How Media affects the Culture…? Pakistani Perspective

In actual, both terms Media and Culture are different and have different meaning as Media is the way of communication while Culture is the way of life which includes customs, beliefs, and rituals which ties the individual or group of people together etc. But we cannot ignore this thing that these both terms are nearly interrelated and have some relationship. 

In every society, everything has positive and negative sides though it depends on us how we see, handle or go through it. It is same thing in Media also. There are some positive affects and negative ones. Especially, when we discuss about the culture, it gives us a different view because it not always remains constant but changing with time. Now, how it is affected?

Firstly Media promotes the culture; our culture is promoting through any medium like radio, television and internet. It gives us identification to the world. For example ‘Ajrak’ a unique block printed cloth represents Sindhi culture and tradition in the world wherever people wear this cloth it is understood as he/she is Sindhi or they got gift from Sindh.

Secondly Media acts as a Public Forum in which public issues like religious, political are being discussed with the basic function of mass media information and education as people use it to learn about current events and about history.

Thirdly In modern day’s internet medium (Social Media) build the concept of making online societies and relationship.

These and some others are the benefits of Media but there are also negative issues which include the shaping of culture for the purpose of the benefits or for the dominance.

Here I will give you little example of Indian culture, In the Indian movies or dramas we mostly see actress wears ‘Saari’ (a female garment mostly Indian women wear) and ‘Bindi’ on the centre of forehead. It is their culture to wear these things (mostly Hindus wear) and this is not wrong, in actual they are promoting their culture but what to others like Pakistani society sees them and adopts it. It will definitely affect the Pakistanis because Pakistan is a basically Islamic country in which the all cultural values and norms are related to teachings of Islam and Islam does not allow women to wear Saari but gives teaching to remain in Hijab.

No doubt there are some good movies available and are made by the Bollywood which depicts meaning of the life, values and social norms  with simple language and such movies remembered for long times as a best example.

But here to tell all these things, means to say that if we do not follow our culture and do not promote our culture it will be affected from other cultures as we are seeing in our modern generation they are not following as much. Then definitely slowly our culture will be spoiled and will come to end and I think it is all due to the media because media has a power to influence the ordinary people in every walk of the life as it helps in making judgments and building opinion regarding different issues of the society.

So, in the last but not least I will say each country of the world should protect and promote its own culture as it can be remembered and identified with cultural identification. 

Why Media literacy is important and what it is?

Media which itself is plural form of word “Medium”, it is the way of communication which reaches or influences the people by sharing thoughts and information that might be in the form of Radio, TV or in Digitization. It has created a lot of impact in our daily life because of information sharing related to daily routine. It not only does the function of informing the people but also the function of education and entertainment as well and this is the reason we are becoming habitual of this. But, these functions of media in which messages are sent to us, are they always remaining beneficial for us? Answer will be, not at all. Sometimes the messages or information is created by the media creators, owners and message producers for their own interests and benefits. And we people, sometimes flow in the river of those messages, do not understand what is actually behind these messages. And this is also because we don’t have media literacy because it creates a sense of thinking ability in public to understand the things.

What are the messages?

Who creates them?

Why this message was sent to me?

What tool and techniques medium has used to draw the attention?

What others thinking relate this?

To analyze these questions we can understand and can empower ourselves to Media literacy. Because these questions will answer the basic information related to the messages about media literacy. As the world approved definition of Media literacy is “The ability to access, analyze, evaluate and create media messages of all kinds”.

How it Works- Concepts of Media literacy

Basically there are different concepts related to media literacy but important are about messages and media system and their role for change. We can say in simple terms that what the information is being shared and how they are creating change in people and in society.

As first use of the language of persuasion which is found in the form of advertising, public relations and advocacy. They persuade us to achieve their goal as we can do something means buying the product or receiving the information fully.

Another important thing is that Media literacy helps us to understand fantasy and related world. As we know that fantasy world mostly leads to pleasure and entertainment and inspires our desires to go through it and achieve it, which sometimes leads to harmful situation. For example, in advertising we see different products and sometimes we think that is good one, I should purchase it, it will benefit me but after purchasing it gives no result, hence it makes your loss. So, thus Media affects our attitudes, beliefs and actions by achieving their own purposes.

Aim behind Media Literacy

The goal of media literacy is to raise awareness of many forms of media messages that we encounter in our everyday life.We need to understand those concepts of awareness that how much part of life is consumed by media and what are the reasons behind it. 

National Endowment Scholarship for Talent (NEST) for Pakistani students- MS,M-Phil and PhD

Applications for applying  National Endowment Scholarship for Talent are open now.

These scholarships are only for MS / Phil / PhD. 


Eligibility Criteria:

• he applicant must be a Pakistani/AJK National
• High academic achievement.
  Students must secure admission in the approved discipline at the participating institution as per admission policy of the institution and be enrolled in a graduate (1.5 Years or 2 Years) and Doctoral (3.5 years) programs.
• Only those students who are enrolled in the first semester/professional year in the respective courses offered by the participating institutions are eligible to apply.
• The eligibility of a candidate is linked to neediness of the candidate as determined by the financial background of his/her family.
• Applicant must be from Least Developed District of Pakistan.
• The age limit should not exceed from 35 years for MS/Phil (18 years) and PhD programs.
• The applicant must have completed 16 years Bachelors/or equivalent Degree for application in MS/MPhil (Postgraduate Program).
• The applicant must have completed 18 years Degree/or equivalent for application in PhD Program.
• In case of final selection, the candidate has to submit a bond agreement and will not be allowed to withdraw from the scholarship.
• Not availing any other educational scholarship during the current academic year.

How you can apply for this scholarship:

Firstly fill desired form...below

1. http://scholarships.nest.org.pk/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Iqbal_Scholarship_Form_NEST.pdf (For MS-MPHIL)
2. http://scholarships.nest.org.pk/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Jinnah_Scholarship_Form_NEST.pdf (For PhD)

Choose University and Discipline: Submit the Filled Form to the following Universities where NEST Scholarships can be availed

1. Quaid-e-Azam University, Islamabad MS & PhD Social / Applied Natural Sciences 

2. University of the Punjab, Lahore MS Social / Applied Natural Sciences 

3. National University of Science & Technology (NUST), MS & PhD Engineering /ICT/Business 

4. University of Agriculture, Faisalabad MS & PhD Agriculture 

5. COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, MS & PhD All 

6. Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences (PIEAS), Islamabad MS & PhD Engineering/ICT 

7. University of Karachi MS Social / Applied Natural Sciences 

8. University of Health Sciences, Lahore MS Health Sciences 

9. University of Veterinary & Animal Sciences, Lahore MS & PhD Veterinary & Animal Sciences 10. University of Agriculture, Faisalabad MS & PhD Agriculture 

11. University of Veterinary & Animal Sciences, Lahore MS & PhD Veterinary & Animal Sciences 12. University of Agriculture, Peshawar MS & PhD Agriculture 

13. Sindh Agriculture University, Tandojam. MS Agriculture 

14. Lasbela University of Agriculture, Water and Marine Sciences MS Agriculture Water and Marine 15. Institute of Business Administration (IBA) Karachi MS Business, Economics & Finance 

16. Institute of Management Science, Peshawar (IMS) MS Business, Economics & Finance 

17. Sukkur Institute of Business Administration, Sukkur MS Business, Economics & Finance 

18. University of Health Sciences, Lahore MS & PhD Health Sciences 

19. Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi MS & PhD Health Sciences 

20. Khyber Medical University, Peshawar MS& PhD Health Sciences 

21. King Edward Medical University, Lahore MS & PhD Health Sciences 

22. Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences, Jamshoro MS Health Sciences 

23. Shaheed Mohtarma Benzair Bhutto Medical University, Larkana MS Health Sciences 

24. Peoples University of Medical & Health Sciences for Women (Nawabshah) MS Health Sciences 25. National University of Science & Technology (NUST), Islamabad MS & PhD Engineering /ICT/Business 

26. Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences (PIEAS), Islamabad MS & PhD Engineering /ICT

 27. Institute of Space Technology, Islamabad MS Engineering /ICT 

28. University of Engineering & Technology, Lahore MS & PhD Engineering /ICT 

29. Mehran University of Eng. & Technology, Jamshoro MS & PhD Engineering /ICT 

30. University of Engineering. & Technology, Peshawar MS & PhD Engineering /ICT 31. Air University, Islamabad MS Engineering /ICT/Business 

32. University of Engineering and Technology Taxila MS Engineering /ICT 

33. National Textile University, Faisalabad MS & PHD Engineering /ICT 

34. NED University of Engineering & Technology, Karachi MS & PHD Engineering /ICT 

35. Quaid-e-Awam University of Engineering, Science & Technology, MS Engineering /ICT 

36. Balochistan University of Engineering & Technology, Khuzdar MS Engineering /ICT 

37. Dawood University of Engineering & Technology, Karachi MS Engineering /ICT 

38. Quaid-e-Azam University, Islamabad MS & PhD Social / Applied Natural Sciences 

39. University of the Punjab, Lahore MS & PhD Social / Applied Natural Sciences 

40. COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Islamabad MS & PhD All 

41. University of Karachi MS Social / Applied Natural Sciences 

42. PMAS Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi MS Agriculture 

43. Government College University, Faisalabad MS Social / Applied Natural Sciences 

44. University of Peshawar, Peshawar MS & PhD Social / Applied Natural Sciences 

45. Pakistan Institute of Development Economics, Islamabad MS & PhD Economics & Finance 

46. Islamia University of Bahawalpur MS Social / Applied Natural Sciences 

47. International Islamic University, Islamabad MS Social / Applied Natural Sciences FOLLOWING UNIVERSITIES SCHOLARSHIPS CAN BE AVAILED FOR IQBAL (MS/MPhil) AND JINNAH (PhD) IN PESCRIBED DISCIPLINE ONLY, WHICH ARE MENTIONED AGAINST EACH UNIVERSITY University Name Program Discipline 

48. Government College University, Lahore MS Social / Applied Natural Sciences 

49. University of Science & Technology, Bannu MS Social / Applied /ICT 

50. University of Malakand, Chakdara, Dir, Malakand MS Social / Applied Natural Sciences 

51. University of Azad Jammu & Kashmir , Muzaffarabad MS Social / Applied Natural Sciences 

52. Gomal University, D.I. Khan MS Social / Applied Natural Sciences 

53. Lahore College for Women University, Lahore MS Social / Applied Natural Sciences 

54. Hazara University, Dodhial, Mansehra MS Social / Applied Natural Sciences 

55. University of Balochistan, Quetta MS Social / Applied Natural Sciences 

56. Fatima Jinnah Women University, Rawalpindi MS Social / Applied Natural Sciences 

57. Shah Abdul Latif University, Khairpur MS Social / Applied Natural Sciences 

58. Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Women University Peshawar MS Social / Applied Natural Sciences 

59. Karakoram International University Gilgit Baltistan MS Social / Applied Natural Sciences 

60. Sardar Bahadur Khan Women University, Quetta MS Social / Applied Natural Sciences 

61. Mirpur University of Science & Technology, AJK MS Social / Applied /ICT 

62. The Women University, Multan MS Social / Applied Natural Sciences 

63. Women University of AJK Bagh MS Social / Applied Natural Sciences

Deadline for submitting applications to the Universities 30th September 2018.

For more detail you can visit Official site:

http://scholarships.nest.org.pk/scholarships/