Pakistan's media has undergone a dramatic transformation over the last decade, from being largely state run to being saturated with satellite television channels, newspapers and radio stations. The result has been a media sector depicted by some as the vanguard of democracy and by others as polarizing and extremist.

This event that took place on June 19, 2012, featured a panel discussion among a number of prestigious media figures from Pakistan and U.S. experts and focused on the complex role that the new Pakistani media plays in shaping both domestic and international policies. Attendees heard first-hand accounts of how the media experts approach their work as well as how they perceive its importance in the dynamics of US-Pakistan relations and other key issues of the day.

Speakers

• Steve Inskeep, Moderator
  Host, Morning Edition, National Public Radio
  Author of "Instant City: Life and Death in Karachi"
• Cyril Almeida, Panelist
  Editor - DAWN
• Imran Aslam, Panelist
  President and Chief Content Officer, GEO TV
• Wendy Chamberlain, Panelist
  President, Middle East Institute and former US Ambassador to Pakistan
• Asma Shirazi, Panelist
  Senior Anchor/Producer, SAMAA TV
• Sheldon Himelfarb, Introductory remarks
  Director, U.S. Institute of Peace
• Aakif Ahmad, Framing the discussion
  Leadership Team, US-Pakistan Leaders Forum

Watch a video archive of the event!

Explore Further

• New Media and Old: Using Social Media and Radio to Build Peace in Pakistan and Afghanistan
  In the Field by Theo Dolan and Michael Dwyer
• Training Community Reporters in Pakistan to Counter Extremist Messaging
  USIP Grant Highlight