Pakistan’s newly-elected government, soon after taking charge, announced reforming media policies and doing away with government monopoly of state broadcasters. Attesting to the ‘truth’, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) has acknowledged the visible change witnessed in coverage of the state-run television, PTV.
According to BBC Pashto service, a marked change has been witnessed in the news bulletins of state-run Pakistan Television.
The Gulf News citing a survey that the opposition parties were being given adequate coverage and their criticism of the government was being aired.
On August 22, Information Fawad Chaudhry announced that the ‘political censorship’ was more in place at the state television as “envisioned by Prime Minister Imran Khan to make media in the country free and independent.”
Political censorship lifted from PTV, says information minister
Mr. Chaudhry had said in his tweet: “All political parties and their leaders are getting coverage on PTV #EidAladha activities of opposition leaders also covered by PTV.”
“A significant change has been witnessed in PTV bulletins as far as stories are concerned after the government has done away with the censorship,” a producer working in PTV centre Peshawar said as quoted in the GT report.
Sharing details of the priority list of news stories, the producer said, “Earlier PTV used to air news stories of the prime minister, the president and federal ministers, chief minister.”
Likewise, he said, the activities of judges, the army chief and other government functionaries used to get prominent coverage earlier. According to the PTV producer, the priority list of airing news had changed altogether.
He said that, in the past, PTV did not air any news story criticising a sitting government, but now, news stories scrutinising the government regularly feature in the news bulletins.
As part of the overhaul, PTV has also started giving coverage to social media trends, which was prohibited earlier, he added.
The post ‘Naya Pakistan, Naya PTV’: BBC acknowledges ‘marked change’ in state-run channel’s coverage appeared first on ARYNEWS.
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