SAMAR formulates CMGs in Frontier Province of Pakistan

Society for Alternative Media and Research (SAMAR) organized one day seminar on citizen’s media watch Group’s (CMGs) at area study centre in University of Peshawar.Different path of life included University teachers, professors, students, working Journalists and SAMAR executive members participated in seminar. The program was conducted under supervision of Prof Dr, Sarfraz Khan.

While talking to the participants Director of SAMAR Mayhar Arif said, our Organization has been working to reform the existing media by formulating diverse Citizen’s Media Watch Groups around the country to promote concepts for seeking participation in public discussion. We are also going to formulate such groups in North West Frontier Province (NWFP) to make the media a democratic pillar of the state told by him.

Director focused the current media role regarding the war on terror and conveyed a message to the participants to keep watch on media role with the view to make it more reliable. Media have various trends in different cities where some dominant class utilizes it as a tool on masses of Pakistan time have come to reduce power of dictatorship class on media told by Mayar Arif.

The Director also concerned over the role of media regarding the current situations by gives projection to Advertisements and crimes reports. Our gathering aim is to originate CMGs in the province to create awareness among the people regarding the media role in order to bring social change in the country through media added by him.

Participated members said, religious scholars can bring social change through mosque utilize as a media tool according to the teachings of Islam but its sorry to say that they have ignored their responsibilities to describe social issues. They also alleged the newspapers owners by not providing field equipments and basic salaries to their reporters. The working journalists expressed that still some elements hurdles in reporting field. We working under the direction of media concern authorities compel to cover stories according to their saying added by them. The partakers mostly criticize the role of current media in the country agreed to formulate such CMGs in province to keep permanent watch on media to improve it just to bring social change in the country.