Promote local newspapers if you want to break clusters Mr PM

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Anwarul Haq Kakar
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  • Consider: when the government stifles smaller newspapers, bigger newspapers will have no competitors. This way, the bigger newspaper owners will easily be able to form a cluster. Our advice to Kakar is that if he is really willing to break these clusters, he must facilitate registration process of smaller newspapers.

By Dr. Hassan Shehzad

Either Information Minister Mutaza Solangi has given up his space to Prime Minister Anwarul Haq Kakar or the later has taken it upon himself to delve deep into media affairs. The later seems to be the case in point here. Before we lay it down, let us state that what Kakar has said is better for media. Let us see if he walks the talk or just talk the talk.

In a press conference, Kakar got the matter of press freedom in a very apt way. “You want freedom, have it at your own expense,” he told journalists. He was responding to a question by a reporter asking that will he do something to protect rights of journalists. The reporter also provoked him suggesting that he should do something while at office so that he does not face any embarrassment when he sits in company of reporters after conclusion of his term as the prime minister.

Kakar explained that respect of a photographer and a known anchor with fan following flowing into millions should be equal.

He explained that clusters have been formed in Pakistani media, which exactly is the case.

“A ghee mill owner, or a housing society owner is running TV channels,” he said.

Stating the obvious, such industrialists open media houses to mold government policies in their favor. This, exactly, is the reason quality of journalism has been compromised by and large.

Kakar also stressed that newspapers must bear their own expenses giving example of The Guardian. “The Guardian appeals to readers to donate it one pound or so. This is a reader-funded institution,” he said.

One thing more that we think he should have said is cross-media ownership. A newspaper owner is also running TV channels, magazines and what not. When we allow cross-media ownership, we allow one businessman or woman to control public discourse in Pakistan. It sometimes seems that media owners think of public as some domesticated animals who will feed on whatever the media feed them.

It, however, remains true that the caretaker government is not willing to address problems of new newspapers. It always goes in favor of big newspapers when smaller ones are not registered at relevant forums. Consider: when the government stifles smaller newspapers, bigger newspapers will have no competitors. This way, the bigger newspaper owners will easily be able to form a cluster. Our advice to Kakar is that if he is really willing to break these clusters, he must facilitate registration process of smaller newspapers. It will promote local journalism and bring about quality content in media.

Local newspapers are a sustainable business model the world over and they will never be suckered into government resources like the letches bigger newspapers have morphed into.

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