KASHMIR PRESS CLUB TO COLLABORATE ON ISSUES OF SOCIAL INJUSTICE THROUGH INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM WITH AGAHI

JOURNALISTS TRAINED FOR INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM AND RESPONSIBLE REPORTING

Mishal Pakistan, a strategic communication policy design social enterprise in collaboration with the Center for International Media Ethics, Zigron Training, Center for Investigative Journalists in Bosnia-Sarajevo, Naya Jeevan conducted a workshop on Investigative Journalism and Responsible Reporting in Kashmir Press Club in Mirpur Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

The initiative, known as Agahi covered areas such as; Investigative Journalism and Ethics, Anti-Money-Laundering and Terrorist Organisation Funding, Journalism and Society “Millennium Development Goals’’, Reporting in Terrorism and Conflict, Social Media and Safety Training. The initiative was launched in Multan Press Club on August 22^nd 2011. 

Syed Abid Ali Shah,
President, Kashmir Press Club, Mirpur - AJK

Talking to the gathering of the members of the media, Syed Abid Hussain Shah, President of the Kashmir Press Club, Mirpur expressed his gratitude for creating an opportunity for the journalists and emphasised the need for for more training and assured his support from the press club for improving the state of media in Azad Jammu and Kashmir. There is a need to upgrade the skills of the journalists on new media tools such as social media and crowd sourcing journalism, he further added. 

    

Mishal Pakistan and Kashmir Press Club, signed a memorandum of understanding on capacity building and training initiatives. The initiative aims to empower the journalist community by creating learning platforms through interactive workshops, seminars and courses in specific sectors.

Puruesh Chaudhary,
CIME Ambassador to Pakistan and
Director Content MISHAL and AGAHI

On the session, Puruesh Chaudhary, Ambassador to Pakistan on Media Ethics on behalf of the Center for International Media Ethics emphasized on the formulation of a unified ethics policy for the entire journalistic community to be adopted, implemented and adhered to counter special interest groups and sensationalism. The session dealt with the problems being faced by journalists, which also underscored the need for a joint code of conduct for reporters and cameramen. Journalists in Mirpur proactively discussed issues such as lack of training, non-supportive management, unavailability of basic resources, pressure groups, wages and the absence of a unified code of conduct.

The trainers highlighted socio-economic disparities which included gender/social discrimination, access to clean drinking water, environment, health and education  that continue to impact the community and stressed on how investigations into such areas can reflect the changing needs and priorities.

There was a special session on safety for journalists on how to journalists can also acquire the knowledge of life saving, as journalists are usually the first people to reach a place of accident or an act of terrorism. 

Amir Jahangir, CEO Mishal Pakistan

Mishal Pakistan Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Amir Jahangir in his closing remarks announced two scholarships in collaboration with the Kashmir Press Club who wish to enroll for the Masters Programme in Mass Communication, Journalism or Media Studies at any public sector universities or any other degree awarding institution in Azad Jammu Kashmir and other parts of Pakistan. The Kashmir Press Club will help Mishal in identifying the most deserving candidate for this scholarship.

Agahi, aims to utilize institutionalized, sustainable media structures in Pakistan to raise the bar of journalistic standards through training to increasing responsible, balanced reporting and investigative journalism. The initiative is being carried in collaboration with the Press Clubs in Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pukhtoonkhwa and Azad Kashmir; In these series of interactions with the stakeholders a special Journalism Awards is being created to identify the most respectful and responsible journalists in investigative journalism.

The workshop was attended by more than 50 press club members. The Kashmir Press Club was founded in 1978 and has more than 70 full time members and almost 100 affiliated members.