News

A learning session on “Media and Politics in the Digital Age: Constructing Narratives and Combating Fake News” was held at the University of Sargodha (UoS) under the joint China Fellowship Programme.

The session was conducted by Dr. Hina Shahid, head of the Arts and Media Department at Foundation University Islamabad, who highlighted the evolving role of media as a key political institution in contemporary democracies.
She said the media serves as a bridge between political leadership and the public, while also shaping and filtering political messages. Elaborating on the dynamics of political communication, she discussed how both traditional and digital media platforms influence public perception and political discourse.

Dr. Hina Shahid explained that political narratives are often constructed through media framing, storytelling techniques and a focus on personalities and conflict, particularly during electoral campaigns. She noted that political actors exercise limited control over mediated content, making strategic communication and effective media engagement increasingly important.
Addressing the issue of fake news, she warned that misinformation and disinformation spread rapidly in the digital era due to algorithm-driven amplification and viral sharing on social media platforms. She added that the unchecked spread of false information can distort public opinion, erode trust in institutions and deepen societal divisions.
The session concluded with an interactive question-and-answer segment, where participants engaged in discussions on media ethics, political bias, digital literacy and ways to identify credible information.
The session was moderated by Ms Yusra Binte Nisar, research assistant at the Pakistan Research Centre for a Community with Shared Future, Islamabad, and Ms Alishba Aslam, research officer at the Pakistan Institute of China Studies, University of Sargodha.