Jon Snow, a British journalist and presenter best known for presenting Channel 4 News, talks to Suzanne Wakefield of London Metropolitan University about how Pakistan is portrayed and covered in the media, in the context of the many issues, stories and conflicts in the region. He also looks at how the British Pakistani community is portrayed, which stories are reported and why.
The Royal Society of Arts & Commerce and www.thesamosa.co.uk launched RSA Pakistan Calling, Film Project to promote constructive cross-cultural dialogue between Britain and Pakistan. The films depict Pakistani civil society organisations and individuals attempting to tackle the country's many pressing social problems and the many links between Britain and Pakistan.
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Comments (7) Closed
Naveen
Aug 05, 2014 03:59pm
This entire video is ridiculous and patronizing. It blames everybody and everything for the way Pakistan is reported except Pakistan itself. Not even one instance. He is portraying Pakistan as the victim and suggesting that Pakistan was the white man's burden and he has let down Pakistan, not even trying to think for a second that Pakistanis are more or less responsible now for their own fate. And his idea of UK benefiting from Pakistan by sending them aid. Wow that is imaginative. Congratulations on that marvelous new idea /s Aid is basically a tool to get some job done. If Pakistan becomes rich in the future, it won't, and it doesn't have to trade with the UK just because it received some aid so many damn years ago. Pakistan will probably dismiss it as payback for all the money the UK took away from Pakistan before independence in the first place.
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Arslan
Aug 06, 2014 04:15pm
@Naveen : He missed Indian interference which is one of the biggest problems we have so far to maintain law and order in Pakistan as well as on our Pakistani Blogs. If you have listened carefully he did mention Imran Khan so he seems to be well aware of the fact that despite having majority of hard working people in this country out corrupt governments always destroyed any progress they made. Hats off Jon Snow, you have spoken the truth, you are hero of real life "game of thrones". Warm regards from Pakistanis. =)
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Munawar
Aug 07, 2014 12:54pm
He knows nothing... Because he is Jon Snow.
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Naveen
Aug 07, 2014 02:11pm
@Arslan: I am not dissing the "majority hard working people". In fact, I am pretty sure that the majority are very similar to any other regular folk . But blaming everything on the government doesn't make sense either. Yes governments in the past (Zia and other dictators) are culpable. But the extreme religiosity of the Pakistani muslims at a time when most non-Muslims are shifting away from religion to science and rationalism is also important and perhaps the most significant factor. I am not trying to say that India and Afghanistan, or present day corruption aren't factors influencing Pakistan's state today. But if you ask me what I think is the most significant problem, I think it is the extreme religious fervour and how it permeates public life, when ideally it should be something restricted to ones private life.
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Bobby
Aug 07, 2014 09:13pm
@Naveen not sure why are you so angry at this guy for saying a couple of not bad things about Pakistan and islam. Why is this video patronizing? I don't think he said that Pakistan's difficulties are "white" man's fault. He is just saying that news about Pakistan are somewhat or sometimes quite a bit skewed negatively. There are so many incorrect things that you have said that I am having to address all of them since they are all quite a bit off base. If UK or any other country helps Pakistan, we remember it and try to return the favor, not that UK needs Pakistani help desperately. If somebody helps us in need, we remember it and repay with exponential dividends. Not sure what is your philosophy about returning favors. Pakistan has helped countries like US many times just to get kicked in the teeth after their objective were accomplished. Also if a percent of a percent of population are religious lunis, it doesn't represent the millions of people who are just trying to take care of their families in peace and quiet. Also you don't seem to know that science and religion are not contradicting values, your religion may contradict science but islam doesn't, it is our duty to learn at any cost possible. Extreme religious does NOT permeates "public life". it is just a very very small percentage of a percentage that have lost their minds. Sure perception of west is negative in Pakistan but perception of Pakistan in West is not good either so there are same forces working ie IGNORANCE. Also you may still be stuck in India and have nothing better to do then hate but I live in US and have many great indian friends and co-workers and we never trade hateful comments. Find something to do, it will help you. Any thing else that I can clarify for you?
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javed qamer
Aug 07, 2014 09:16pm
Good commentary on Pakistan. It is interesting that whenever there is anything on Pakistan an indian has to comment.
It is always negative.
I wonder why if they always have negative things to say they still read about Pakistan.
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Naveen
Aug 08, 2014 01:45am
@Bobby: I just want to make it clear that I am not hating on anyone. I even agree that Pakistan is unfairly stereotyped in the non-Pakistani media. But I also happen to think that not everything the non-Pakistani media says is untrue. Even reading Pakistani media, you can see how much of the news is related to violence and unrest. And I also happen to think that it is not just Governments or other countries or other external factors who have resulted in the current state of Pakistan, it is the Pakistani society too. If you still think I am hating, well so be it.
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