Naveen Naqvi is Pakistani journalist who has brilliant carrier as a reporter, anchor and much more. She worked for NBC, MSNBC, DawnNews and now as an online journalist for The Huffington Post. She made some important innovations in Pakistani media and became first who tweeted live in Pakistan.

We want to say thanks to Naveen Naqvi who shared her time and views with us.

NewsMeBack: Since you participated in the Eurasian Media Forum Conference what are your impressions from the event?

Naveen Naqvi: If there was a conclusion in my mind, it was that soon there will be no choice but for the various mediums of the ‘old’ and ‘new’ to combine. The important question posed by the World Economic Forum at my session was whether it is economically feasible. I think it is.

NewsMeBack: In your opinion how important information is in ones life?

Naveen Naqvi: In the world we live at this time, it is impossible to exist without being informed all the time. The world is constantly changing, every hour, every minute.

NewsMeBack: Can you describe media in your country?

Naveen Naqvi: Pakistan has seen a media boom. Due to frequent breaking news events, there has been a surge in 24-hour news channels. Entertainment channels as a result have not done so well lately. Even so, the television and radio industries, mobile technology and the internet are industries that are growing at a remarkably rapid rate given how poor a country this is. If there’s one investment to make right now in Pakistan, it’s in the media. But as we know, booms don’t last so let’s see.

NewsMeBack: Do you think that newspaper have real problem with “old” news, because of printing process, unlike social media where news go live?

Naveen Naqvi: Newspapers are in trouble in Pakistan as they are everywhere in the world. Given that, we have just seen a new newspaper launched just last month. The print medium is looking increasingly toward broadcast and online to rescue it. As people have access to breaking news through many channels that also show constant news analysis, people are spending less money on buying papers. Internet access is limited so the social media are less influential here than TV.

NewsMeBack: Is citizen journalism serious competition to traditional media?

Naveen Naqvi: I think it is and should be. People-powered news is the best thing to have happened in my opinion. You can see from the ban on facebook and youtube that social media really challenge the state. This is a good thing.

NewsMeBack: Is there a difference between citizen journalism in democratic and non democratic countries?

Naveen Naqvi: The ‘traditional’ or ‘mainstream’ media are biased everywhere in the world. The US is supposed to be the standard of democracy but their media from print to broadcast and so on all have editorial biases. Citizen journalism offers an opportunity to break those restrictions. However, it is true that it would not be possible to ban a website like Pakistan has done with Facebook and Youtube in privileged countries.

NewsMeBack: Positive and negative sides of citizen journalism.

Naveen Naqvi: On the positive side, it gives people, citizens who are mostly disempowered a voice, a platform to be heard. In criticism I can say that citizen journalists are more vulnerable than professionals. The downside of the internet is that it gives states a tool to monitor everyone. Critics can be found and sometimes, arrested as in Russia and Iran.

NewsMeBack: What do you think are the biggest citizen journalism problems and can they be fixed?

Naveen Naqvi: One of the first things you’re taught as a professional journalist is the importance of ethics. In order to give credible news, you must check your story with two sources. It’s best if those two sources are opposing sides of the story. As a journalist, it is your responsibility to give all angles. Of course, this is not always true, but ideally that is how it should be. Maybe there can be a way of training citizen journalists to keep that in mind when presenting a report or analysis.

NewsMeBack: What is the best example of citizen journalism until now?

Naveen Naqvi: Michael Tippett of NowPublic brought to my attention a story out of Canada. Corruption cases in the police and other state tools are often overlooked by the mainstream media (as I said, everywhere in the world) because of editorial biases. A citizen journalist exposed a corrupt police officer on the internet, and eventually, there was action against him.
Also in Pakistan where I live, a young girl lost her life to medical negligence. Through a campaign by her family on the internet, phone and billboards, it was possible for them to find justice for the death of their daughter.

NewsMeBack: Where do you see future of citizen journalism?

Naveen Naqvi: I think and hope that there will be more of it as the mainstream media seems to have no option but to turn to internet content and people-powered news.

For more details about Naveen Naqvi and her carrier visit her blog naveenaqvi.com

Tags: journalist, Naveen Naqvi, Pakistan