Workshop on “Promoting Ethical Journalism in Reporting Elections, 2013”
Strengthening Participatory Organization (SPO) organized the workshop on “Promoting Ethical Journalism in Reporting Elections, 2013”in Islamabad.
The program was organized in collaboration with Press Council of Pakistan (PCP) and Islamabad Press Club. Some two hundred media persons (both print and electronic) from Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Taxila, Gojar Khan, Wah, Doltana and Mundra participated in the training workshop. Some of the key panelists included, Chairman PCP Raja M. Shafqat Khan Abbasi, President PFUJ Pervaiz Shoukat, renowned anchor person Syed Talat Hussain, Zahid Malik (Chief Editor, Pakistan Observer), Rana Iqbal (Senior Reporter Geo News) and Former secretary of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) Kanwar Muhammad Dilshad. During the two sessions, speakers talked primarily about the Code of Conduct prepared for media for upcoming elections and responsible reporting. Talat Husain was the trainer. He spoke on topics like essence of ethical journalism in holding free and fair election, standards of reporting at grassroots level , techniques of reporting elections, impact of free but responsible media on democracy, safety of media persons reporting elections and media ethics to cover elections. Afzal Khan Additional Secretary, Election Commission of Pakistan(ECP) shared the Code of Conduct prepared for Media before the stakeholders. SPO because of its convening capacity and credibility among the important stakeholders was able to arrange such a workshop. A review of different Code of Conducts prepared by Election Commission of Pakistan( ECP), Press Council of Pakistan (PCP) and Pakistan Broadcasting Association(PBA) were also presented before the stakeholders.
