New rules: Govt prepares media code of conduct

Information secretary says all stakeholders are on board.

ISLAMABAD:

The government finally announced that it had completed homework and finalised a code of conduct for the media in the country by taking all stakeholders on board.

“All stakeholders have been taken into confidence before finalising this code of conduct,” said Information Secretary Dr Nazir Saeed while addressing the National Assembly Standing Committee on Information and Broadcasting headed by Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz (PML-N) lawmaker Marvi Memon. Dr Saeed briefed the committee in its first meeting after the new government came into power.

The committee was also briefed about the functioning of departments associated with the information ministry.

Meanwhile, members of the committee pointed out scandals related to PTV in the recent past, which they said had distorted state-owned channel’s image. The members also urged for restoring the prestige of the state-owned channel.

Officials, however, told the committee that different channels of the PTV, Radio Pakistan, Associated Press of Pakistan and Shalimar Recording were working efficiently and promised to further improve these departments in light of the recommendations of the committee.

Responding to points raised by members of the committee, the secretary said the information ministry had taken notice of the national channel’s failure to air the Pakistan-South Africa cricket series.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 25^th, 2013.