THATTA: PFUJ Vice President Sheher Bano has said there was a need to make freelance journalists more economically empowered, independent and strong in the current changing scenario in the field of journalism.
PFUJ is trying to give such journalists a strong platform, by imparting proper training in journalistic principles, which can produce journalists who are needed by today’s modern media landscape.
She was addressing a focused group discussion and a training workshop for freelance journalists at Thatta Press Club, which was organized by PFUJ in collaboration with the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), under its Union Strengthening Project.
The Project is aimed at promoting Labor Rights, Gender Equality and Freedom of Association in Pakistan’s Media.
She said PFUJ has planned to arrange tailor made training courses for the freelance journalists across Sindh province, to equip them with modern methods of news reporting and also connect local journalists with international journalists and media houses who can hire these reporters for exclusive news from their areas.
“The upcoming training courses will especially benefit female freelance journalists and budding female freelance journalists, who want to make a career out of their profession but due to their local cultural sensitivities and limited mobility, are unable to work in any organization.”
On this occasion, PFUJ leader Hasan Abbas said that freelance journalism doesn’t mean to work for free, but with freedom.
This is high time that they do their work and get compensation from the media for their hard work, which hitherto is denied to them.
Journalists can get relief from unemployment by doing their work through digital media instead of sitting at home. PFUJ is also trying to organize freelance journalists at the union level.
Saeed Jan Baloch, President of PFUJ Sindh Chapter, said the journalists are being united in the form of a union across Sindh, now PFUJ wants to unite freelance journalists and create a force. In this regard, work on seminars and training workshops is going on.
Senior journalist Shahid Ghazali said the journalists are not properly compensated for their hard work, nor their jobs are safe.
Today, many journalists are unemployed, but in this era of digital media, a freelance journalist can earn better from his hard work.
In the workshop, groups were formed who shared their challenges and opportunities while working as freelance journalists.
President of Thatta Press Club Iqbal Jakhro and Secretary Abdul Wahab warmly welcomed the PFUJ team from Karachi and assured them their full support in uniting journalists and strengthening the platform of freelance journalists.
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