Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) Fahd Husain has said that the digital media should be used as a salve to end polarisation in society.
He was addressing a two-day AMCAP-PU international conference on “Revisiting relationship between journalism and society in the digital age for common good” at the Faisal Auditorium of the Punjab University, here on Wednesday. He said it was compulsory to adopt the code of conduct and principles of journalism for the right use of social media.
The conference is a joint venture of the Punjab University’s Department of Journalism Studies and Institute of Education and Research (IER).
PU VC Prof Niaz Ahmed Akhtar, Senior Analyst Mujeeb-ur-Rehman Shami, Dean Faculty of Information and Media Studies Prof Dr Khalid Mehmood, Chairperson Department of Journalism Prof Dr Bushra Hameedur Rehman, Chairperson Department of Public Relations and Advertising Prof Dr Abida Ashraf, Director Institute of Education and Research Dr Abdul Qayyum Chaudhry, faculty members, students and researchers and experts from Russia, Nigeria, Czech Republic, Sweden, Indonesia and Pakistan participated.
Fahd Husain said the digital age is a reality now; however, the relationship between journalism and society is becoming weaker, adding that journalism is no longer our main source of information. He said people need true, complete and quick information while providing reliable information is a challenge based on which a fair analysis is done.
The SAPM said there is need for training of social media users and journalists, adding that “many changes are coming in our society and we should use digital journalism to heal the wounds of our society”.
VC Prof. Niaz Ahmad Akhtar said in view of the emerging changes in the field of journalism, the School of Communication Studies was restructured and the restructuring was playing an active role in the field of journalism.
