HYDERABAD: Students of Sindh University Jamshoro, in collaboration with journalists, organised a national conference on “Youth in Media”, aimed to empower the youth in media industry. Media experts from all over Pakistan participated in the conference and a number of delegates from different media houses also attended. The conference was held in different segments including panel discussion, theatre performance, dance performances, and screening of a documentary. Sindh University Vice chancellor Prof Dr Fateh Muhammad Burfat said it was the era of technological trends and media was now central to it. He said media was now a strong opinion maker. He said that around 21 thousand candidates appeared in the entry test for admission in Sindh University, which had to be a record for any government university. “When I was studying in London, one of my colleagues asked me about Allama II Qazi. I gave him brief info about him, but I was shocked when he informed that founder and first Sindh University Vice Chancellor Allama II Qazi used to teach in London as a well,” he said. “It should be a motivating fact for all students that your background does not matter, focus on your future, and you can become the future of Pakistan,” he said. “Students also have to raise morale of their university,” he added. He stressed that every individual youth could participate via positive use of social networking sites and electronic journalism, adding that millions of people from developed countries had use the platform of social media effectively to contribute to their country’s development. He said it was time to raise the youth’s self confidence and facilitate their skills in media management. He also thanked Mumtaz Jamali and his co-partners who worked to make the conference possible. In the 1st panel discussion on ‘Journey of Good Media Person’, Abdul Razzaq Sarohi, senior columnist and Sindh University Media and Communication Studies Visiting Faculty Sohail Sangi and Aajiz Jamali interacted with young journalists. They said that media persons were also human beings, and prone to make mistakes, but they should also have to be a role model for others. They said that media persons must be familiar with all aspects of society and raise their voices against injustice. They said that in journalism, practical work holds importance. They also praised Sindh University for publishing its newspaper for over ten years, giving students the platform to write on a wide array of subjects. They said that social media had given the power to anyone to be a journalist and raise their point of view They also criticised the ‘trend’ of non-media degree holders joining media houses to become journalists. “We have a lot of journalists who are engineers and doctors, both professions that are considerably different to that of journalism.” They said that the practise had resulted in students with journalism degrees facing a lack of employment opportunities in media houses. In another panel, ‘Will media always be the same’, Radio Voice of Sindh – London Director Sarwech Odho, entertainer Mazhar Sethar and social activist Saima Gul Meerani held discussions with female journalists. They said that recently a number of issues that would otherwise had remained unsolved, were given attention by the media and were resolved as a result. They said policies of media mediums were also getting the turn of change as per the need of time. The said neutrality was pivotal for the media, and it was its prime responsibility to be within the parameters of ethical boundaries and counter stereotypes for females. Abdul Sattar Channa and his team gave a dance performance that was applauded by the audience. Gymnast Maryam Keerio delivered a lecture on social behaviour and moral values. A documentary on Sindh University, directed by Mujhaid-ur-Rehman and Fatima Rind, was also screened. Published in Daily Times, November 15th 2017.