Training workshop: Media’s role in countering extremism discussed

LAHORE:

Speakers at a day-long training workshop on Tuesday urged media personnel to ensure that their reports on incidents of violence and terrorism do not lead their audience to sympathise with the perpetrators.

They said the reports should instead inspire the audience to condemn such elements and engage in constructive activities. They said reporting on incidents of violence should help the government in countering extremism in the society.

Other aspects discussed at the training were formation and implementation of communication plans among the media and the government during crisis situations.

The training was organised jointly by the Press Information Department of the Ministry of Information, Broadcasting and National Heritage, the Directorate General of Public Relations,  and Global Strategies, an Islamabad based think tank.

The speakers highlighted the importance of research, fact checking and use of images. They said media personnel should avoid sensationalising their reports. They said geo-political context of a conflict and its impact on non-combatants should be taken into consideration in reporting.

A press statement issued by the organisers stated that similar workshops would soon be held in other major cities of the country. It said the purpose of the training was to evolve a plan to improve reporting on incidents of violence and extremism through better coordination among the federal government and the electronic, print and social media personnel.

The speakers included Gen (r) Naseer Akhter, a security analyst; and journalist Rahim Ullah Yusufzai. The training was attended by officials from the PID and the DGPR.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 26^th, 2015.