Guest Lecture : Mr Mahmood Sham on "Future of Print Media in Digital Era"

SMIU organizes lecture of Mr. Mahmood Shaam on "Future of Print Media in Digital Era" Karachi, October 24, 2016
Prominent journalist of Pakistan Mr. Mahmood Shaam has said that although print media has no big threat in the age of Digital Media, but it must bring basic changes in its reporting, display of news and layout.
Delivering lecture on "Future of Print Media in Digital Era", organized by Department of Media Studies of Sindh Madressatul Islam University, at Junagarh Hall of the university on Monday, the veteran journalist said that despite electronic and social media, the print media is still stable and popular specially in Pakistan, He said today the major weakness of newspapers is that they have launched their own channels also. This is why, the owners of newspapers are giving less attention to their newspapers and also less investing in them. "The newspapers are paying low salaries to their journalists in comparison with the journalists working in their television channels," he said. He further said that according to some sources, today in Pakistan circulation of Urdu and English newspapers is 12 million copies, viewers of television channels is 60 million, users of internet are 34 million and mobile phone users are 130 million.
Mr. Mahmood Shaam said if newspapers are shaped according to the needs of 21 st century, then there is a future for them, but today majority of newspapers are being published on the pattern of 1980s. The only change in the newspapers is that they are now being published on computer instead of calligraphy.
He further said that the timing of editorial writing should also be changed. In the past main source of the event for editorial writing was only newspapers, this is why editorial was written in morning, but today due to electronic, digital sand social media, news of any major event remains not fresh, therefore editorial should be written just before finalizing the copy.
Mr. Mahmood Shaam also said newspapers should not publish news of high government officials including prime minister, chief ministers etc. as the lead news, because people have already listened such news on the channels in the day, therefore, their own exclusive news or like the newspapers of the West, education, health and the news related to problems of masses should be made the lead news. He also said channels are spreading confusion up to 11:00 pm daily, therefore, newspapers should need to clear such confusion in their next edition.
Mr. Mahmood Shaam further said that Sindh Madressatul Islam University and other universities can play a historic role in such situation. He said ideologies are getting birth in the universities. This is why, universities can train the future journalists of the country very well. He said SMIU can also give a charter about the newspapers of 21 st century, politics, economy and about the society to Pakistan. He praised the role of Dr. Muhammad Ali Shaikh, Vice Chancellor of SMIU for converting SMIU into the modern university.
Earlier, Dr. Muhammad Ali Shaikh, Vice Chancellor of Sindh Madressatul Islam University in his speech eulogizing the great role of Mr. Mahmood Shaam played in journalism in Pakistan said that Mr. Mahmood Shah has given about a half century of his life to journalism in the country. Now he himself has become an institution.
He said that Mr. Mahmood Shaam is among those journalists who are not only journalists, but they are working on the idea to bring social change in the society. Dr. Muhammad Ali Shaikh said education and journalism are un-separable subjects, but the young generation has lost their interest in book and newspaper reading. Despite that fact print media in Pakistan still occupies its space. The question- answer session was also held on the occasion.
Dr Muhammad Ali Shaikh also gave souvenirs to the guest. Before the lecture Mr. Mahmood Shaam also visited Jinnah Museum of SMIU