Anas Imtiaz

Greedy JANG and Google AdSense

// May 18th, 2009 // 10 Comments » // Pakistan

I have always wondered why the media giant, Jang group of newspapers, need to put AdSense and other advertisements on their website to generate money. They already are getting helluva amount and having such ads do not make their site appear any neat. Furthermore, they have clogged the website with Adsense, and have, apparently, absolutely no control over which ads are displayed. This is bad, because on one end, they are putting up articles and TV shows following some policy and the ads sometimes do not suit that. Here is a screenshot of the ad that I’m currently getting on Jang’s website.

Why I’m pointing to this particular ad is because the same media group bashed the government when there were reports of former President meeting Israeli PM (or FM), echoing public sentiments. Any excuse such as no control over Adsense will be useless because they really don’t need to put up Adsense on their website.

GEO does it again!!

// July 17th, 2008 // 6 Comments » // Pakistan

It’s GEO again with their careless, absurd and nonsensical reporting. So what is it this time? The famous red BREAKING NEWS tape appeared reporting the death of the legenday poet Ahmed Faraz in Chicago, while he was still alive, going through hell. This appeared on their TV channel as well as their up-to-date website. An hour or so later, another news item appeared on the same site reporting the severe illness of Ahmed Faraz. No apologies, no regrets! What should we call this? Independence of media? Newsmaking? Or simply bullshit?

You can see the image of both the news items that appeared online (note the timestamp). It’s time someone should sue these newsmakers.

Whether Ahmed Faraz lives or not is a different issue, the news certainly expose the irresponsible behaviour of the most popular (is it?!) and least responsible news channel of Pakistan.

Their slogan should be rearranged to JEENAY DO, GEO!

Suo Motu Action Against GEO

// May 12th, 2008 // No Comments » // Pakistan

Pakistan’s most popular news channel, GEO News, tasted a bit of inherited agility from the post-emergency Supreme Court. The honorable SC summoned GEO for a hearing today (12th May) for a contempt of court notice. The next hearing is scheduled for 22nd May. The news and views on this action of court will vary and in probably the SC will be criticized by the vocal groups.

However, I do think that the new SC judges had enough. The derogatory remarks of GEO’s anchors and hosts against the LEGAL CHIEF JUSTICE supported by the cartoons and songs in support of the previous (or deposed) judges crossed the line of decency. The judges of the present SC must be comparing themselves with the emergency of October 1999. Why weren’t those judges criticized at that time? Why isn’t Iftikhar Chaudhry held liable to take oath on PCO and vote in favor if emergency and Musharraf’s referendum when he was part of the bench of the court?

Clearly, the judges are at no fault. They have done something similar as their brothers did 8 years back. And since they are spearheading the Supreme Court now, the media cannot do what it is currently doing.

The few important points raised by the court today were:

• Who is paying for the ads which run continuously in favor of the deposed judges?
• Who was the source that inaccurately claimed CJP Dogar’s meeting with Interior Secretary?

GEO has a history a making a news out of unconfirmed rumors, and then not being sorry for it. Being the most popular channel, it must hold the responsibility of accurate reporting so as not to mislead the people. The SC action may serve as an eye-opener.