DCJ CUK holds round table on media ownership

Ganderbal : Department of Communication and Journalism (DCJ), Central University of Kashmir (CUKashmir), organized a round table discussion on media ownership, at Tulmulla campus here Thursday.
Dr. Ahsanul Haq Chishti, the guest of honour and CEO of the Wular-Manasbal Development Authority, provided critical insights into the trends of media consolidation and its implications. He noted that in the United States, a significant portion of readership is controlled by a small number of large newspaper companies, which raises concerns about the concentration of media ownership. Dr. Chishti warned that such consolidation can threaten freedom of speech and diversity of opinion, as it allows owners to influence editorial policies and promote biased narratives. In his presidential remarks, Prof. Shahid Rasool, Dean of Academic Affairs and the School of Media Studies, underscored the essential role of media as a pillar of democracy, alongside the Legislature, Executive, and Judiciary. He highlighted that for democracy to flourish, these pillars must operate independently. Prof. Rasool pointed out that ownership concentration often leads to homogenization of content, as corporations tend to promote similar narratives across multiple platforms, thereby diminishing the diversity of perspectives. The event also featured a welcome address by Dr. Arif Nazir, Head of the Department of Journalism and Communication, and was facilitated by Dr. Nookaraju Bendukurthi and Dr. John Babu, Senior Assistant Professors.