TFD Correspondent
KARACHI: The International Relations Program of DHA Suffa University arranged a three day workshop on Investigative Journalism; with a special focus on Information, Misinformation and Disinformation, earlier this week at the University.
The session was attended by the people from all walks of life, along with the students and faculty of International Relations. The purpose of organizing the workshop was to learn about the challenges, prospects and opportunities in the field of investigative journalism. The trainer Mazhar Abbas, who is a seasoned journalist and political analyst, made a tremendous effort to help in educating the young minds by explaining the significance of press freedom, media ethics, and human elements and how they correlate professionally.
There is “No” replacement for “Truthfulness” and “Honesty,” Mazher Abbas’ emphasized throughout this workshop. He stated that the main objective behind Journalism is among those fields where “Passion” prevails. Investigative reporting requires a lot of time, thus only intrinsically driven people with courage of taking risks, and, a passion to inspire others through audacity and valour may succeed in the field of journalism. Journalism is a field that receives minimal compensation. The most important requirements are passion, integrity, honesty, and objectivity.
Journalists frequently refer to having a “news sense,” which implies having an innate, seemingly inborn ability for finding and ferreting out news. “News” describes a variety of phenomena, including the ability to “smell out news,” have “a nose for news,” and “smell news.”
Mazhar Abbas cautioned the newcomers that the field of journalism is not straightforward or without obstacles; rather, it is patchy and risky since at times, while looking for news, journalists become the story themselves. He emphasized that creating news headlines for print or electronic media is a skill. For example if a man bites a dog, then this is unusual but if a dog bites man this is no news. What is common in information, misinformation and disinformation one thing is common that is information. Additionally, he stated that news reports without citations were not permitted before September 11, 2001. Following 9/11, the idea of breaking news became more widespread.
Journalists have a keen sense of story. Perceive a scandal. If you even hint at corruption, they’ll go for it like a pig searching for truffles.
The news instinct is so essential to journalism that it has been mentioned in campaigns to find new reporters, the creation of news organization websites, new forms of reporting, and public relations plans for organizations that work with the news media.
On the third and last day of the workshop, prominent journalists Amir Zia, Nadia Naqi, and Sana Hashmi joined Mazhar Abbas in his efforts to educate and develop aspiring young journalists and writers. They also graciously responded to the students’ critical questions. By organizing such events, the IR program of DHA Suffa University is playing an important role in imparting knowledge and skills to the students, aspirants and practicing journalists.