Int’l Conference of News Agencies begins in Pakistan
The two-day International Conference of News Agencies (ICNA) started on Sunday in Islamabad, Pakistan, with the participation of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
The event is being organized by the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) to coincide with 70 years of the country’s independence.
Iran is being represented in the event by Director General of Foreign News Desk at the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) Fardin Pazouki.
Pakistan’s Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb urged media outlets to do self-introspection and accountability to enhance their credibility.
The minister said media in Pakistan has evolved in seventy years to reach a level where it has become free and vibrant and fourth pillar of the state.
Aurangzeb said it is a good thing that Pakistan is completing 10 years of continuity in democracy and people will again be electing their representatives in the upcoming election.
The minister said Pakistan has in last three decades been dealing with challenges of terrorism and extremism, adding, “We are fighting a perception war in the world.”
She said media in the region is mostly concentrated on politics and other areas are left behind, adding, “However, this trend is changing.”
The media, she added, can play an important role in disseminating information about human development success stories.
Heads and representatives of 18 international news agencies from Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bulgaria, China, Egypt, Greece, Indonesia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia and Turkey are attending the conference.
Keynote speakers from various sectors delivered lectures in four main sessions on the topics: ‘Bridging Gap in Social Media: News Promptness versus News Authenticity’, ‘Role of News Agencies in Digital Era and Mutual Cooperation’, ‘CPEC: A step forward for Economic Connectivity and Role of Media’, and ‘Pakistan’s Role in Global and Regional Peace’.