KARACHI: Looking to come up with a communication strategy, Oxfam in assoclation with Mediators organised a focussed group discussion on the media`s role on youth and gender rights at the Arts Council here on Thursday.

Regarding the topic of discussion, several media persons provided insight into the matter by sharing what is going on in their media houses. Azhar Ayaz, director of researches, said that when they spoke about gender rights it also included the rights of transgenders. `The media is an important pillar. Therefore it is important to understand how the media is doing to address the issues of the youth, women and transgenders. Talking about it would help us know what is happening inside the media houses and what is not happening, which should be happening,` he said.

Hameed Bhutto of Pakistan Television said that women in the national channel were not being brought into the mainstream. `They are seen as glamorous objects, usually. If they are reporters then they are given the culture beat.

They do not cover politics or crime, which are considered as difficult and serious beats. Otherwise they are given desk jobs or made anchor persons,` he said, adding that in his view the environment where a woman would feel comfortable while working is yet to be developed.

He also said that the salaries were too low but employees were afraid to raise that issue as they were aware of beingshown the door. `We have to deal with the attitudes of the owners and bosses and accept things on their terms,` he said.

Anil Datta, senior reporter at The News, said that journalism had fallen into the hands of capitalism. `The owners are always wanting to find ways to cut down wages. There are newspapers here where even the senior reporters are expected to run around town on their own with no transport or fuel expenditure being offered to them,` he said.

`It`s the capitalist and feudal mentality that needs to go.

Sarah Dara of Newsline said her organisation had a majority of female journalists. `But, yes, the bigger political pieces are done by male reporters,` she said.

Fahim Siddiqui of Geo said that it was not completely right to say that the electronic media had not given us anything positive. `The electronic media has been around for some 14 years now. If nothing else, it has at least given us awareness of so many issues, which include unmasking politicians and acting as a watchdog.

There are several such small victories which may have gone to our heads and made the electronic media wayward or unruly, but then like children have their elders to keep them in check, we have Pemra,` he said. Hiba Zubairi of Mediators said she had spent several years as a journalist and the experience had been rather nurturing. `I have grown with my work. And the learning hasn`t stopped. I learn every day. It is thanks to my work that I am so comfortable working as an adviser to Commonwealth countries,` she said.