What is it about?

This study provides valuable data to provide analysis of existing practices in the sampled media departments of the leading private and public sector universities of Karachi, Pakistan. It looked into the aims and objectives, the curriculum, the faculty, and industry linkages of the media programs in the region. The leading universities of Karachi, one of the biggest metropolis of South Asia, where media programs were being offered were sampled for the study. The data were collected through the analyses of the available documents open to the public and interviews of relevant heads of departments besides review of the relevant literature. The findings pointed toward the many areas in media education in Pakistan which require improvements.

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Why is it important?

There are very few studies conducted about media education in Pakistan where some available researches mainly focused on the history of journalism in the subcontinent such as that of Ashraf & Chaudhry, 2013; Shabir et al., 2011, etc.). This study provides valuable data comprising analysis of existing practices in the sampled media departments of the leading private and public sector universities of Karachi. It aims to identify the strengths as well as limitations of the existing media education models, thereby facilitating national universities and colleges to establish enhanced, upgraded, and progressive media departments through policy recommendations.

Perspectives

Even though the number of media departments has significantly increased, the quality of media education is often being questioned. The main criticism is that there is a big gap between formal media education and professional requirements. There is a callout for the redesigning of the media curricula to incorporate the rapidly changing dynamics of the media industry which include the use of modern technologies and the emergence of corporate media sectors (Murthy, 2010; Ullah, 2008). Competitive job markets, globalization impact, and inclination to follow Western content versus the need for understanding of the native socio-cultural environment are some of the key factors that demand changes in the existing media education models to prepare all-round talents.

ERUM HAFEEZ
Institute of Business Management

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This page is a summary of: The Relevance of Media Studies Education to Industry: Insights From the Leading Media Schools of Pakistan, Journalism & Mass Communication Educator, January 2020, SAGE Publications,
DOI: 10.1177/1077695819901218.
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