LAHORE: The Little Art, a non-profit organisation for non-formal education in Pakistan, in partnership with the Deutche Welle Akademie has organised a Children’s Media Conference from Dec 15 to 20 at a local hotel.

According to a press release, the conference was aimed at promoting research on the need for children’s programming in Pakistan and creating a network of media professionals who wished to produce meaningful content for children.

The conference is divided into three two-day each sessions. The purpose was to facilitate launch of a forum to discuss the issues faced in the current media landscape, develop strategies for implementation of children’s programmes in Pakistani media, and develop a networking platform for media executives to establish a Children’s Media Network in the country.

The first three days of the conference saw participation of many senior journalists, reporters, documentary and film makers, writers and educationists. Asghar Nadeem Syed, prominent TV content writer, addressed conference participants and provided a clear picture of history of television programming and the importance of children as a major audience.

Talking about the importance of media’s impact on children, Syed said: “We have forgotten the importance of intellectual growth as a society, the need and want for learning and growth has diminished and I believe the media has a major responsibility in reviving the culture of knowledge rather than information. Media can especially inculcate creativity and culture amongst children who are the future of our society.”

Participants of the conference have been working on strategies and ideas on how to develop and expand the network.

Published in Dawn December 20th , 2014