Media matters: Journalists urged to highlight socio-economic issues of tribal areas

AGAHI initiative launched for capacity building of media persons.

PESHAWAR:

Journalists in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) and Frontier Region (FR) have been feeding the global news grid over the last decade by reporting on the war on terror, due to which the human face of Fata has been completely lost.

This was said by Mishal Pakistan (MP) Chief Executive Officer Amir Jehangir during a meeting between MP and Tribal Union Journalists (TUJ).

According to a press release issued by MP, a strategic communication company, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between MP and TUJ for capacity building and training initiatives for journalists in Fata and FR.

The programme, named Agahi, aims to increase the capacity of investigative journalists and provide training on responsible journalism in the tribal areas.

The TUJ is a representative body of journalists from Fata and FR consisting of over 250 registered journalists working for the promotion of journalism that covers the political system and
socioeconomic sector.

The MoU will help both organisations in identifying the elements contributing to disconnection with mainstream news agenda and fulfilling the gaps within the reporting structure by increasing journalists’ capabilities.

TUJ President Safdar Hayat Khan stressed on the need to train journalists on handling socioeconomic issues without exposing themselves to life-endangering threats. He extended the union’s cooperation towards MP’s media development initiative.

“The TUJ is the only body which has struggled for the protection of journalists in an area where there are no press laws,” he added.

Jehangir opined that the journalists should focus on issues which contribute to social and economic dimensions to change the world’s image about the tribal areas.

The programme aims to use institutionalised sustainable media structures to raise the bar of journalistic standards. It works in collaboration with the Centre for International Media Ethics (CIME), Faith Matters, Centre for Investigative Journalists in Bosnia-Sarajevo, Naya Jeevan and Zigron Training.

The programme has successfully created a debate amongst the journalists from Multan, Karachi, Islamabad and Mirpur on media ethics, interfaith, anti-money laundering and the importance of investigative journalism.

The signing ceremony was also attended by the CIME Ambassador Puruesh Chaudhry and other TUJ members from the tribal belt, which included North Waziristan and Bajaur Agency.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 25^th, 2011.