Summary of media consumer activism in Pakistan from Citizens for Free and Responsible Media, Pakistan, Saturday February 4, 2012: Continue reading
Filed under: Media | Tagged: a-plus TV, CFRM, maya khan, Media, media consumer activism, Pakistan, Pemra, samaa tv, shamoon abbasi, zafar siddiqi | 4 Comments »
Maya Khan: fired for refusing to tender an unconditional apology
From: Dr Kamran Iqbal (cc’d to signatories below)
Date: Sat, 28 Jan 2012
To: Zafar Siddiqi
Dear Mr Siddiqi,
Thank you for your prompt and courageous response. We appreciate the moral courage of SAMAA TV’s stance. We hope you will continue to lead by example in developing a code of ethics and directives, which you have issued for your channel that we urge, should be made public on your website. You may want to have a look at the code of conduct guidelines of the Society of Professional Journalists, to consult while drafting your guidelines. Continue reading
Filed under: Media | Tagged: ethics, maya khan, Media, Pakistan, samaa tv | Leave a comment »
Maya Khan: fired for refusing to tender an unconditional apology
Following the citizens’ campaign expressing outrage at a Samaa TV morning show’s intrusive and unethical programming, and the host Maya Khan’s refusal to apologise unconditionally, the channel is taking her show off the air and terminating her contract. BELOW: CEO Samaa TV Zafar Siddiqi’s letter in response to our email to him yesterday. This is the power of collective, visible, non-violent action — and of the social media that helped to spread the word. This will not end here. Media consumers in Pakistan are waking up to their own power, and will continue to lobby for an ethical, responsible media. Continue reading
Filed under: Media | Tagged: Activism, apology, citizens media group, maya khan, Media, Pakistan, samaa tv, zafar siddiqi | 5 Comments »
Maya Khan's 'not apology'
On Tue, Jan 24, 2012 at 12:05 AM, <Zafar Siddiq> wrote:
Dear All
I have travelled to Khi to look at this matter and yesterday Maya apologised in her program for this. I can assure this will never happen again. Samaa is a progressive channel.
There are certain other directives that have been put into place as of yesterday.
I thank everyone concerned in bringing this matter to my attention. It’s really appreciated.
best regards
Zafar Siddiqi
Chairman CNBC Arabiya
Chairman CNBC Africa
President CNBC Pakistan
Jan 27 21012, citizens’ response to Zafar Siddiqi’s email above Continue reading
Filed under: Media | Tagged: Activism, maya khan, Media, Pakistan, samaa tv | 5 Comments »
Maya Khan's 'not apology'
So after all the public pressure, Samaa TV apologises, says the programme that was broadcast (moral policing, intrusion of privacy) does not reflect their policy, and that it won’t happen again. The anchor says that the programme host Maya Khan has also apologised – but the apology we are then shown is no apology. Sitting in a bedroom (bedroom??!) with her hair wrapped up in a turban, she smilingly says she didn’t mean to hurt anyone – Continue reading
Filed under: Media | Tagged: apology, maya khan, Media, Pakistan, reality tv, samaa tv | 25 Comments »
A morning show broadcast in Pakistan on Jan 17, 2012, on Samaa, a Pakistani television channel, has catalysed what could well be the beginning of a media consumer rights movement.
In the show, Subah Saverey Maya kay Sath (Early Morning with Maya), the host Maya Khan, charges through a public park looking for dating couples to interrogate. With her is a battalion of other women, who join her in self-righteously lecturing the couples they come across – does your family know you are here, why don’t you meet at home if you are engaged, and, most outrageously, if you are married, where is your nikahnama (marriage certificate)?
When the harassed couples ask for the camera to be turned off, the Samaa team pretends to acquiesce but carries on filming with sound. As several people have pointed out, this intrusive behaviour could result in putting those couples in life-threatening situations in a country where forced marriages and ‘honour killings’ continue to be the norm. Continue reading
Filed under: Human rights | Tagged: ary report, cnbc pakistan, consumer rights, India, maya khan, media responsibility, moral police, online activism, Pakistan, pink chaddi, samaa tv, sri ram sene, vigilantism | 12 Comments »
Journeys to democracy 