Lack of teachers drives women away from media studies

Statistics reveal there are only three seats for journalism in colleges of rural areas

MULTAN: The future of journalism and media studies seems bleak as the subject is not being taught in female colleges at graduation or masters’ level in South Punjab.

In eight districts of South Punjab comprising Multan, Khanewal, Lodhran, Vehari, Dera Ghazi Khan, Muzaffargarh, Layyah, Rajanpur, there are around 80 colleges for women where only female students can get admission.

The total population of these eight districts is 15 million. In these 80 colleges, the strength of all female teachers including lecturers, assistant professors, associate professors and professors is around 3,200. But the dilemma is there are only three seats for journalism in the colleges of rural areas, while the demand is high in urban areas, official documents stated.



The examination statistics of Bahauddin Zakariya University revealed the number of students adopting journalism and mass communication at the graduation level has declined by 300% in last 10 years. The data states that the total percentage of journalism students in 2007 was 46%while in the last examination only 10% students opted journalism subject.

When students of mass communication department at Bahauddin Zakariya University were asked about the reason behind the continuous enrolment decline in the subject, they said that the main hurdle in the way of opting journalism is non-availability of teachers at graduation level in colleges.

A student Waza Mansoor said, “The subject is not taken by students because there are no teachers for journalism in colleges.” He added, “This is the reason students are afraid of taking the subject at graduation level.”

Another student Laiba Zainab said, “When the students choose journalism as a subject at masters’ level, they face difficulties while studying in the university.” She maintained, “Students confront challenges at masters’ level as they lack background knowledge of journalism.”

She pointed out that lack of exposure of journalism at graduation level is the main hurdle in declining popularity of the subject.

Similarly, a student Zunaira Asif said that she has a dream of becoming a journalist but when she visited Government degree colleges for women in Multan to get admission in her desired subject, she came to know that journalism and mass communication are not being taught at any college in Multan Division.



When contacted, Multan Division Colleges Director Haider Abbas Gardaizi told The Express Tribune, “The seats of any subject cannot be created without the approval of higher education department secretary.” He said, “Seats for journalism in colleges of South Punjab can only be created after the orders of the secretary.”

Institute of Communication studies Chairperson Professor Muhammad Ashraf Khan told The Express Tribune that media creates unity between all the diversified sections of society.  “Our 50% population is deprived of learning journalism and there is a dire need to promote media education at all levels because without a vibrant media and professional journalists, the diplomacy at international level will also fail,” he added.

He said that women should be given due representation in this field by allocating teachers of journalism in government colleges.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 21^st, 2017.