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Blogs playing to the tune of PR agencies
2It has been almost five years now since I began blogging and I can say that it wasn’t until about 2 years back that people came to some sort of realization as to really how important were blogs becoming in spreading information and news in Pakistan.
Naturally, the sniff reached marketeers and PR people and blogs were given their due share of importance. Blogging, which was a part time hobby for us, started getting professional. Some of us really did become professional with me myself going on to launch an IT and Telecom blog called Telecomistan.com.
Unfortunately now, due to the lack of professionalism and exposure to these PR agencies and marketeers, many bloggers and blogs got influenced by fancy ‘Blogger meetups’ with free ‘give-aways’ conducted by Multi-nationals, PR agencies and the new ‘Social Media Marketing’ agencies that suddenly popped up onto the scene.
Today, many blogs stand influenced by PR agencies and marketeers, playing to the tune of them without realizing that they become biased in their approach and lose their credibility. These PR agencies keep in constant touch with you, their officers and executives call you often, you feel privileged to be invited to these fancy ‘meet-ups’, so and so-forth. And then, one fine evening, you gets calls from them asking you for favors on a personal note, asking you to blog something or the other. This is where the strength of your personality needs to play in. This is where you need to show professionalism as a blogger. You must resist the temptation to fall into unnecessary traps.
While sometimes, these PR agencies also provide you with insight that you can investigate and publish, this information may also sometimes get malicious. One recent story was broken by Mr. Jamil Arif who exposed an anti-Telenor post sent to him via email from a ‘reader’ which had been generated on a Microsoft Word document licensed to “SHAMROCK communication”, a Mobilink PR agency.
Because of the immaturity of a few new entrants and some tabloid blogs who earn on the very basis of brewing controversies, people start accusing the entire blogosphere of being ‘Sold-out’ to PR agencies and other elements. To blame everyone just like that is not only unfair, it is also unethical.
It all comes down to maintaining the right Balance between your own thought, the industry and the information you are receiving from the various sources you have. People will sometimes praise you, some quarters will ridicule you, but it is important to keeps your own facts straight and emphasis must be given to investigating stories on your own before you go on to publish them.
In the long run, even for the Blogosphere, it is unhealthy to be playing to the tune of PR agencies and marketeers. For their own benefit and customers, they will bring your blog down.
Veinna Convention and Ayatollah Khomeini in 1964
211 months ago
I have been studying and paying close attention to the life of Ayatollah Khomeini, the man who led Iran’s modern Islamic revolution and installed a new system of government in place.
During my study, I stumbled across this saying of his dated 27th October 1964 regarding the Vienna Convention and the immunity US diplomats and US embassy officials would enjoy.
This is what Ayatollah Khomeini had to say regarding the Vienna convention:
“I cannot express the sorrow I feel in may heart…Iran no longer has any festival to celebrate; they have turned our festival into mourning…They have sold us, they have sold our independence; but still they light up the city and dance…The dignity of the Iranian Army has been trampled underfoot! A law has been put before the Majlis according to which we are to accede to the Vienna Convention, and a provision has been added to it that all American military advisers, together with their families, technical, and administrative officials, and servants – in short, anyone in any way connected to them – are to enjoy legal immunity with respect to any crime they may commit in Iran.
If some American’s servant, some American cook, assassinates your marja in the middle of the bazaar, or run over him, the Iranian police do not have the right to apprehend him! Iranian courts do not have the right to judge him! The dossier must be sent to America, so that our master there can decide what is to be done… They have reduced the Iranian people to a level lower than that of the American dog. If someone runs over a dog belonging to an American, he will be persecuted. But if an American cook runs over the Shah, the head of the state, no one will have the right to interfere with him. Why? Because they wanted a loan and American demanded this in return”.
This saying was also highlighted by Mubasher Lucman on his show on Dunya News where he connected this speech to the Raymond Davis situation faced by Pakistan today.
Imam Khomeini on Shia Sunni Unity
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“Those who attempt to cause discord among our Sunni and Shi’ite brothers are people who conspire for the enemies of Islam.
Shi’ites and Sunni’s should avoid every kind of dispute.
Today, discord among us will only benefit those who follow NEITHER Shia nor Sunni”
Ayatollah Khomeini (R.A)
Crisis in Egypt and Middle East – Syed Jawad Naqvi
21 year ago
Crisis in Egypt and Middle East
Syed Jawad Naqvi
The ongoing incidents in the world have become a centre of attraction for everyone globally. These incidents are taking place in the Muslim world and specifically on that land which has a serious impact on the entire Islamic world. The Islamic world has been a victim of various difficulties since long and a new change is seen now for which there is anxiety in the world and the only means for awareness about these incidents is Media which is not making people aware about the correct situation and is playing an inappropriate role. As a result many have become victim of misunderstandings and there are some in severe confusion about what is happening in Egypt. We present a brief analysis about what is happening and what is in its background under the light of what is visible. This is because the situation is highly complex and nothing can be clearly predicted. Everyone is just monitoring from far and the most important events which have taken place is the activity which started from Tunis where the government has changed due to masses movement. Then after Tunis in Egypt and along with Egypt certain similar signs are seen in Yemen, Algeria, Jordan and other places. But before we specifically talk about these events there has been one more bitter incident in the Islamic world which the media has not raised and spread out.
Division of Sudan
This was the division of Sudan on which the media has maintained silence. Sudan is the biggest country in the Arab world in terms of geography. One area of Sudan where a Christian minority was settled was divided by referendum even though the situation in Darfur is bad but the division was done somewhere else. In this referendum it was shown that 99% percent people have voted for this. Though the number of Christians in this region is not at all near to the votes given but this is a bitter incident which we will take it up at some other occasion. In short this is a chain of incidents and a complete circle of events which are coming up.
Wiki Leaks – The beginning of Fitna
The discoveries done by Wiki leaks which in reality was information bombardment across the world in which the prime target and nucleus was the Islamic world. As mentioned in our previous write up that this is the beginning of a new Fitna (dissension) in which Wiki Leaks has taken the first step and now the subsequent steps are in front of us. On top of the head what is happening in Middle East and certain countries in Africa has impacted everyone in the Muslim world. Since this slogan was raised from the very beginning by West and America that we want to construct a New Middle East with a new plan. In this plan the geographical structure, political structure and distribution of population will all be done in a new way; and above all a new culture is required in Middle East. This has been expressed by them explicitly and they have made attempts for this. (more…)
KESC dismisses over 4000 employees, protests follow
11 year ago
In a stunning development, the Karachi Electric Supply Corporation has fired over 4000 of its employees. The company claims the fired employees were offered a “voluntary separation” scheme which about 375 people availed and left their jobs by January 1, 2011.
Strong and violent protests have followed, especially since this morning where the sacked employees have resorted to pelting stones at the KESC building and have also put some cars on fire.
The KESC has decided to focus on “core” departments and has decided to “outsource” all unnecessary and non-technical functions of the company which has resulted in this massive sacking of its employees. The employees will be given one-month’s salary as a compensation only.
In a crippled economy, firing of so many people does not send a very good signal for the government in power as the number of people protesting is huge and is likely to grow if the situation is not controlled.
Calling for a Tunisia like situation?? The government must be scared, and it has every reason to be.
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