Mass Communication Education in Punjab: Problems and Prospects

Abstract

This paper aims at exploring the nature and scope of Mass
Communication as an academic discipline in Pakistan in general and
analyzes the level of progress in the province of Punjab – being the
most populated province of the country with a history of Socio-Political
developments and a surging revolution of academia in particular.
Importance of Media education to the youth has been finally
recognized due to its far-reaching multidimensional effects on society
and individuals. The Media is now considered to be the fourth pillar of
the state. The post-second World War growth in propagating of
messages due to the development of the electronic Media has turned it
into a phenomenon that calls for constant research because it affects
society in multiple ways. Development of digital Media has introduced
new dimensions to its effectiveness. That is why institutions around the
world have adopted it as a vital part of their academic programmes. In
Pakistan, Mass Communication is taught at university and college
levels. Using two surveys, the second in 2010, the paper attempts to
find how far Mass Communication education has expanded in
Pakistan’s Punjab province, and how will it improve the capacity of
students to understand the mechanics of Communication enabling them
to meet and understand fully the demands of Globalization brought
about by the contemporary Media revolution we are witnessing around
us.