KARACHI, Nov 6: An effective media can play a vital role in changing social values and people’s behaviour by mobilising public opinion on major national issues.

City Naib Nazim Nasreen Jalil said this at a function held here in the honour of visiting delegates of a two-day inter-disciplinary international conference on media and social change on Wednesday night.

The conference was organised by the faculty of Arts, University of Karachi.

The city naib nazim said the media always played an important role in the democratic process of a country. She said an independent media with a constructive approach with also instrumental in playing a significant role in the development of a country and reformation of society.

Ms Jalil appreciated the role of the media in the country and credited it was mobilising public opinion on major issues such as the Constitution’s Article 58(2)b, the 17th Amendment and the Nov 3, 2007 emergency.

At the same time, she said, the media should not ignore activities of extremist elements and what she called the presence of the Taliban in the city. She maintained that it was the duty of the media to report terrorist acts and, at the same time, avoid projecting terrorists as heroes.

Welcoming the victory of Barack Obama in the US presidential elections, she described the result as a harbinger of social change in the world.

Highlighting the role of the media in the context of new social changes, she said the media should now work for the elimination of feudalism from society and promotion of egalitarian values.

She said: “The massive influencing power of the media makes it more responsible for promoting what is in the best interest of the nation.”

The naib nazim also informed the audience about the development activities in the city. She said several uplift projects aimed at improving the life of the people had been completed.

Coordinator of the conference Dr Anila Ambar said that the objective of the conference was to facilitate discussion on the media’s role in promoting social values and raising the level of critical understanding and lessons learnt in this concern, and how developing countries could benefit from it.

The banquet meeting was also addressed by Russian scholar Dr Zamaraeva Natalia.

Vice-Chancellor of Karachi University Dr Pirzada Qasim, dean of the KU Arts Faculty Dr Mohammad Shamsuddin, secretary of KU Teachers Association Shakeel Farooqi, director of Research Centre of Balochistan University Manzoor Kundi and Prof (Dr) Mahmood Ali Shah and members of the City Council attended the meeting.

Earlier, the delegates also visited the City Council building.