Time: December 6, 2010 from 2:30pm to 4pm
Location: United States Institute of Peace
Website or Map: http://www.usip.org/newsroom/webcasts
Event Type: online, webcast
Organized By: Anand Varghese

**Webcast: This event will be webcast live beginning at 2:30p EST on December 6, 2010 at www.usip.org/webcast.html. Online viewers will be able to engage panelists and each other through live chat and Twitter discussions (hashtag: #usippak).

Predominantly state-run until a decade ago, Pakistan's broadcast media
has transformed into a largely independent and proactive presence in
Pakistani society. Complementing this is the rich vernacular and English
language print coverage that the country has possessed for years.
Combined, the print and broadcast outlets have strengthened a
significant element of Pakistan's civil society as the media is now
extremely vocal in covering international and national issues,
heightening public awareness and critical understanding.

Perhaps most pertinent to understand from the U.S. perspective is the
Pakistani media's coverage of issues pertaining to extremism, the war in
Afghanistan, and more broadly, the Pakistan-U.S. relationship. Often,
there have been concerns raised by outside observers that Pakistani
media outlets paint too negative a picture of the Pakistan-U.S.
bilateral ties and that major Pakistani media outlets have not taken a
strong enough stance against extremist outfits. Is this criticism true?
What are the motivations and constraints which lead the Pakistani media
to determine how they present issues? And what are the nuances and
differences in messaging between broadcast and print, and vernacular and
English language media?

This event, which will seek to answer these questions, is being
co-sponsored by USIP's Center for Conflict Analysis and Prevention and
USIP's Center of Innovation for Media, Conflict and Peacebuilding.