SAMAA TV RECOGNIZED FOR PLAYING LEADING ROLE IN DEVELOPING INNOVATION IN THE ASIAN REGION.

BONN, Germany, June 5 – A three day workshop on constructive innovation journalism was held at the “Deutsche Welle Global Media Summit” between 3-5 June 2009 at the European Journalism Centre.

The workshop was aimed at sharing media models to promote constructive journalism linked with innovation as a key component to improve the global socio-economic development, in particular for the developing countries.

SAMAA TV, one of Pakistan’s leading urdu news channels represented the Asian region based on its leading role in promoting constructive innovation journalism across the globe. Ms. Fatima Akhtar, Sr. Manager Interactive Solutions of SAMAA TV shared that the need for constructive innovation journalism was highly relevant and required in Pakistan, as since long, the local media has been very aggressive in raising the issues but has ignored the perspective of solutions.

Ms. Fatima said that news should not be looked upon as a piece of information or used as a tool to create hype among the audience, but that it is a flow of information which carries implications for the individual citizen - impacting and contributing to the individual’s social, economic and political decisions and pave the future road map of a nation. She reinforced on the need to link journalism with innovation so that the focus on solutions become the economy driver.

Mr. David Nordfors, Executive Director of the VINNOVA Stanford Research Center of Innovation Journalism at Stanford University also spoke on solutions being the key element in new business models for journalism. He applauded SAMAA TV for demonstrating constructive journalism and providing incentives to journalism by generating constructive and proportional attention around issues, empowering people and bringing value to society. According to Mr. Nordfors really good business models for journalism bring prosperity to the journalism industry, its audience, and the society it works in.

Mr. Nordfors said that “You can't measure a system without influencing it, which is the case of journalism today especially when covering terrorism. We are now moving into the attention economy, where information is no longer a scarce commodity. But attention is”. He also said that this is a good time for researchers to look at how different journalism business models generate different sorts of collective attention, and how that drives the collective intelligence.

SAMAA TV’s dedication for linking journalism with innovation also reflects in their programming, which has resulted in the launch of Pakistan’s first programme on innovation. SAMAA TV’s launch of the Polio Control Cell, a joint initiative with UNICEF and the Ministry of Health has also achieved great acknowledgement among the international development organizations and has been recommended as the Pakistan model, encouraging other developing nations to replicate for achieving full success in the eradication of the polio virus.

One of the key panel members, Director News Danish Radio, Mr. Ulrik Haagerup said that for sound new business models to arise, journalism needs to come to grips with its inevitable role as an actor. Instead of discussing why journalists should not get involved with sources or become parts of the stories they tell, perhaps the solution is for journalists to discuss why they should get involved. Mr. Haagerup said that journalists must find a way to do so without losing the essence of journalism, as it is not enough to show the problem and the awfulness of horrible situations. According to Mr. Haagerup, such journalism only feeds collective obsession, neurosis and ultimately, depression. He concluded by saying that journalism must cover problems from the perspective of how they can be solved, as only then can the collective attention be very constructive.

The panel members concluded the workshop by stating that constructive journalism should look for all kinds of possible solutions, comparing and scrutinizing them, finding relevant examples and involving the stakeholders in the process of finding solutions.

The European Journalism Centre (EJC) is an independent, international, non-profit institute dedicated to the highest standards in journalism, primarily through the further training of journalists and media professionals. Building on its extensive international network, the Centre operates as a facilitator and partner in a wide variety of training projects.

The main goals of the EJC are to promote high quality journalism through professional training, provide a forum for discussion, debate, and exchanges of views and experience for journalists, editors, media executives and other media professionals. It supports through training and networking, develop high standards of journalism in developing countries; promote further journalism training that answers the needs of media professionals and the media industry; monitor and reflect, via research, surveys and publications, on the present and future challenges facing the media and create and support networks among media professionals within Europe and with other parts of the world.

SAMAA TV is one of Pakistan’s leading private satellite television channels, which takes pride in its fair, factual and independent news coverage through its on-the-hour bulletins, breaking stories, incisive political analysis and current affairs programs. The channel has also made a niche for itself through its programs on women and youth issues besides infotainment and sports. SAMAA TV, launched in December 2007 has network of district correspondents and 5 bureaus across Pakistan along with international stringers in the Middle East, Europe and North America.