Iqbal Jamil
Recently in a TV sports show on cricket, the Anchor called one of the participants Aalia Rasheed that she is not an amazing journalist. The term used by the anchor shows that how irresponsible attribution was made for Aalia Rasheed who has more than 32 years of experience in the field of sports journalism. Afia Salam and Aalia Rasheed are two women journalists who have not only vast experience for reporting cricket matches both at national and international levels. There are many terms used for journalists, just to name few are, working journalists, professional journalists, freelance journalists, good journalists and video journalists.
It would have been better if the anchor should have explained the meaning of amazing journalist to Aalia Rasheed and the viewers. Humiliating and using derogatory remarks, reason better known to the anchor, for a stature of Aalia Rasheed is a manifest, that how the standard of the sports shows has gone done due to ignorant having no proper knowledge of cricket. Aalia Rasheed’s credibility pertaining to cricket is without any iota of doubt. She has worked for ICC and has worked for newspapers and cricket magazines.
It all started when a cricketer turned analyst stopped Aalia Rasheed by saying that since you are not a cricketer your comments will be considered as ‘crime’ on technical aspect of the game of cricket. The cricketer was himself a fast bowler and was analysing the performance of batsmen and dare to stop Aalia Rasheed, though the fast bowler himself was a participant. The fast bowler had no right to give comments to Aalia Rasheed, as it I was the responsibility of the anchor. Aalia Rasheed gave a befitting reply to both of them in her defence.
As a matter of fact Aalia Rasheed has been an analyst for the cricket show for many years, she has been respected due to his critical and logical analysis by the cricket lovers of this country. Why Aalia was invited to the show if she can’t comment on technical side of cricket and what was the purpose of her to be a participant, only the anchor knows, not even Aalia.
Learn the basics of broadcasting, if God has given you the opportunity use your mic for the betterment not for passing remarks unnecessarily and countering a respected participant by using words, “you are not an amazing journalist”. Dear anchor of the show ask your producer, next time to invite someone who is amazing journalist.
The other participants of the show, renowned journalists did not uttered a word in favour of Aalia Rasheed, who belongs to the fraternity of journalists.
