KARACHI: Need stressed to promote science journalism
By Mukhtar Alam
KARACHI, June 9: The three-day workshop on “Science in mass media” concluded on Thursday, with the notion that an effective capacity building model should be developed for the promotion of science journalism in the country. The workshop recommended that science journalism should be included befittingly in the mass communication curriculum, while the APNS should award some prizes on writing of scientific reports and articles in newspapers.
The Federal Minister for Communication, Mohammad Shamim Siddiqui, was the chief guest of the concluding session of the workshop, jointly organized by the Department of Genetics, University of Karachi and PASTIC, Pakistan Science Foundation, on the campus.
The minister said that the media played an important role in the progress of countries and as such mass media in Pakistan, among other objectives, should also work for the promotion of science activities and scientists dedicatedly.
He said that our media, like those in the western countries, should also care for and give preference to the issues of national interest first.
Mr Siddiqui urged the print and electronic media to help identify talents in different fields, highlight their achievements and project them.
He termed the holding of the science-media workshop an important and timely development and said that in the days to come role of both the scientists and media was going to increase remarkably. Scientists should work on topics and subject related to the needs of the market and the nation, he added.
The vice-chancellor of the university, Dr Pirzada Qasim, said that the activities of the workshop should be replicated by other universities of the country as well as there was need to create a ground for the promotion of education and science culture in the country.
Among others, the dean of KU science faculty, Dr Mohammad Qaiser, chairperson of the Genetics department, Prof Farzana N Naqvi, and the organizing secretary of the workshop, Dr Shakeel Farooqi, spoke at the concluding session.
Humayun Rathor of PASTIC read out some of the action plans set in the light of deliberations and discussions made at different sessions of the workshop.
The workshop called for publications of weekly science magazines as part of the major daily newspapers, inclusion of science journalism in mass communication curriculum, training workshop for scientists and journalists, creation of opportunities for meetings of scientists and journalists.
It was also recommended that the teachers should create interest and awareness among children at secondary level regarding the importance of science for socio-economic development. Journalists should publish only authentic news based on information given in writing by the researchers to avoid confusion.
It was further said that news organizations should appoint and assign dedicated specialized journalists for scientific and technological reporting. Referring to the shortcomings on the part of scientists, the workshop recommended that scientists should write scientific features in simple language, while topics like report writing and communication skills should also be included in the MSc syllabus.
Those who spoke at the technical session, included Dr Iqbal Mohsin, the vice-chancellor of the Federal Urdu University of Arts, Sciences and Technology, Dr Abdul Qadir of the University of Karachi, Dr Tahir Shamsi, Dr Shahid Shamim, Prof Kaleem R Khan.
