Media persons from electronic and print in different categories on Saturday were awarded with AGAHI Awards for their best work in the industry striving for ethical journalism across Pakistan. The event was organised by AGAHI, Australian High Commission in Pakistan and Mishal Pakistan which was attended by a large number of people.
Speakers on the occasion said that the efforts of journalists and media community are recognized every year through the AGAHI Awards. They said that the AGAHI Awards acknowledge journalists' professional commitment to promote accountability to safeguard public interest. Quality journalism heightens collective consciousness of a society that builds a nation's identity and purpose, they remarked. The ceremony was hosted by senior journalists, Mubashir Zaidi and Amber Shamsi. This year AGAHI Awards received more than 3500 nominations from all over the country in more than 35 different categories from print, television, radio and online media. The AGAHI Awards received an overwhelming response by the journalist community - where AGAHI Awards reached more than 6 million Pakistanis through social media and almost 1.5 million through SMS for the Peoples' Choice Awards categories including "Favorite News Channel of the Year" and "Current Affairs Anchors of the Year" in Pakistan. For the first time in the region, the AGAHI Awards also deployed big data and sentiments analysis to measure the people's choice categories.
Puruesh Chaudhary, President AGAHI and the co-founder of the AGAHI Awards while speaking to the participants said, "We can improve our way of thinking if we work together, the media can play an incredible role in helping the decision-makers identify people-centric challenges and opportunities thereby enabling them to opt for the right choices. AGAHI Awards is a step in that direction."
This is the first year the AGAHI Awards will include the special category 'Eliminating Hidden Hunger and Malnutrition.' Pakistan has one of the highest rates of stunting with nearly half of all children in Pakistan malnourished. With the support of the Australian Government and Mishal, the new category aims to encourage journalists to write more on this important issue.
Speaking at the awards ceremony, Australian High Commissioner to Pakistan, Margaret Adamson said the Australian government was supporting the special category to encourage journalists to raise community awareness of such a critical issue through better informed reporting. "Australia's aid program is supporting a range of programs underway to improve nutrition and food security in Pakistan. I am confident this initiative will help build the capacity of journalists to effectively report on this issue and in turn inform the high priority by policy-makers and legislators to implementing cross cutting measures, with supporting funding, to eliminate the urgent issue of malnutrition and hidden hunger in Pakistan", Adamson said.
Amir Jahangir, CEO Mishal Pakistan and co-founder, AGAHI Awards, in his address said, "For the first time in the history of journalism, the content and the knowledge creator is taking the lead. In this new ecosystem, the guardians of the infrastructure are becoming irrelevant. It's the journalist, who is taking the center stage now". He further said, "Journalists are the drivers of public discourse, shaping policies, their stories are becoming a vital link between the citizens and the state".
AGAHI Awards recognizes "Credibility" as the key currency for public trust for the attention economy, where media becomes the platform to create social values and transparency. AGAHI Awards is the recognition of journalists who have shown personal integrity and professional excellence to make Pakistan a more informed nation.