Media in Pakistan

I got forward email this week from a friend of mine. I found it very interested and decided to share on FD Blog. Email was about wining notes of one of our young youth in US condulate Lahore's "Speak up & Win" Essay Competition.

Ms. Faiza Idrees Sindhu

Her winning note is:

"Media freedom is an essential for a democratic mode of state governance. Democracy promises the rule of law, the right to differ and oppose, and respect for the views of others. Freedom of press is violated when terms like censor, stop, shut, change, chop ,cut, prevent, prohibit, suppress become everyday command for the voice of pen. Oppression, repression and suppression have always given birth to corruption. Pakistan has an ever changing political scenario; the making and breaking of political coalitions, protests against the policies and policy makers, sectarian crises, inflation and terrorism have become everyday cries.

The expanding media is a new player in the political scene of Pakistan due to the enlarged media space, increased viewer-ship and their heightened political engagement. I believe that free media should be a synonym for a responsible media. Media has a great responsibility; it has to fulfill the decisive task of supporting a free debate, assisting the due representation of all possible viewpoints and giving voice to the silent majority. It has to keep the ruling authorities, state institutions and media itself under the accountability microscope. In despotic and intolerant societies, information is controlled on the basis of the “need to know” and restricted to a powerful few. Right to know and freedom of speech are my natural rights. Free flow of information is helpful for a citizen in forming opinion regarding ongoing political and social issues and public opinion is always helpful for government officials in forming public policies."