Participants in the Children’s Media Conference discussed the need for children’s programming in Pakistan and promised to create a network of media professionals who want to produce meaningful content for them.

Prominent journalists, reporters and media executives, policy makers and young activists had been invited to attend the first roundtable conference (Dec 15 to Dec 20) at a local hotel. The event organised by Little Art in partnership with the Deutche Welle Akademie had three two-day sessions for three different groups. The roundtable’s objectives included launching of a forum to discuss the issues faced in the current media landscape. The agenda advocated the need to develop strategies for implementation of children’s programmes in media. The need of a networking platform for media executives, which will lead to establishing a Children’s Media Network in Pakistan, was particularly stressed.

The last three days of the conference saw the participation of senior producers from Geo and other TV channels, chief executives of media and production houses, heads of corporate communications and CSR professionals from media networks. Samina Ahmad – a well-known TV artist and producer – presented some interesting highlights from the past as well as present programming in media.

The participants discussed the policies of Pemra and PBA on the issue, as many findings were discussed and some areas were identified with a room to work as a future media network. “We need to be taking an activist approach towards recognising the need for children’s media”, said Adil Faruqui, general manager of a former children TV channel.

Samina called for producing the old stories for children that were once shared by the state-run TV and radio.

“We have come to the point where we as a society do not even realise that children exist, until something tragic happens to them, this is a misfortune of our nation’s children when it comes to media as well. We are trying to address their rights to receive meaningful and entertaining information through forming a children’s media network and we are hoping to expand it with the connections of experts and activists working in their fields.” said Shoaib Iqbal, the founder of the Little Art.

“Words are such a powerful medium and I believe through my own experience that we can change difficult situations by starting to write about them,” said Saadia Salahuddin from The News, Lahore.

Originally Published by The News