different areas of the country, but not a single case was investigated" he said. He deplored that Pakistan has been declared the most dangerous country for journalists. Sehar disclosed that many international organizations have expressed their indignation over the killing of a journalist, Munir Shakir in Balochistan. They have mentioned the RMNP as their source which is the recognition of our network. He said.
Dr. Muhammad Mukhtar, Vice Chancellor of the university, in his closing remarks stressed the need to promote science through media and called upon the students to understand modern changes taking place in the world. "Media should refrain from sensationalism and promote healthy traditions in our society" he said. Dr. Mukhtar appreciated the RMNP and said that training work shops should be made a permanent feature for students as they need to be continuously updated about modern technology.
In the opening session of the work shop, Khalid Saeed resource person from Karachi presented an overview before the students. He focused on the challenges for new comers and asked them to be careful in practical journalism. He said media is a delicate subject and unless we study history, economics and international relations it is difficult to play our due role.
Dr. Abdul Wajid khan delivered his lecture on sub-editing and news reporting. The session about disaster reporting was conducted by Muhammad Nauman. Participants were shown a documentary film about floods devastation in a small town of Punjab Province where infrastructure was totally collapsed by the flood water. Crops and live stock was swept away and local population became helpless. It was narrated in the documentary how the human sufferings should be highlighted to normalize the situation and rehabilitate the affected families.
Nazir Khalid, source person from Lahore gave his lecture on the importance of public relations. He said the basic responsibility of a public relations officer is to improve the image of an organization with well conceived strategy and this can be done only through research and sound planning. He was assisted by Nasir Hameed.
In his lecture titled "Working in Electronic Media News room" Khalid Saeed said that in an open society credibility is an essential attribute of a journalistic organization. News programs should offer viewers and listeners an intelligent and informed account of issues that enables them to form their own views.
Dr. Ghulam Shabbir told the participant about sources of news and news gathering. Ms. Shumaila Ahmed briefed the students on article and feature writing while the topic of Ms. Shafaq Manzoor 'lecture was "Art of Interview". During the practical exercise participants were asked to write a news story about the work shop. Each session was followed by question answers.
Basic Journalism
Training Workshop for District Correspondents
Junpur, District RahimYarKhan.
Oct. 21-23, 2011.
Jun Pur : A Photograph taken on the eve of certificate giving ceremony of three days long basic journalism training workshop PPP MPA Ghazanafar Langah, Nazir Khalid Ehsan Ahmed Sehar and Khalid Saeed are seen on the stage
Journalists from Junpur and adjoining areas unanimously approved a resolution demanding the government to immediately approve the Freedom of Information Ordinance at federal and provincial level. The demand was made at the concluding session of 3 day long RMNP-UNESCO training work shop on basic journalism. 25 local reporters working for print and electronic media participated in the event.A committee was also constituted to monitor press freedom violations, headed by Khursheed Ahmed Khrursheed from Liaqatpur. Muhammad Iqbal Gorgej from Tranda Muhammad Panah, Malik Azhar from Junpur, Niaz Dashti from Thul Hamza, Rana Qasim from Khan Bela and Malik Aftab from Shidani Sharif were opted as member of the committee.
They were assigned the responsibility to watch the freedom of press situation in their respective areas and if find any violation they should immediately call a meeting of the committee to gather information. They were also asked to pass on their report soon as possible to the Rural Media Network Pakistan (RMNP) to take further action."14 journalists have been killed while performing their duties this year. These incidents took place in different parts of the Pakistan which has been declared the most dangerous country in the world for media men.” Ehsan Ahmed Sehar, chairman RMNP told the gathering.
Jun Pur: President RMNP Ehsan Ahmed Sehar highlighting press freedom situation while participants learning how to design action alerts in basic journalism workshop.
He said that Freedom of Information Ordinance is still on the papers. It should be made formal law and journalists should have the access to official documents without any discrimination. He deplored that delaying tactics are being adopted to deny the media men of their right of information.
He condemned the position taken by government attorneys during the hearing of a corruption scandal in Supreme Court involving billion of rupees, that journalists should disclose their sources of news. He said that protecting the source is a sacred duty of journalists all over the world which can not be compromised at any cost. Journalists in Pakistan have waged a long struggle for the freedom of press and they will defend it. He said.
Member Punjab Assembly from the area Ghazanafar Khan Langah was Guest of Honor in concluding session who distributed the certificates among the participants. He appreciated the initiative of RMNP and UNESCO to arrange training workshop in this small town to educate the local journalists. He appreciated the efforts of local media team and said media has freed the society from the clutches of bureaucracy and feudals.
Jun Pur: Participants of basic journalism training workshop while writing a political news.
Two trainers, Khalid Saeed from Karachi and Nazir Khalid from Lahore delivered lectures on news writing, intro/lead, structure of news, sources of news and information gathering. They also informed about the techniques to write the story on corruption in development projects, protecting the rights of citizens, covering crimes, and social issues.
Covering press conference and art of interview were salient features of the event.
Practical exercises were also conducted in two sessions. The participants were given a press statement from a political leader. The statement was made by trainers to evaluate the editing skills of the local reporters. They were asked to point out the mistakes made in the "statement” and delete the irrelevant things. This event was a good interaction and participants took great interest in this activity.
Jun Pur: Participants of basic journalism training workshop pose for group photos
3 Day Training Workshop on Basics of Journalism
Noorpur Nauranga, Tehsil Sadar Bahawalpur
September 24-26, 2011
Noorpur Nauranga(Rural Pakistan) Two committees were formed to monitor the press freedom violations in Noorpur and MusafirKhana, the small adjoining towns of Tehsil Sadar Bahawalpur during the RMNP-UNESCO Training Workshop on basic journalism on Sep.24-26, 2011.
Noorpur: PPP MPA Shah Rukh Malik, President BCCI Muzamilur Rasheed Abbasi, Nazir Khalid and Ehsan Ahmed Sehar sitting on the stage of RMNP-UNESCO Basic Journalism Skills Development Workshop.
Khawaja Abdul Hameed was nominated convener of the committee unanimously for Noorpur while Tayyab Mehmood, Khalid Iqbal Marral, Ismail Anjum and Khawaja Atiq ur Rahman were nominated as members.
Imam Bukhsh Bhatti was elected as convener of the committee for Musafirkhana while Ghulam Murtaza Choudhry, Choudhry Pervaiz Iqbal, Choudhry Muhammad Tariq and Akhlaq Ahmed Saqib will act as member.
Total 11 sessions were conducted during the three day event in which 23 local journalists participated. Two senior trainers Khalid Saeed and Nazir Khalid delivered lectures on basic journalism. Practical exercise was also part of the training.
Noorpur, Resource Persons Khalid Saeed, Nazir Khalid and President RMNP Ehsan Ahmed Sehar lecturing in the workshop.
Nazir Khalid's lecture was about the structure of news. He said there are a few basic rules for writing and structuring any news story. The inverted pyramid is the model for news writing. It simply means that the heaviest or most important information should be at top-the beginning-of your story, and least important information should go at the bottom. And as you move top to bottom, the information presented should gradually become less important.
Noorpur, Participants of Basic Journalism Skills Development Workshop for journalists organized by RMNP with the collaboration of Unesco in Noorpur. Photographed with the trainers.
Journalists in rural areas are not usually well educated and lack basic skills of news gathering and writing story in proper format. Sometimes they write story as they are told by their source with out intro or lead, putting most important information at the bottom. Nazir Khalid told them how to write intro.
He said the intro is first paragraph of any news story. The intro must accomplish several things:
- give readers the main points of story
- get readers interested in reading the story
- accomplish both "a" and "b" in as few words as possible
Khalid Saeed told the participants; typically editors want lead to be no longer than 35-40 words. Why so short? Readers want their news delivered quickly. A short does just that.
He said, journalists use the five "W's and the H"- Who, What, Where, When, Why and How.
- Who - who is the story about?
- What - what is the story about?
- Where - Where did the event you are writing about occur?
- When - when did it occur?
- Why - why did this happen?
- How - how did this happen?
-
He said if a reporter covers five 'W"s and one H' the intro of his story will be perfect. Journalism isn't fiction writing-you can't create stories from your imagination. You have to find facts, newsworthy topics worth writing about. You can get started by checking out the places where news often happens - police stations, hospitals, airport, railway station, govt. offices, guest house, courts, and political leaders.
The other topics covered by the trainers were: how to gather information, protecting the sources, the most important tools of a reporter, and how to maintain contacts with sources.
During the session about political coverage different aspects of reporting the political meetings, processions and agitation were told to the participants. Covering press conference, art of interview and feature and article writing were topics of two separate sessions during the work shop.
The participants were told to take extra care while reporting religious gathering and making news from their press releases. There should be no such content in the news which can hurt the feelings of any other sect. In case a religious organization puts pressure to publish some content according to its choice, they should immediately approach their editors to bring the facts in their knowledge. Coverage of sensitive issues is a real threat to local journalists in rural centers where administrative machinery is under strong control of influential.
Lively debate took place when the trainers started the session on 'Ethics of Journalism'. Only few of them were aware of their legal responsibility. They were told to verify allegations of corruption from different sources to avoid the legal action.
During the practical exercise one of the trainers gave a verbal statement, like some minister, on flood situation and at the end invited questions from participants to know how they ask for relevant information. They were asked to write news. Each story was evaluated by the both trainers and shortcomings were pointed out. It proved a good interaction.
Freedom of press issue was discussed in two lengthy sessions. Journalists were asked to protect the media freedom as a collective responsibility. If a violation comes to their knowledge they should convey it to local Media Monitoring Committee which would take prompt action to alert Rural Media Network Pakistan (RMNP). Media Monitoring Committees were advised to review the media freedom situation twice a month and arrange regular meetings in press club. Attacks on freedom of press and incidents of killing of journalists are frequent in Pakistan. In many cities journalist have been protesting against this unfortunate situation and asked the government to give protection to working journalist but no action is visible and conditions are getting worse. The participants resolved to take active part in this noble cause and join the national movement to defend the media freedom.
Member of Punjab Assembly ) from the area Shahrukh Malik was chief guest in the certificate distribution ceremony in the concluding session. He appreciated the efforts of UNESCO and RMNP to educate the local journalists and asked them to take maximum benefit from such training work shops.
Sahibzada Muzzamal Rasheed Abbasi, President Bahawalpur Chambers of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) was guest of honor. Addressing the participants he said learning and training is a life long process. Journalists reflect the aspirations of the people therefore they should be well aware and well educated, he added.
Noorpur , Participants of Basic Journalism Training Workshop while doing practical exercise.
Safety for Journalists Training Programme
Concludes in Rural Pakistan
100 journalists attend four training workshops
in Rahimyarkhan and Bahawalpur Districts
May 2-3,2011
AhmedpurEast(Rural Pakistan)Series of four training workshops on Safety of Journalists working in rural areas of RahimyarKhan and Bahawalpur districts of former Bahawalpur province ended here on May 3,2011 in AhmedpurEast. A total 100 journalists attended these four workshops which were organised by the Rural Media Network Pakistan in collaboration with Unesco. Four instructors hailing from Karachi Babar Ayaz Central Vice President South Asia Free Media Association (SAFMA )Fazal Qureshi Former Chairman Pakistan Press Foundation(PPF) & Ex- Vice Chairman newsagency Pakistan Press International(PPI),Doctor Tauseef Ahmed Khan Associate Professor Mass Communication Department Government Federal Urdu University Karachi and Khalid Saeed former research coordinator at the Asia-Pacific Institute in Tokyo, Japan acted as trainers These trainings focused upon print and TV journalists and enabled them to report on conflict constructively and in a manner which does not jeopardize their own well-being. Through variety of sessions, the journalists were sensitised about social issues of locals and how their voices need to be incorporated in the media. Highlighting the background of these trainings, President RMNP Ehsan Ahmed Sehar said that reporting from hostile environment requires courage and dedication. “We are making sure that those who choose such a daring job also have the assurance of their safety," he said.
He added that these trainings will endow the journalists working in the rural areas of RahimyarKhan and Bahawalpur districts with necessary survival mechanisms to continue their work unhindered. "This initiative will certainly improve the overall condition of media personnel in these areas and will assist them in adopting a set of precautionary measures that are necessary to survive in a hostile environment," President RMNP observed.
Last training workshop was organised in AhmedpurEast, one of the biggest Sub-division of Punjab province from May 2 to May 3,2 011and it was attended by twenty three journalists working for regional and national media. Among other things, the participants were taught about personal safety ,pre-development planning, conflict management, dealing with hostile crowds and extremists besides reaction to shooting, check points, abduction and basic first aid. Question and answers session were also held in which the participants put volley of questions about covering honour killings, cross firing and sectarian violence incidents. The RMNP distributed Urdu translation of the charter for the safety of journalists, guidelines for individual and joint protection of investigators, security tips of International Federation of Journalists(IFJ) and Nepal Press Institute among participants. They also received the Urdu translation of the resource person Khalid Saeed presentation. Political Assistant to Chief Minister Punjab Engineer Mohd BalighurRehman MNA distributed among 23 participants Mohd Rafique Safdar,Mohd Iqbal Danish, Shabbir Ahmed Qurreshi, Waheed Abbas Bukhari, Hafiz Mohd Ejaz Baloch, Hameedullah Khan Aziz,A.D.Khan Jalwana,Mohd Ejaz Anjum,Mohd Ashfaq Sandha,Mohd Mujahid Khalil, Syed Itrat Hussein Rizvi,Mohd Saleem Rajput,Mohd Yousaf Ghani Qureshi, RaziurRehman Ansari,Shahid Iftikhar Ahmed,Saifullah Khan Nutkani,Shehzad Hassan Qadri,ShafiqueurRehman,Abdul Malik,Mohd Ejaz Khan Baloch,Mohd Imran Lar,Mohd Sajjad Ghallu and Mohd Salman Farooqi.
Meanwhile a training manual on safety issues for journalists will be published in the mid-May which is jointly edited and compiled by Ehsan Ahmed Sehar and Khalid Saeed.Similarly a new website is being launched where details of slain Pakistani journalists will be published.
Workshop on 'Safety of journalists
in Conflict Zones and Hostile Environment areas'
Sub Tehsil Uch Sharif, April 11-12, 2011
'Nawab Salahuddin Abbasi Lauds Media Role'
Uch Sharif (Rural Pakistan): Nawab of Bahawalpur Salahuddin Abbasi has
Lauded the role of media in supporting the genuine demand of the restoration
of former provincial status of Bahawalpur and urged media houses to
provide necessary facilities to their correspondents including the
cover of life insurance while sending them on dangerous assignments.
These views were expressed by him while addressing the certificate
giving ceremony of the two days long workshop for "The Safety
of Journalists Working in Conflict Areas & hostile Environment"
organised by The Rural Media Network Pakistan (RMNP) in collaboration
of Unesco in the premises of Town Committee Uchsharif last evening.
Central President Muttahida Mahaz Bahawalpur (Women Wing) Mrs
Abida Durrani,Ex-PML(N)MNA Ali Hassan Gillani,Makhdoom Sultan Jehanian
Bukhari,Makhdoom Syed Naseem Abbas Bukhari,Makhdoom Syed Nasar
Bukhari,Ex-leader of opposition in District Council Bahawalpur Mian
RafiaturRehman,Ex-Union Nazimeen Zameer Ahmed Khicchi,Sardar
JalilurRehman Khan besides a large number of notables were present on
this occasion. Nawab Salahuddin Abbasi underlined the need to separate
the two issues in RMNP future training - one safety and security
where participants get training, how to recognize and deal with risks,
moreover how to take personal protection, how to act in emergency
situations etc . This has to do with physical threats and security.
He informed that the other issue for journalists is information
security -commenting on it he asked the resource persons how they
make sure that the information journalists receive, and the
information they send, is secure. This has to do a lot with Internet
security and there journalists use the manuals developed for free for
this purpose. Nawab Salahuddin told the audience that a third issue is
how journalists report on difficult issues - for example corruption,
honour killings, sectarian extremism - where it is very important to
use concrete facts and figures. This also has to do with investigative
journalism (skills) and access to information laws (legislation).
Trainings in investigative journalism are best coupled with trainings
on the use of existing law which guarantee access to information, he
maintained. These above mentioned three are separate issues, and as
per media experts opinion it is much more effective for the
journalists if RMNP do not mix them all in one training, but have
separate trainings, he observed . Nawab of Bahawalpur appreciated the
efforts of the Rural Media Network Pakistan for organising training
programmes for rural journalists and termed it unique example in
Pakistan. He urged journalists community to come forward and play leading
role in the restoration of former provincial status of Bahawalpur.
Nawab Salahuddin Abbasi asked the rulers to restore former
provincial status of Bahawalpur or pick his dead body.
He lashed on those crying for Seraiki province and asked them for its
demarcation. He claimed that " Bahawalpur Declaration" unveiled by him
on 14th April in historical Sadiq Garh Palace DeraNawabSahib will bring
a drastic change in whole area and new sun will rise in Bahawalpur
with new hopes, he concluded. Earlier Chairman(retd)Pakistan Press
Foundation(PPF) Fazal Qureshi , Content Editor Mediators Karachi
Khalid Saeed ,Presidents of three rival bodies of Uchsharif Press Club
Mian Abdul Rauf, Mian Aamar Siddiqui, Syed Azhar Ali Rizvi,Vice
president Mohd Akmal Sheikh and President RMNP Ehsan Ahmed Sehar
addressed the ceremony. All the three presidents of rival bodies of
Uchsharif thanked RMNP-UNESCO for organising a training programme for the
first time in the history of Uchshrif. 
They demanded of RMNP to hold a training programme for the improvement
of basic skills of district correspondents based in historical town Uchsharif.
Later on Nawab Salahuddin Abbasi distributed certificates among thirty participants
Syed Azhar Ali Rizvi, Abdul Ghani Langah, Abdul Khaliq Sarmad, Zahid
Hussain Khan, Muhammad Siddiq Khan, Mian Muhammad Aamir Siddiqi,
Abdul Malik Bidani, Zubair Niazi, Ziaul Haq Shehzad, Muhammad Sajid Khan
Khwaja Ghulam Shabbir, Mian Muhammad Tariq, Abdul Qadir Biddani, Sajjad
Hussain, Irshad Hussain Shad, Muhammad Akbar Khan, Rana Muhammad
Irfan, Syed Mujtahid Rizvi, Ghulam Mustafa Mughal, Tahir Manzoor, Syed
Farzand Hussain, Muhammad Ejaz Mastoi, Muhammad Naved, Fakhar
Azeem Baloch, Abdul Ghafoor Gabool, Mian Abdul Rauf, Muhammad
Akmal Sheikh, Sheikh Noman Haider, Sohail Mazhar Siddiqi and Azhar
Iqbal Mughal.
Makhdoom Syed Ali Hassan Gillani inaugurates training workshop
It is pertinent to mention that two days long training workshop
was inaugurated by ex-PMLN MNA Makhdoom Syed Ali
Hassan Gillani in Palace Hotel, Uch Sharif , on April 11 at 8:30 AM.
He was accompanied by PPP leader Al-Haj Rasheed Hussain Hashmi.
Makhdoom Syed Ali Hassan Gillani lauded the role of the Rural Media
Network Pakistan for uniting three rival press clubs of Uch Sharif and said that
it is the first time in the history of this remote area where a training programme
for rural journalists has been organised. He urged to organise a basic skill
development training programme for new entrants of Sub tehsil Uch Sharif.
President RMNP Ehsan Ahmed Sehar said that in near future a basic skills
Development programme for rural journalists will be launched under which
250 rural journalists will be benefitted. He assured the participants that
Uch Sharif will be included in new training programme.
Workshop on 'Safety of journalists in conflict areas'
Khanqah Sharif Tehsil Sadar Bahawalpur
March 21-22, 2011
'Code of ethics must to safeguard mediamen'
Khanqah Sharif (Rural Pakistan): Rural Media Network Pakistan (RMNP) has
exhorted upon the political and religious parties and groups to
formulate "Code of Ethics" for ensuring security and safety of the
media-persons while performing their professional assignments within
the country and abroad as well.
Expressing grave concern over the rampant trend of intolerance and attack on media-persons
by various groups and political parties within the country and abroad President
RMNP Ahmed Sehar, President Tehsil Sadar Press Club Bahawalpur Zafar
Iqbal Minhas, Patron Iftikhar Ahmed Alvi and President Press Club
Mubarakpur Mazhar Rasheed said it is the duty of the organizers of
the functions or protest rallies and marches to ensure security of the
media persons. They were addressing certificate giving ceremony of
two days long training workshop "Safety for Journalists Working in
Conflict Areas and Hostile Environment" organised by the Rural Media
Network Pakistan incollaboration with UNESCO in Seerani Community
hall, Khanqah Sharif. It was attended by 26 journalists hailing from
Khanqah Sharif, Goth Mehrab, Musafir Khana, Mubarakpur, Samasatta and
Noorpur Nauranga areas while Director Information Bahawalpur Ejaz
Ahmed Ghauri was the chief guest on this occasion.
President RMNP and other speakers contended that it is universal practice
all over the world that journalists are being facilitate in discharge of their
professional duties, but it is very unfortunate that instead of
providing them assistance the Journalists are targeted, assaulted and
tortured. Such uncalled practice is very dangerous and indicates
menace of incidents of scuffling the media persons especially Pakistani
being witnessed frequently. They also demanded the government
to fulfill its promises and enact the right to information
law, replacing Freedom of Information Ordinance 2002 so that
journalists and citizens could have access to information by public
bodies.
They added that under Article 19-A of Pakistan constitution, access to information
was a fundamental right and the government was constitutionally bound to enact a
right to information law. It is only through the right of having access to official
documents that the journalists can have access to information held by
government as a right and can thus ensure judicious utilisation of public
money. They lamented the fact that Punjab, despite being the biggest
province of the country had not legislated to provide its residents
easy access to information held by provincial departments. They
stressed upon the Punjab Government to present the draft right to
information law in the Punjab Assembly. President RMNP Ehsan Ahmed Sehar
told that 14 Pakistani journalists have been killed in the line of
duty during last thirteen months and famous media watchdogs RSF and
CPJ have declared Pakistan as deadliest country for journalists.
He said that as many as 100 rural journalists belonging to RahimyarKhan
and Bahawalpur districts would be trained upto third week of May ,2011
in four different workshops while RMNP would organise a big media
training event in Multan for the training of 140 journalists
representing 14 districts of South Punjab very soon. Earlier resource
persons Khalid Saeed Content Editor Mediators Karachi and Professor
Doctor Tauseef Ahmed Khan of Mass Communication Department Government
Federal Urdu University Karachi informed that they 26 journalists have
learned techniques in workshop to deal with the possible dangers
besides reporting of the violent mobs.
Director Information Bahawalpur Division Ejaz Ahmed
Ghauri greeted RMNP for completing second phase of its Safety Training
Programme and hoped that training opportunities would be provided at
the doorsteps of other rural journalists of South Punjab in near
future. He highlighted to role of Punjab Information Department and
said that we were doing utmost for the remedy of journalists
grievances. Director Information said that power of regional press was
increasing day by day and rural journalists were pinpointing the real
issues in their stories confronted by the masses. Though they were
victimised in many areas by influencials and different pressure groups
but they have not bowed down by these tactics. He assured his full
assistance to rural journalists in resolving their genuine
demands.
Later on Director Information Ejaz Ahmed Ghauri ,Resource
Persons Professor Doctor Tauseef Ahmed Khan and Khalid Seed gave away
certificates to twenty six participants Zafar Iqbal Minhas,Zafar
Iqbal Jamali, Rana Javed Akhter, Haji Akhter Ali, Syed
HafeezurRehman, Mohd Ashiq Najmi, Syed Mazhar Hussein Bukhari, Iftikhar
Ahmed Alvi, Rehmatullah Rajput, Waqar Ahmed, Tahir Amjad Baloch, Mazhar
Rahid, Talib Hussein, Mohd Asif Siddiqui, Mohd Ramzan Khan, Mohd Yar, Abdul
rehman Nasar, Malik Mohd Ibrahim, Mohd Ismael, Shehar Yar, Mian Mohd
Safdar, Faraz Haider Khan, Hafeez Ahmed Malk, Khwaja Mohd Tyyab, Mohd Ejaz
and Mohd Ejaz Baloch.
RMNP-UNESCO Safety for Journalists Training workshop Liaquatpur
District RahimyarKhan Rural Pakistan, January 22-23, 2011
Pakistan most dangerous for media
Liaquatpur(Rural Pakistan)> Around 47 Pakistani journalists have been killed
since the year 2000 but ,no one murder was traced apart from American
Journalist Daniel's, which also took place due to tremendous US
pressure. This was informed in two days long Rural Media Network
Pakistan-Unesco " Capacity Buliding and Safety of Journalists Training
Workshop" which concluded in Liaquatpur, District RahimYarKhan on 23rd January.
Inaugural ceremony was chaired by MPA Colonel (retired) Naveed Sajid
while former Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Sahibzada
Hamid Saeed Kazmi MNA was the chief guest. Training workshop was
attended by 21 correspondents of print and electronic media and it was
conducted by Central Vice President South Asia Fee Media
Association(SAFMA) Babar Ayaz and Content Editor Mediators Karachi
Khalid Saeed.
President Rural Media Network Pakistan Ehsan Ahmed Sehar
told that Pakistan became most dangerous country in the world where 16
journalists were killed in 2010 while two other Pakistani
journalists Ilyas Nazar and Wali Khan Babar were killed in the two
first weeks of January 2011.He said that situation in rural Pakistan
is alarming for journalists where they were facing threats by feudals
and extremists while performing their duties. Moreover a large number
of complaints received from rural journalists that they were
implicated in false cases by state machinery while exposing the
corruption of government functionaries and reporting on hidden honour
killing incidents.
President RMNP stated that the 18th amendment
recognises the access to information as a fundamental right of
people, subject to some reasonable restrictions, which are to be decided
by the courts. He urged UN,UNESCO and UNDP to help government
institutions in handling the requests for access to information. Both
Karachi based trainers Babar Ayaz and Khalid Saeed in different
training sessions highlighted the security risks for journalists
working in conflict zones and underlined the need of group safety and
security. Among other things participants were taught about personal
safety, pre-development planning, conflict management, dealing with
hostile crowds and extremists besides reaction to
shooting, checkpoints, abduction and basic first aid. Question and
answers sessions were also held inwhich the participants put volley
of questions about covering honor killing ,cross firing and sectarian
violence incidents. Rural Media Network Pakistan distributed Urdu
translation of the Charter for the Safety of Journalists Working in
War Zones or Dangerous Areas, and Guidelines for the individual and
joint protection of investigators among participants.
MNA Sahibzada Hamid Saeed Kazmi while lecturing said that The West
does not realise that Pakistan had welcomed and housed around three
million refugees for the last 25 years and added that PFUJ and other
urban based organisations can address the problems faced by journalists
in big cities, while the reporters in rural areas where country 65
percent population is living, have to fend for themselves as the
government is unable to support journalists when the residents
themselves are unforthcoming.
He said that people need to back andsupport journalists in unearthing the truth.
Prinicipal Syed Public School Liaquatpr Syed Ziauddin Naeem
delivered certificates among 21 participants Taj Ghous, Shafqat
Mehmood, Shahid Javed, Ghaznafar Ahmed Sial, Rashid Rafiq, Jumma Khan
Anjum,Zulqarnain Ahmed Sial,Adnan Jamali,ZianulAbid Din,Mohd Arshad
Naz,Syed Mohd Shahid Hussein,HabiburRehman Miral,Abdul Waheed
Sial,Shahid Anjum,Mohd Hashim,Mohd Imran,Rashid Shaheen,Shahid Akbar
Chaudhry,Wafa Saleem Taskeen,Mohd Sohaib Abdullah and Haji Mohd
Abdullah.
DISTRICT CORRESPONDENTS SKILLS
DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME
Rural Media Network Pakistan & Commonwealth
Journalists Association Training Workshop
July 24-26, 2010
Bahawalpur(Rural Pakistan)Rural Media Network Pakistan(RMNP) incolloboration with Commonwealth Journalists Association organised three days long District Correspondents Skills Development workshop which was attended by seventeen rural journalists Abdul Hameed Saqib, Shabbir Ahmed Qureshi, Rafique Safdar, Syed Sarfraz Hussin Zaidi, A.D.Jalwana, Syed Itrat Hussein, Ejaz Khan Baloch, Mujahid Khalil, Mohd Ejaz Chaudhry, Mohd Imran Lar, Ahmed Ali, Mohammad Yameen, Jamil Shehzad Malik, Mohd ShafiqueurRehman,Aamar Abbasi, Mohd Iqbal Danish and Syed Ghayoor Bukhari of Bahawalpur District. Director Films Section Information Department government of Punjab from Lahore, Director Museum Hussein Ahmed Madni, Director Information Bahawalpur Division Government of Punjab Ejaz Ahmed Ghauri and Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gillanis s' nephew Makhdoom Syed SamiulHassan Gillani from Multan conducted twelve sessions on What is news, source of news, types of news writing, the structure of newsitem, body of a newsitem, press release handouts, the art of interviewing, feature writing, ethics of journalism, the law and the journalist, maintenance of reference record. A special press freedom monitoring session was also conducted in which participants learnt the techniques of monitoring press freedom violations and designing of action alerts.
They were also briefed about the constitution of press freedom monitoring committees. Director Films Section Information Department Government of Punjab Mr Nazir Khalid, District Programme Manager NCHD Lodhran Syed NajamulHassan,President RMNP Ehsan Ahmed Sehar and Professor Shehzad Ahmed Khan also delivered lectures in three days long workshop.Every part of the programme was followed by practical exercises and discussions.
Training Manual in Urdu Language ,Rural Media Network Pakistan with the assistance of Commonwealth Journalists Association (CJA) published training manual on basic skills for rural journalists in country Urdu language which copies were delivered during the training workshop, Director Information Government of Punjab termed it very useful for district correspondents. He declared that training manual is the exact requirement of rural journalists, he proposed to deliver its copies to all press clubs and unions of journalists in rural Pakistan .
Inaugural Ceremony .RMNP-CJA Bahawalpur District Correspondents Basic Skills Development Workshop was inaugurated by PPP leader Hassan Askari Sheikh advocate in Jinnah Hall AhmedpurEast on 24th July 2010 .Addressing impressive ceremony, senior PPP leader lauded the role of the Rural Media Network Pakistan(RMNP) and Commonwealth Journalists Association (CJA) for the capacity building of district correspondents and expressed his hope that new trainees would highlight the development issues confronted by the rural populace. Ex-Tehsil Nazim Makkdoom Syed Sabtain Haider Bukhari,Director Information Films Section Government of Punjab and President RMNP Ehsan Ahmed Sehar also addressed the ceremony. Lahore based trainer Nazir Khalid and others in their speeches highlighted the role of print and electronic media and said that there is great need to raise the status and standing of rural journalists who are generally treated very poorly. They told the audience that CJA backed training will improve the quality of news coverage from this impoverished region of Pakistan.
Certificates Giving Ceremony. Certificates giving ceremony was held on 26th July 2010,inwhich Former Federal Minister & Ex-Mayor Municipal Corporation Bahawalpur Farooq Azam Malik was the chief guest. Addressing the ceremony, prominent political figure of the area said the building capacities of district correspondents and promoting mutual understanding between elected representatives and the media would improve the quality of free flow of information to the public, develop greater awareness of rural issues by the rural populace and encourage better governance and democracy. He appreciated both Rural Media Network Pakistan and CJA for making the district correspondents conscious of their responsibility to reflect the project the hopes, aspirations, and needs of rural people, men and women, for a better life through broader awareness. Punjab Government media experts stated that they had imparted training to seventeen district correspondents in news writing, news gathering, article writing, ethics of journalism, maintenance of reference records and other related subjects including how to defend press freedom? Every part of the programme was followed by practical exercises they maintained. Later on Chief guest Farooq Azam Malik, Director Information Bahawalpur Division Ejaz Ahmed Ghauri and Makhdoom Syed Zulfikar Hussein Bukhari gave the certificates to all 17 participants. Certificate giving ceremony was attended by a large number of journalists including presidents of four press clubs of Bahawalpur district.
Recommendations: The three days long course was designed to train a cadre of 15 rural journalists but due to the pressing demand two more journalists were included. They were selected for their capacity to mentor others with whom they work, reinforced by RMNPs' commitment to rural readership. A lively rural media is the best of bulwark against corruption and eventually help to forge that vital relationship between an informed citizenry and more responsive elected officials, which is essential for the sustainable development and the achievement of the UNITED NATIONS Millennium Development Goals. Pakistan mainstream political parties leaders who attended this workshop in inaugural and concluding ceremonies demanded to organise more training programmes on basic skills for rural journalists due to the mushroom growth of rural publications.They urged RMNP and CJA to equip rural journalists of feudal dominated South Punjab in its first phase as rural journalists representing 65 percent of the country population but they are untrained while no media house in Pakistan has launched any training programme for them.Rural Media Network Pakistan agreed with them that in two years at least 24 workshops will be organised for rural journalists.Workshop strength will be increased to 25 so the maximum journalists of small towns and rural areas be benifitted.Trainees in their evaluation forms requested to organise online-journalism and election reporting courses with a particular focus on rural journalists.They also underlined the need to bring rural women into the profession of media and establishment and upgradation of technical facilities in Press Clubs ,such as internet,computers,mobiles,computing skills.especially in rural areas.President RMNP Ehsan Ahmed Sehar who is also Editor and Publisher of Daily Nawa-I-AhmedpurSharqia donated a new fax machine to Chairman AhmedpurPress Club in the certificate giving ceremony on the behalf of his 21 years old rural newspaper.
Media Coverage. Major Urdu and English national newspapers Nation, The Frontier Post, The Daily Times, Daliy Jang, Daily Nawa-e-Waqt, Daily Pakistan, Daily Khabrain, Daily Ausaf, Daliy Express gave good coverage to the RMNP -CJA training course while regional newspapers Daily Tasalsal and Daily Nawa-I-AhmedpurSharqia also made the headlines of this training event. Two independent TV Channels Waqt News and Dunya News also telecasted the concluding ceremony news.
Bahawalpur District Correspondents Basic Skills Development Programme 21st December to 23rd December 2009
Refreshar Course 7th to 8th January 2010
NewsWriting CashAward Ceremony 24th Jnuary 2010
Bahawalpur(Rural Pakistan)Rural Media Network Pakistan(RMNP) with the assistance of UNESCO organised three days long District Correspondents Skills Development workshop which was attended by seventeen rural journalists Shabbir Ahmed Qureshi,Rafique Safdar,Syed Sarfraz Hussin Zaidi,Hameedullah Aziz,Mohd Sajjad Ghallu,Rana Mohd Saleem,Yousaf Ghani Qureshi,Mehmood Saleem(AhmedpurEast Press Club),Shahid Bashir Chaudhry,Mohd Faheem(Chanigoth Press Club)Mohd Akmal Sheikh,Dr ZiaulHaq Shehzad,Abdul Ghani Langha,Syed Azhar Ali Rizvi(Uchsharif Press Club),Rao Mohd Farooq,Mazhar Rasheed,Mubashar Hassan Syed(Mubarakpur Press Club)of Bahawalpur District.Two senior journalists from Karachi Mr Asif Noorani (Author and Consultant Dawn Media Group)and Mr Ziaulislam Zuberi (Director Communication Siemen Corporation and Clounmist)conducted twelve sessions on What is news,source of news,types of news writing,the structure of newsitem,body of a newsitem,press release handouts,the art of interviewing,feature writing,ethics of journailsm,the law and the journalist,maintenance of refrence record.A special press freedom monitoring session was also conducted inwhich participants learnt the techniques of monitoring press freedom violations and designing of action alerts.They were also briefed about the constitution of press freedom monitoring committees.Director Information Government of Punjab Mr Nazir Khalid,District Programme Manager NCHD Lodhran Syed NajamulHassan,President RMNP Ehsan Ahmed Sehar and Professor Shehzad Ahmed Khan also delivered lectures in three days long workshop.Every part of the programme was followed by practical excercises and discussions.
Training Manual in Urdu Language,Rural Media Network Pakistan with the assistance of UNESCO published training manual on basic skills for rural journalists in country Urdu language which copies were delivered during the training workshop,Director Information Government of Punjab termed it very useful for district correspondents.He declared that training manual is the exact requirement of rural journalists,he proposed to deliver its copies to all press clubs and unions of journalists in rural Pakistan .
Inaugural Ceremony.RMNP-UNESCO Bahawalpur District Correspondents Basic Skills Development Workshop was inaugurated by PPP MNA Arif Aziz Sheikh in Jinnah Hall AhmedpurEast on 20th December.Addressining impressive ceremony,MNA lauded thr role of the Rural Media Network Pakistan(RMNP) and UNESCO for the capacity building of district correspondents and expressed his hope that new trainees would highlight the development issues confronted by the rural populace.Ex-MPA Sahibzada MuzzamilurRasheed Abbasi,Former Chairman Muncipal Committee AhmedpurEast Mian Mohd Ilyas Ayaz,President Markazi Anjuman-e-Tajran AhmedpurEast Mian Mohd Ilyas Ayaz,City Nazim Makhdoom Syed Hussnein Askari,District General Secretary PML(QA)Bahawalpur Syed Salahuddin Ahmed Jeelani,PPP leaders Alhaj Rasheed Hussein Hashmi,Moin Asad,President Sarafa Association Mehr abdul Rehman Anjum,President Press Club Uchsharif Mohd Akmal Sheikh,Presient PressClub Mubarakpur Mazhar Rasheed,Secretary Information Rana Mohd Saleem and President RMNP Ehsan Ahmed Sehar also addressed the ceremony.Karachi based trainers Asif Noorani and Ziaulislam Zuberi in their speeches highlighted the role of print and electronic media and said that there is great need to raise the status and standing of rural journalists who are generally treated very poorly.They told the audience that UNESCO backed training will improve the quality of news coverage from this impoverished region of Pakistan.
Certificates Giving Ceremony.Certificates giving ceremony was held on 23rd Deceber 2009,inwhich Political Assistant to Chief Minister Punjab Engineer Mohd BalighurRehman MNA was the chief guest.Addressing the cermony,MNA said the building capacties of district correspondents and promoting mutual understanding between elected represetatives and the media would improve the quality of free flow of information to the public,develop greater awareness of rural issues by the rural populace and encourage better governance and democracy.Political Assistant to Chief Minister Punjab appreciated both Rural Media Network Pakistan and UNESCO for making the distict correspondents concsious of their responsibilty to reflect the project the hopes,aspirations,and needs of rural people,men and women, for a better life through broader awareness.Karachi based trainers Asif Noorani and ZiaulIslam Zuberi stated that they had imparted training to seventeen district correspondents in news writing,news gathering,article writing,ethics of journalism,ethics of journalism,maintenance f reference records and other related subjects including how to defend press freedom?Every part of the programme was followed by practical execercises they maintained.Senior Journalist and trainer ZiaulIslam Zuberi announced to give Rs ten thousand cash award to a group of trainees out of total four, who would write a best story containing one thousand words on the subject given to them.Later on MNA Mohd BalighurRehman gave the ceriticates to all 17 participants.
Two Days Long Refreshar Course.Two days long refreshar course was organised on 7th and 8th January 2010 in Jinnah hall AhmedpurEast as the followup of three days long training workshop.Professor Shehzad Ahmed Khan,District Programme Manager NCHD Lodhran Syed NajamulHassan Bukhari,former editor Daily Maghrbi Pakistan Bahawalpur Bashir Hussein Ansari and President RMNP Ehsan Ahmed Sehar run this course.Participants wrote stories related to rural development,human rights,administrative mal-practices,women issues,crimes and politics.They also wrote fresh features and interviews.A session was allocated for monitoring press freedom violations.Participants divided in four groups designed action alerts for its circulation to national and international press freedom organisations.Representatives of four press rural press clubs handed over their four written stories to President RMNP Ehsan Ahmed Sehar for Rs ten thosand cash award who mailed it to trainer Mr Ziaulislam Zuberi for final selection.
Cash Award Ceremony.Karachi based trainers Asif Noorani and Ziaulislam Zuberi declared Chanigoth Press Club group as winner of the best news writing contest while Uchsharif group stood second and AhmedpurEast obtained third position.Cashaward ceremong was held n 24th January in Jinnah hall AhmedpurEast inwhich former Chairman Muncipal Committee AhmedpurEast Mian Mohd Ilyas Ayaz gave Rs eight thousnd net cash award to two members winner Chanigoth group while Uchsharig group four members received Rs two thousand cash award.
Media Coverage.Major Urdu and English national newspapers Nation,The Frontier Post,The Daily Times,Daliy Jang,Daily Nawa-e-Waqt,Daily Pakistan,Daily Khabrain,Daily Ausaf,Daliy Express gave good coverage to the RMNP Unesco training course while reginal newspapers Daily Tasalsal and Daily Nawa-I-Ahmedpursharqia also made the headlines of this training event.Two independent TV Channels Waqt News and Dunya News also telecasted the concluding ceremony news.Similarly Krachi based trainers got publihed RMNP UNESCO training workshops reports in Karachi English dailies Business Recorder,City News and Urdu dailes Qaumi Akhbar,Riasat and Beopar.
Recommendations. The three days long course was designed to train a cadre of 15 rural journalists but due to the pressing demand two more journalists were included.They were selected for their capacity to mentor others with hom they work,reinforced by RMNPs' committment to rural readership.A lively rural media is the best of bulwark against corruption and eventually help to forge that vital relationship between an informed citizenary and more responsive elected officials ,which is essential for the sustainable development and the achievement of the UNITED NATIONS Millennium Development Goals. Pakistan Parliament members of ruling PPP and main opposition party PML(N) who attended this workshop in inaugural and concluding ceremonies demanded to organise more training programmes on basic skills for rural journalists due to the mushroom growth of rural publications.Legislators urged RMNP and UNESCO to equip rural journalists of feudal dominated South Punjab in its first phase as rural journalists representing 65 percent of the country population but they are untrained while no media house in Pakistan has launched any training programe for them.Rural Media Network Pakistan agreed with them that in two years at least 24 workshops be organised fo rural journalists.Workshop strength be increased to 25 so the maximum journalists of small towns and rural areas be benifitted.
1-Ahmedpur East (Rural Pakistan) Master trainer Ms Naila Batool and President RMNP Ehsan Ahmed Sehar lecturing in the concluding session o RMNP-UNESCO Online Journalism Training Workshop held in Govt Girls Model High School.
2-AhmedpurEast (Rural Pakistan) Executive District Officer Education Bahawalpur Mohd Saleem Khan giving certificates to Ms Nadia Ansari, Ms Ruqya Noor, Ms Najma Shafi, Ms Shahida, Ms Asima Anjum, Ms Salma Zia, Ms Tooba Nadeem, Ms Aasia Maqbool, Ms Erum Fatima and Ms Robina Akram, participants of Online Journalism Training Workshop held on 18th June in the premises of Govt Girls High School AhmedpurEast.
3-Ahmedpur East (Rural Pakistan) Executive District Officer Education Bahawalpur Mohd Saleem Khan giving books gift to Principal Syeda Najmunisa Bukhari on the behalf of The Rural Media Network Pakistan. 4-Ahmedpur East(rural Pakistan)President RMNP Ehsan Ahmed Sehar and EDO Education Bahawalpur Mohd Saleem Khan standing with two male trainers of the Online Journalism Training Traininng Workshop.
4-Ahmedpur East(Rural Pakistan)President RMNP Ehsan Ahmed Sehar and EDO Education Bahawalpur MohdSaleem Khan standing with two male trainers of the Online Journalism Training Traininng Workshop.
Chanigoth(Rural Pakistan)Director Public Relations Bahawalpur Division
Nazir Khalid,Professor Shehzad Ahmed Khan and Ehsan Ahmed Sehar
lectuering in Freedom of Expression Trainining Workshop organised by
Rural Media Network Pakistan with the colloboration of Unesco in Canal
Rest House Chanigoth.
2-Director Public Relations Bahawalpur Division Nazir Khalid giving
certificates to the participants of RMNP-UNESCO FOE Training Workshop
in Canal Rest House Chanigoth
Liaquatpur. President RMNP Ehsan Ahmed Sehar conducting Press Freedom Monitoring Workshop in Press Club Liaquatpur.
Liaquatpur. Principal Ziauddin of Syed Public School giving ICFJ TV journalism Urdu training manuals to TV Correspondents Ghazanafar Ahmed Sial, Mian Shahid Javed, Taj Ghaus, Haji Abdullah, Waheed Rushdi and ZainulAbideen.
Liaquatpur: President RMNP Ehsan Ahmed Sehar giving UNESCO CDs Education Makes News to Ziauddin Neem, President Press Club Mehar Abdul Waheed Sial, General Secretary Habibur Rehman Habib, Shafqat Mehmood and other journalists in the books distribution ceremony held in Press Club Laiquatpur, District Rahimyar Khan
Director Public Relations Bahawalpur Nazir Khalid, DDOR Fayyaz Hussein Abbasi and Tehsil Nazim Makhdoom Syed Sabtain Bukhari listen to President RMNP Ehsan Ahmed Sehar (standing)
Ahmedpur East 23 July 2008: Forty one local correspondents today attended a Journalist's Skills Development Workshop organised by the Rural Media Network Pakistan (RMNP) in the Tehsil Municipal Administration Hall. Director Public Relations Bahawalpur Division Nazir Khalid, President RMNP Ehsan Ahmed Sehar and the former President of the Press Club Bahawalpur and former Resident Editor Daily Maghrabi Pakistan, Bashir Hussein Ansari, delivered lectures in two sessions which lasted for four hours each. Director Public Relations Bahawalpur Division Nazir Khalid imparted training on the topics What is news, its definitions, news values, timeliness, place of origin, the unusual, conflicts, magnitude, known names, human interest, sources of news. He also spoke on types of news reporting including political, environmental, courts and crime, accident, business and press conference reporting. Nazir Khalid spoke of the difference between a news report and ordinary writing. He outlined the structure of a news item particularly the body of a news item, besides ethics of journalism and press related laws.
Ehsan Ahmed Sehar announced that RMNP was organising more training workshops for rural journalists in other remote areas of South Punjab. he said it was clear that the Journalist's Skills Development Programme was going to be popular as it had already evoked an enthusiastic response from rural journalists in different towns. He said the program was in response to a long standing vacuum in the availability of professional training facilities for rural journalists. A training manual for rural journalists in the Urdu language was distributed among all 41 participant.
A certificate giving ceremony was held that afternoon in the TMA hall at which Deputy District Officer Revenue Subdivision Ahmedpur East, Fayyaz Hussein Abbasi, Director Public Relations Bahawalpur Division, Nazir Khalid, and Tehsil Nazim Makhdoom Syed Sabtain Haider Bukhari gave certificates to the 41 participants -
Mubarakpur July 22: Director Public Relations Bahawalpur Division, Government of Punjab Nazir Khalid says the coverage of development and environmental issues is a vital responsibility of local journalists as sixty percent of the populace of Pakistan is living in
rural areas. These views were expressed while addressing a certificate giving ceremony of the One Day Journalism Training Workshop organised by The Rural Media Network Pakistan(RMNP) in Union Council hall Mubarakpur. It was chaired by the President of the Rural Media Network Pakistan (RMNP) Ehsan Ahmed Sehar while Nazim Union Council Town Mubarakpur Chaudhry Mohd Sharif and Medical Officer Rural Health Complex Mubarakpur Doctor Talha Naeem Cheema were also present. The Director Public Relations Bahawalpur Division stated that despite the airing of dozens of private TV channels, the importance of print media had not been decreased. He underlined the need of educating the rural populace on development and environmental issues so that they could stand up for their rights. Commenting of the role of the rural journalists Nazir Khalid said that district correspondents were the backbone of the newspaper and media industry. The problem of the lack of facilities in rural Pakistan was an obstacle in utilizing the potential of these journalists most of whom were untrained and unaware of media ethics. He lauded the role of RMNP for providing training facilities in rural areas and small towns, saying there was mushroom growth of the number of district correspondents after the launching of regional editions of major newspapers from several cities of the country. He opined that the power shift towards rural areas had made it essential to focus on community journalism, hence big media houses and government should chalk out plans on taking new media trends to the doorsteps of local journalists based in rural areas. Earlier President RMNP Ehsan Ahmed Sehar said that more than 100 male journalists and 60 women writers had benefited so far by attending RMNP workshops and training courses. He announced that RMNP planned to organise computer training courses for rural journalists in the current year and urged rural journalists from Noorpur Nauranga Tehsil Sadar Bahawalpur and Mubarakpur town to form Press Freedom Monitoring Committees so that when press freedom and freedom of expression violations occurred in far flung areas they could be passed to press freedom groups working with RMNP. He disclosed that RMNP was planning to release its E-newsletter Sadiq News in the Urdu language to press clubs and senior journalists functioning in rural zones, besides the holding of press freedom seminars. Later on Director Public Relations Bahawalpur Nazir Khalid, President RMNP Ehsan Ahmed Sehar, Nazim Town Mubarakpur Chaudhry Mohammad Sharif and Medical Officer Rural Health Complex Doctor Talha Naeem Cheema gave certificates to fifteen journalists -
Mohd Faheem Akhter
Shahid Bashir Anjum
Ghulam Murtaza Chaudhry
Mohd Ejaz Baloch
Imam Bakhsh Bhatti
Ijaz Ahmed
Syed Mazhar Hussein Bukhari
Syed Ishrat Abbas
Faraz Haider Khan
Qamar Rasheed Missan
Mohd Azizuddin Mian
MazharulHaq
Mubashar Hussein Syed
Shabbir Ahmed Qureshi
Mazhar Raheed.
These journalists attended two six hour sessions in which Director Public Relations Nazir Khalid and President RMNP Ehsan Ahmed Sehar delivered lectures on news gathering, news writing and news transmission. Director Public Relations also spoke on the art of interviewing, feature writing, ethics of journalism, and the Press & Publication Ordinance.
Renowned British journalist Michael Griffin ran this four day workshops in Ahmedpur East 16-19 June 2003 to impart basic skills to rural journalists. This was the first training workshop run by the CJA in a remote area since the CJA was founded in 1978. The workshop was held at the Ahmedpur Higher Secondary School and was attended by 10 female journalists and 15 male journalists. Due to cultural requirements separates classes were conducted for lady journalists which lasted two of the four days allocated for the workshop. The women were given presentations on writing skills, developing stories, the news pyramid, corruption its causes and effects, how media can help in the fight against corruption, and basic details about Pakistan Freedom of Information Act and how it can help them. A survey was also conducted to determine the women journalists priorities in the fight against corruption and its results showed the participants thought that in the fight against corruption freedom and democracy and the example set by leadership were top priorities. The result was the same for the survey of the male journalists. The male participants of the workshop went through the same course and were also given exercise to determine their level of competence.
Stories pertinent to Ahmedpur were discussed in details and investigative techniques imparted by Michael Griffin. A presentation on bonded labour was given by Malik Abdul Aziz, advocate and a labour activist from the area of Liaquatpur who gave a detailed history of bondage and how the media can help the less privileged by reporting on their plight. A local advocate from Ahmedpur also gave a presentation and discussed issues such as libel and slander. Griffin was assisted by Ziaul Islam Zuberi a columnist from Karachi, and a volunteer with Transparency International who gave a presentation on the subjects of corruption and the freedom of information act. The local facilitator for this workshop was Ehsan Ahmed Sehar and it was inaugurated by Nawab of Bahawalpur, Nawab Salahuddin Abbasi.
Amir of Bahawalpur Nawab Salahuddin Abbasi presenting Commonwealth Journalists Association Britain certificates to local journalists Ehsan Ahmed Sehar, Shabbir Qureshi, Syed Hussnein Askari, Mazhar Rashid, Akram Zafari, Shahid Bashir, Iftikhar Rehmani, Syed NajamulHassan, Imran Mueed Perwaz, SaifulIslam, and Mudassar Saleem on completing the four days long Investigative Journalism training course organised with the collaboration of Nawa-i-AhmedpurSharqia in a ceremony held at Canal Rest House on 19th June 2003.
Good journalism is at the heart of a good society. Governments and councils cannot act wisely without fair,clear and accurate information. The people cannot assess the actions of governments and councils,and choose their rulers wisely, without fair clear and accurate information. The journalist is the bearer of the information. Fairness, clarity and accuracy are the hallmarks of a good professional.
The course at AhmedpurEast ia an unusual venture for the Commonwealth Journalists Association. It is not being held in a major city and it is not being held in English. A donor to provide money was found, imaginative enough to see the point of offering training to journalists working in unfashionable but nevertheless important places. S.M.Fazal Pakistan CJA chapter President from Karachi told the CJA conference in Bangladesh in February that courageous but poorly paid reporters in the Pakistani countryside have been exposing social evils and human rights violations at great personal risk from militiants, bad landlords, drug smugglers and other criminals. Newspapers have been exposing honour killings of women, trafficking in women and children, bonded labour in agriculture and forced child marriages. Thousands of bonded labourers working in brick klins in the Punjab as virtual slaves have been set free through courageous work by human rights activists and bold reporting in the press. So as Mr Fazal points out,the work of journalists in such places as AhmedpurEast can make a big contribution to Pakistani society.
The keynote speaker and member of the Punjab Bar Council, Rana Sardar Ahmed, highlighted Freedom Of Information Ordinance 2004 and said that the press was not free in Pakistan. He urged journalists to use Qanoon-e-Shahdat to obtain public documents and asked them to play a leading role in the campaign against human rights abuses by exposing cases of extra judicial killings, rape and torture. He said Government was still reluctant to amend Freedom of Information Law 2004 and the law of defamation, despite its previous assurances. Rana Sardar said that as to access for information in Pakistan, the government takes one step forward and two backwards. Sardar Mohammad Aslam Khambra, Tehsil Municipal Officer Ahmedpur East, said that electoral politics had increased the importance of rural centres, following the creation of local governments in 2001 with provisions relating to transparency and access to information. To date media had not managed to perform its role of keeping the public informed of local government's performance, and required assistance in promoting regular harmonious professional interchanges with local governments and parliamentarians in local elections. He said that building the capacity of rural journalists to promote mutual understanding between local institutions and media can improve the quality of the flow of information to the public, develop greater awareness of rural issues by the citizens, and encourage better governance and democracy. Leading intellectual, Hassan Askari Sheikh, condemned the publication of blasphemous caricatures by Danish and European newspapers and termed it an abuse of freedom of the press and expression, which was a cardinal principle governing civilization. He said that freedom of expression had natural boundaries and limits and should be exercised with a sense of responsibility. It could not be used as a cover to engage in a slanderous tirade against personalities that command the highest reverence of religious communities across the world. He called upon professional organizations of publishers, editors, and journalists across the world to evolve a Code of Conduct for the press and other media, emphasizing responsibility and respect for culture and religious sensitivities while exercising freedom of the press and expression. He underlined the need for more training workshops in rural areas. The Director of Public Relations for the Government of the Punjab (Bahawalpur Division), Mr Ejaz Ahmed Ghauri, praised the Rural Media Network for arranging a training workshop for rural journalists to acquaint them with present day journalistic responsibilities, and exposing them to the latest information techniques. He appreciated publication of the newsletter Sadiq News which had gained prominence in a very short time. The Director later distributed certificates to the participants.
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