Media war takes eye off hard times
Real estate tycoon Malik Riaz (C) waves to members of the media as he leaves after appearing before the Supreme Court in Islamabad, June 12, 2012. — Photo by Reuters
Real estate tycoon Malik Riaz (C) waves to members of the media as he leaves after appearing before the Supreme Court in Islamabad, June 12, 2012. — Photo by Reuters
ISLAMABAD, June 15: The airing of an off camera discussion between two talk show hosts and a property tycoon has instigated a war of sorts between news channel as Dunya recovered from Thursday’s embarrassment and launched an attack on a rival.
Mehr Bokhari and Mubashir Lucman, who till recently worked with Dunya News, were shown interacting with Malik Riaz, a controversial property tycoon, during the commercial breaks, when the three were off air. They were seen discussing questions and chatting in a manner which suggested that the interview was pre-planned to an extent. Since the airing of the footage, it has been made public that Lucman has been suspended.
This off air footage was uploaded on the internet on Thursday afternoon and by evening it was the talk of the talk shows on many channels. This included Geo Television, whose talk show host, Hamid Mir, had also made an appearance in these unguarded conversations. Mir’s programme also discussed this footage, especially criticising Mubashir Lucman.
By Friday, Dunya had decided to hit back.
Throughout the day, Dunya’s news bulletins accused Geo of having conspired to embarrass Dunya because it had overtaken Geo in ratings.
It claimed that the footage was leaked in a conspiracy to undermine its rising popularity – and the culprit was Geo TV.
By the evening, the rest of the news channels also returned to this controversy, most of them presenting the issue differently depending on their political inclination and talk show hosts were expounding on what they thought were the corrupt and unethical practices within their ranks.
At the same time, the controversy also found a new audience — the Supreme Court judges.
The full court meeting that had been called before this footage made it to the internet was used — partly — to watch this footage.
While the judges watched Lucman and Bokhari ask what Riaz would like for dinner, they also reprimanded the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) Chairman, Dr Abdul Jabbar, for allowing the airing of the controversial material uninterrupted.
All this was covered by the news channels – live. News bulletins show Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry scolding the Pemra chief.
But even this could not eclipse the fightback strategy of Dunya.
Geo didn’t respond to this assault in its news bulletins on Friday.
When contacted, Hamid Mir stuck to his position of a day earlier and said that the issue needed a thorough investigation both at the level of journalist associations and of the government.
But if there was a section of society that enjoyed this spectacle it was the political class, which for once was spared a grilling as talk shows picked each other to pieces and reached out to politicians for support.
Maryam Nawaz Sharif, daughter of PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif tweeted: “clash of the titans. For the 1st time politicians are the spectators and not the victims. Media now seeking politicians for their rescue!!”
As they were called on air to comment on the issue, politicians got ample opportunity to offer advice to the very people who have been grilling and interrogating them for years. And for once they could tell someone other than their own ilk to carry out accountability and eliminate corruption.
Nadeem Afzal Gondal of PPP argued that television anchors had been very unforgiving towards politicians and had encouraged members of rival political parties to fight with each other. He felt that now it was time for journalists to look at their own industry. “It will be better if journalists sit together and resolve their issues, instead of washing their dirty linen in public,” he added.
Sharing his personal experience, Khawaja Asif of the PML-N said, on a show, that recently when he was accused of being a dual national, news channels ran the ‘fact’ without checking it. “It was absolutely wrong.”
He asked the talk show host, “Now you tell me, how can I rectify this malicious campaign that has tarnished my image?”
Qamar Zaman Kaira, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting, also told a news channel that it was the responsibility of the media organisations to formulate some code of ethics and then implement it.
Whether the weekend will bring a fresh bout in this war remains to be seen.
Geo/Jang Group to move SC to form independent commission
Geo/Jang Group to move SC to form independent commission
ISLAMABAD: Geo Network and Jang Group is all set to file a petition in the Supreme Court which asks for an independent commission to investigate the allegations against the media as well as undue sources of influence on freedom of speech by Pemra and Information Ministry.
The petition says the judiciary and media have been doing work against the main malaise in society, that of corruption, financial and moral. There is a campaign going on to malign and reduce the credibility of both, by status quo agents who do not want a change.
The petition gives reference to lists circulating on the net that include names of anchors who have allegedly taken funds for influencing editorial policy. Though Geo Network and Jang Group do not believe these to be true, as no one has admitted the source, but it is admitted that black sheep exist in every society and industry. Identifying them is a service to the public and the industry, and the Supreme Court is requested to help by making an independent commission that will investigate these allegations and identify the black sheep and or expose the allegations as a conspiracy against the media.
Geo Network and Jang Group have also asked the Supreme Court to recommend if in order to protect independence of media it should be mandated to declare assets of owners of media, and hosts, anchors and reporters. “If the Supreme Court feels it in the best interest to do so, we will gladly declare and make it a policy for our media company and encourage others to follow.”
Mubashir Luqman-Mehr Bokhari fiasco: Naseem Zehra quits Dunya TV
Karachi: Naseem Zehra, a prominent Journalist and Director Current Affairs of Dunya TV has resigned from her position on Thursday subsequently the fiasco of leaked video containing planted interview of Malik Riaz with Mubashir Lucman and Mehr Bukhari.
Naseem Zehra was the channel’s Director Current Affairs and hostess of a programme “Policy Matters”. She tendered her resignation reportedly after the leaked video got attention of judiciary and the masses as bad omen.
Earlier, Mubashir Lucman who hosted a two-hour long current affairs show with real estate tycoon, Malik Riaz was suspended over his on-aired and off-aired remarks in the interview.
Mehr Bukhari, the co-host of the program, though explained later about the video footage and its content surfaced through Youtube but she is struggling to save her job in Duny TV, which management is also considering her to fire or suspend.
Mubashir Lucman suspended for 'off-air' comments: Report
An inquiry will allegedly be initiated against those who leaked the video.
A screenshor of Mubashir Lucman from the leaked video.
Behind the scenes footage showing Lucman and his co-anchor Meher Bokhari talking to Riaz during their show surfaced on YouTube under the title “Malik Riaz Planted Interview with Mehar Bokhari and Mubashir Lukman on dunya tv“ on Thursday. The show aired on the TV channel on Wednesday.
Sources told Pakistan Today that an inquiry has been ordered against those who leaked the video.
Bokhari is heard saying a question is planted towards the end of the video.
“Say what you want… what question should we ask. It will appear as though it is planted… it is, but it shouldn’t appear it is.”The footage shows conversations between Lucman, Bokhari and Riaz focused on the kind of questions they will be asking. Both anchors are also instructed against interrupting Riaz during the interview.
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