A viatical settlement company can take on several forms. It cannot, however, be the actual insurance company that issued the policy, a savings bank, credit union, or any other licensed lending institution. Viatical settlements cannot occur between private parties, such as a close friend or relative. They cannot take on the form of a loan against the value of the policy by the issuing insurance company. The viatical settlement company is an outside, third party, that functions as a “for profit company”. As a general business model, the viatical settlement company will provide a cash settlement, possibly a lump sum or series of payments, or other forms of compensation before the death of the insured actually occurs. In exchange for this service, the insured will, in most cases, be required to “sign over” their policy to the company providing the funds, in essence making them the owner and beneficiary of the policy. There are, however, a great deal of rules and regulations that must be adhered to in order to facilitate this transfer of policy ownership.

As a rule, all viatical settlements are required to be approved by the insurance commissioner of the state in which the transaction is to occur. Strict regulations state that the insured be given a grace period in which to change their mind, or make new arrangements. Also, there is a registration fee for the viatical settlement company, which must be renewed annually. Anyone ever convicted of fraud or any type of criminal activity are expressly prohibited from working for one of these companies. For more information on these and other insurance programs, check online at InsuranceQuotes.org, or any other trusted site to learn more information.

Before you even think about bankruptcy, check out your position and options under Chapter 7 bankruptcy where debt settlement rules entitle you to a respite period to recover from your debts. It is easy when you know how and it is very important to know how to do it right. If done correctly, you will not only gain time to pay back your debts and be saved from going ahead with the bankruptcy, but also you will have the scope to learn quite a few things about money management and law.

Most people, who are forced by various circumstances into bankruptcy, are bitter and frustrated. You need not be so. Look always at the glass half full and not the glass half empty. It is true that bankruptcy seems like a dead- end. However, as a wise man once put it, “Problems are nothing but opportunities in disguise.”

When you reach the state of bankruptcy, you would feel depressed and destroyed. Do not rather use this opportunity to learn about the law and the provision it offers the to-be-bankrupt people like you and ensure that you would never reach this point again in your life. Take the help of an experienced and astute legal professional so you would be able to use the law to your benefit and ensure that you do not allow this situation to harm you more than it has.

The court would under various clauses, tends to give you the benefit of doubt, and offers you a chance to recover and make good your debts over a time that you would feel adequate. This is where a reputed lawyer would be very helpful as he or she could guide you to get the most benefit of such protection so you could find your feet without too much stress and anguish.

Many people who chose to save money and filed for bankruptcy themselves found that they missed out on many such clauses that could have made their lives much easier post and through the bankruptcy process. They lose their peace of mind and they lose much more than they should have under the law when they go bankrupt. Do not make this mistake. Do not spare any cost or effort to get hold of the best available lawyer in this field for this problem.

Lastly, make it a point to learn from this experience. There is a lot to learn here. What brought you to this point? What could you have done to avert such mishap? What do you need to ensure that such a problem never occurs in your life? What the laws say regarding a bankrupt person and what are his/ her right in such a spot? Why debt management counseling is important when you find yourself in debt for the first time? It is necessary because these helpful points can change your life forever.

As you can see, reaching this stage of your life does not mean you have lost anything because there is always the future for you. And if you think you have reached the rock bottom here, this is good news, for there would be no other way to go but up from here.

Related Life Settlement News Articles

What is the structured settlement quote? It is needed, when a person wants to buy structured settlement and try to find the best company and the best terms for his bought. This article presents 5 things, which are important in this process.

You do not need a structured settlement quote from an illegal company. Fortunately the Internet community knows, what companies are legitimate ones and what are worth to take the structured settlement quote. The structured settlements are important products and will influence on your life during a long period of time.

1. An Expert Can Guide.

To take a structured settlement quote requires experience from the taxation, court handling, investments and about the trusted companies, who sell these products. I would recommend, that every person, who has not a previous expertise would turn to a respected and well known attorney, tax advisor and financial planner to get the needed guidance.

2. The Original Annuitant.

When you take a settlement quote from an original annuitant, the settlement is priced with a reduced price in an exchange of a lump sum of money. The cash today is more valuable, tha the cash tomorrow. When a bought happens from the original annuitant it will guarantee a favorable yield.

3. The Settlement Broker.

A reputable settlement broker can take a structured settlement quote for you. This can be a good alternative, because an experienced broker knows the market and the practises. The experienced broker can have a big influence on the profit of the settlement, which can be substantially higher than from the corporate bonds or treasury securities.

4. The Insurance Company.

If you think, that the insurance companies are good places to take a settlement quote, that is true. But you have to take into account one big thing. These investments are backed by the insurance companies, which the broker has arranged. This is the reason, why they include sales charges and big commissions, which leads to a smaller profit.

As the recent financial news have told us, even the biggest insurance companies can meet serious troubles. It is a must to research the financial status of the recommended company and to discuss with an expert.

5. The Role Of The State Insurance Funds.

Usually the annuities are guaranteed by the state insurance funds and are planned to protect the potential losses of the annuity holders. However, if the insurance company is not capable to pay, the process will be a long one.

These were the 5 steps. As you see, to buy a settlement is a serious financial operation and needs a lot of information from trusted and reputable people. When you handle the process with the experts, the settlement can offer a carefree financial future, tax free.

More Life Settlement News Articles

Describe the issue or the question you have and/or what action you believe the lender should take.
Attach copies of any related written materials.
Describe any conversations with customer service regarding the issue and to whom you spoke.
Describe any previous steps you have taken or attempts to resolve the issue.
List a day time telephone number in case a customer service representative wishes to contact you.
I understand that under Section 6 of RESPA you are required to acknowledge my request within 20 business days and must try to resolve the issue within 60 business days.

Sincerely, [Your name] REMEMBER: This letter SHOULD NOT be included with your mortgage payment, but should be sent separately to the customer service address. And, it is very important that you continue to make the required mortgage and escrow payment until the request is resolved. Loan Transferred to New Servicer. Your loan servicer is required to notify you in writing at least 15 days before the servicing of your loan is transferred to a new servicer. The notice must include the following information: * The effective date of the transfer, the date your current servicer will stop accepting payments and the date the new servicer will begin accepting them. * The name, address, and toll-free or collect call telephone number for the new servicer. * Information that tells whether you can continue any optional insurance, such as mortgage life or disability insurance, and what action, if any, you must take to maintain coverage. * A statement that the transfer of servicing does not affect any term or condition of your mortgage documents other than the terms directly related to the servicing of the loan. Treatment of Payments During Transfer Period. During the 60-day period beginning on the effective date of the transfer, the payment may not be treated as late if you mistakenly send it to the old mortgage servicer instead of the new one. Escrow Account. RESPA does not require that you maintain an escrow account for the purpose of paying property taxes, hazard insurance, etc. Nor does RESPA have any jurisdiction over the decision of the lender or servicer to require or terminate an escrow account. RESPA does, however, provide you with the following protections with regard to the escrow account:

If your lender or mortgage servicer requires you to maintain an escrow account for the purpose of paying property taxes, hazard insurance, etc., RESPA requires that the servicer pay such items by the dates due to avoid a penalty or late charge.
RESPA sets limits on the maximum amount of money the servicer may require you to maintain and pay in the escrow account. (More information about escrow accounts, including how to calculate the maximum amount RESPA allows the lender to require in the escrow account.)

Multistate Home Lending www.multistatehomelending.com and The Manufactured Home Lending Source www.mh-lending.com are committed to full and complete disclosure. All of our loan officers are registered with the Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System and Registry (Registry), a database established by the Conference of State Bank Supervisors (CSBS) and the American Association of Residential Mortgage Regulators to support the licensing of mortgage loan originators by the States. As part of this registration process, mortgage loan originators must furnish to the Registry background information and fingerprints for a background check. The S.A.F.E. Act generally prohibits employees of an agency-regulated institution from originating residential mortgage loans without first registering with the Registry.

Times have become tough financially because of your credit card bills having piled up, so no doubt you must be looking for debt settlement advice to help get you out of the jam.

The best possible source of information when it comes to looking for an authentic debt settlement program would be the Internet where you will be greeted by thousands of companies and individuals prepared to lend you a helping hand.

They will pepper you with debt settlement advice and will help you set the ball rolling when it comes to settling your dues and starting over again financially. But like in real life, there are numerous unscrupulous elements to be found on the Internet and you have to watch out for them.

Some will set up a phony website to tempt you into seeking them out for debt settlement advice but will be quick to ask for money upfront. Failing that, they will ask for bank account details once they have a superficial chat with you and say the details are required to allow them to access your accounts in order to pay off the monthly installments to your credit card company, for example.

Do not be fooled

However, do not be fooled by all the sweet talk and the fancy website because these are nothing but con artists out to take your money. You should, stay away from them at all costs and the best way to go about things would be to do a bit of research or detective work yourself.

You could check news sites about information on companies who have been pulled up by authorities for swindling people, talk to colleagues, friends and family about whether they have any advice on who to turn to and make sure you do everything right.

At the outset you should remember no company will ask you for money upfront or seek out your bank details. The way settlement firms work is that once an agreement is reached in a negotiation they will take a commission based on a percentage of the money they have saved you by having the interest rates reduced and fees and charges waived.

Debt settlement companies are widely available in just about every state however some are just flat out more experienced than others in debt negotiation. That’s why it’s so important for consumers to use debt relief networks. These networks qualify and only accept the best performing debt settlement companies. To find a legitimate debt settlement company in your state check out the following link:Free Debt Advicecontact us for free debt advice = 8883613619

October 10, 2011 KOMO 4 News MOXNews.com
Video Rating: 4 / 5

You can clear your mind about price costing, last year many fraudulent companies do fraud and showing fake resolution take higher cost and after that FTC declare the one specific rule for debt companies “no advance cost” it meant service liable to claim for the full service charges as client will completely debt free. From this law several tensions of borrowers resolve and easily find recognized assistance in shorter period and for that the preference of internet much better compare to direct time wasting. The word “promise” have very important in this course of action and based of comprising. In this financial solution agreement of sufficient repayment planning is done between only debtor and creditor to keep out from the long term hurdle of debts.

In transaction is really fast and advisor consult quickly with creditor on your behalf. This fiscal action is well popular type of debt relief service and very effective to achieve for resolution. Debt advisor can start up the processing by lowering the higher different rates and construct new attractive rate. The good news advisor provides by trim down the half portion from you total and outstanding owed. The technique of monthly pay off owed amount is simple and adjustable. While the span you consider with condition but usually for fully clear up maximum 18 months. lets understand with simple example of your personal life if you owed approx ,000 with interest rate for the occasion of shopping, debt advisor can bring down actually up to half or called you have payoff only 000  in a month small portion.  

Assume the hopes always cheerful as you share your troubles with legitimate debt advisor and they refer way of debt settlement program. On your credit report the affect of regular repayment is really encouraging and scores would be enhanced. The cutting in overspending will help you to recover the stand deficit slowly and afterward increase the production strength. Pledge is not allowed to submit for strong reference. Overall, you should work out with encouraging confidence level.

www.getcredithealthy.com As seen on NBC News – consumer help and BBB Accredited. Get Credit Healthy uses the best practices in lending! Their process is designed with a 7-Step program to get your Credit healthy again. This program includes one-on-one mentoring by one of our FCRA and FICO certified Credit Wellness Advisors. This mentoring includes a personalized and inclusive credit analysis (Credit Health Report,) as well as personal guidance and education for obtaining true and sustainable credit health for life. If you’re on the web searching for the following search terms… Debt settlement agency Atlanta GA Credit repair after bankruptcy DC Bad credit car dealerships bay area Bad credit mortgage lenders Texas Debt Settlement help east bay Debt negotiation services Florida then you need to visit www.getcredithealthy.com today. 877 850 3444 ext 1

BY MALIK TARIQ MALIK

INTRODUCTION

Media play a major role in the lives of people all over the world in this global age. Print media is more worthy and trustful source of information in Pakistan. In the Pakistan the readership of daily newspapers is higher.

The researcher of this study is interested in investigating news-seeking patterns of both the communities’ i.e. academicians as well as administrators in the areas of national and international affairs, politics, education, economic, health, sports etc. Nobody reads the whole newspaper but he or she tries to look for the news they are interested in. They get and update their knowledge and information about their particular field of interest. Some of the readers read only political news; others may go to economy page as well because they want to invest their money and are interested in knowing a country’s political and economic situation. Proper economic and politics condition is a motivating factor for investors to make investment. Some other readers are getting only information on education and health.

NEWS CONCEPT

Man can subsist without newspaper but no newspaper can subsist without news. News is a regular part of life. Definition of News is not an easy task. News is a simple word easily understood by those who deal with it. In a way it is one of the most complex words in our vocabulary, for it is endless in variety. Although most of the definitions are familiar by now yet News is certainly more than the Webster definition that is “a report of recent events”, “fresh information concerning something that has recently taken place”.

News is recent events and happening, especially those that are unusual or notable. According to Microsoft Encarta Dictionary “a report of any recent event” or “situation” and as the report of events published in a newspaper or information about current events printed in newspapers or broadcast by the media is called news. Therefore, according to this definition, news is what happens and what people feel, think, say and do. So, that news consists chiefly of unpublished reports of those activities of people which interest, inform, educate or entertain the public.

News is infact a communication between human beings. From the earliest period of human civilization, when people started exchanging ideas, the information or ideas started flowing from one person to another. With the organisation and development of the society, the transfer of ideas and information also increased and the process became more accurate and scientific.

IMPORTANCE OF NEWS

News to define its meaning is information provided to the public about the world around them. This information is important to them because equipped with the latest information about an issue; the public is able to decide their course of action. News is the accurate, timely and to the point report of an event. It is not the event itself, but the description of the event by a reporter. The importance of news has increased rapidly. It is the newspaper where we can find the news in more detail, and can be preserved and retained for any period of time. Today the press has become a social instrument, whether it wishes to be or not. As a social instrument, the newspaper finds place permanently in thousand of homes, and thus influences every member of the family indirectly.

PRINT MEDIA

Newspaper, publication usually issued on a daily or weekly basis, the main function of which to report news. Many newspapers furnish special information to readers, such as weather reports, television schedules, and listings of stock prices. They provide commentary on politics, economics, and arts and culture, and sometimes include entertainment features, such as comics and crossword puzzles. In nearly all cases and in varying degrees, newspapers depend on commercial advertising for their income.

Like division of media in Pakistan, people also enjoy both the urban and rural culture. It is very much obvious in Pakistan that national newspapers have their own monopoly. Print media is more worthy and trustful source of information in Pakistan as compared to Television which is in tight control of government. The reason may be to buy a newspaper is cheaper than to have a television set in home, and secondly people can see more news as compared to television bulletin. A newspaper is universally expected to perform four functions, in a democratic society.

? It must collect and disseminate objectively the day’s news.
? It must interpret and explain news in order to assist the readers in forming intelligent opinions.
? It must guide public opinion after presenting impartially both sides of every issue and point out the way to the greatest good for the greatest number. Thus essentially a newspaper is an institution of society aiming at public welfare.
? It should perform the duty of entertaining to the public.

However, there is another side to the picture, too vital to be ignored. A newspaper is a commercial enterprise that naturally seeks profit. For that it has to mould itself in such a way that it could be an acceptable commodity for a large number of people sufficient for its sustenance. Thus a newspaper in order to survive has to strike a balance between its position as an institution of society and as a commercial enterprise.

HISTORY OF NEWSPAPER

Like all other human fields of improvement, newspapers also had a systematic, slow but steady growth. Mehdi Hassan and Dr. Abdus Salam wrote in their book “Journalism for All” (1988, p. 67–80). According to Mehdi and Salam news was started in early 60 B.C. the history of the modern press is closely linked up with the invention of printing and the printing press. According to S. Natarjan; the art of printing from negative relief’s was known in China around 594 A.D., and from there spread along the caraven routes to the west where taking impressions from wooden blocks became quite common. In 1768, William Bolts was deported from Calcutta to Madras enroot to Europe, because he dared to set up a printing press in Calcutta. James Augustus Hicky’s, at any rate, was the proprietor of the Bengal Gazette, or Calcutta General Advertiser, the first newspaper to be published in India. The first issue appeared on Saturday, January 29, 1780, announcing itself as a weekly political and commercial paper open to all parties but influenced by none”, “Much of its pages were devoted to advertisements. It was a two sheet paper, about 12 inches by 8 inches, with three columns printed on both sides. Warren Hastings, in which the pioneer journalist of Indo-Pakistan subcontinent scored some success, it was finally crushed.

However, in recent years the standard of newspaper, which could survive in existing circumstances, has considerably improved both content wise and in appearance. Especially the Urdu newspapers have changed altogether and can now be compared with any advanced newspaper.

This was a bulletin Printing, name used for several processes by which words, pictures, or designs are reproduced on paper, fabrics, metal, or other suitable materials. These processes, sometimes called the graphic arts, consist essentially of making numerous identical reproductions of an original by mechanical means, and the printed book has thus been called the first mass product.

Before the invention of printing machines, people spread news by word of mouth, written letters, or public notices. As more people learned to read and write, news reports gained added reliability. Newspaper publishers estimate that nearly six out of ten adults in the United States and Canada read a newspaper every day, and seven out of ten read a paper each weekend. By the time they see a newspaper; most people have already learned about breaking news stories on television or radio. Readers rely on newspapers to provide detailed background information and analysis, which television and radio newscasts rarely offer. Newspapers not only inform readers that an event happened but also help readers understand what led up to the event and how it will affect the world around them.

Newspapers trace their roots to handwritten news sheets posted daily in the public marketplaces of ancient Rome. The first printed newspapers appeared in China during the Tang dynasty (AD 618-907). These newspapers were printed from carved wood blocks. Precursors to modern papers first appeared in Venice, Italy, in the middle of the 14th century. Newspapers as known today, complete with advertising and a mixture of political, economic, and social news and commentary, emerged in Britain in the mid-18th century.

In modern times, newspapers that share a similar structure and function are published all over the world. This global press traces its origin to British papers of the 18th century. Though threatened by censorship in the years proceeding, during, and following the world wars, the global press maintained the tradition of freedom of the press first established in London.

Newspapers clearly state the journalistic salience of an item through its page placement, headline and length. In short we say that mass communication and newspapers is a process through which the social reality is transmitted. Newspaper, publication usually issued on a daily or weekly basis, the main function of which is to report news. Many newspapers also furnish special information to readers, such as weather reports, television schedules, and listings of stock prices. They provide commentary on politics, economics, and arts and culture, and sometimes include entertainment features, such as comics and crossword puzzles. In nearly all cases and in varying degrees, newspapers depend on commercial advertising for their income.

HISTORY OF SUB-CONTINENT NEWSPAPERS

Like all other human fields of improvement, newspapers also had a systematic, slow but steady growth. A short history of the press as it began in early times can help us in understanding the dimensions of its growth. The history of the modern press is closely linked up with the invention of printing and the printing press.

The institute of newsletters came much later. Dr. Abdus Salam Khurshid pioneering work on “Newsletters in the Orient” throw light on the origin of newsletters in the sub-continent. It was the Ghaznavide Muslim rulers who are said to have introduced the system in India towards the end of the 10th century. The newsletters played the major role in satisfying this quest for news and moulding public opinion before the printed newspapers became a reality.

Bengal, a part of which is now Bengla Desh, was the forerunner in modern journalism in the whole of the sub-continent. It was in Bengal that the first newspapers in India made there appearance and then the seeds of awakening were spread over the length and breadth of the rest of the country, beginning of course, with some pockets of British colonies such as Madras and Bombay. Since, modern newspapers in India had their origin in the needs of the small but growing European colonies sprinkled over the capitals of the presidency towns.

Journalism in those days was hardly considered a profession for decent men. The government of Bengal, under the Company rule, once contemplated the publication of a newspaper of their own so that, among other things, they may “put out of existence and needy indolence a few European adventures who were found unfit to be emerged in any creditable method of subsistence”. It is stated about C. H. Clay, the editor of the “Madras Courier”, that “he had the entry of good society, because he was clerk of the Chief Justice”. In 1768, William Bolts was deported from Calcutta to Madras enrooted to Europe, because he dared to set up a printing press in Calcutta. In 1780, James Augustus Hicky’s “weekly political and commercial paper open to all parties but influenced by none”, the Bengal Gazette, or the Hicky Gazette as it was popular and known, was refused transmission through the post office, and, after a historical struggle with Warren Hastings, in which the pioneer journalist of Indo-Pakistan subcontinent scored some success, it was finally cursed. William Duan of the Bengal Journal, was expelled from India, went to America and established himself as a newspaperman. Almost from its birth, the all absorbing interest of the Indian press had been politics. James Augustus Hickey started the Bengal Gazette in 1780; some eighty years after the first daily newspaper in England had commenced publication.

Even before Indian editors used their pens to fight for the freedom of their homeland, there was a strong political flavour to the press and very soon censorship of one kind or another was enforced, even though the people on whom it was imposed belonged to the ruling race. Editors in madras and Bombay soon followed their Calcutta forerunner into trouble with authority, which then of course was the company, very jealous of its position and highly intolerant of criticism by what were regarded as outsiders.

James Augustus Hickey, at any rate, was the proprietor of the Bangal Gazette or Calcutta General Advertiser, the first newspaper to be published in India. The first issue appeared on Saturday, January 29, 1780, announcing itself as a weekly and commercial paper, open to all parties, but succeed by none, “many of its pages were devoted It was a two sheet paper, about 12 inches by 8 inches, with three columns printed on both sides. The second newspaper to be started in the Indo-Pakistan sub-continent was “The Indian Gazette or Calcutta Public Advertiser” published in 18th century. This was launched by Mr. P. Reed and Mr. B. Messink in November 1780.

The contents of the press in the 18th century reveal the influence of James Augustus Hickey. Foreign news, parliamentary debates of England, extracts from English newspapers, social news, letters to the editors and poets corners furnished most of the reading material. The second stage of Indian journalism started when the Baptist missionaries at Serampur, a Dutch settlement, started bringing out a monthly magazine in Bengali, the first of its kind to be published in a native language. “The Friend of India” a monthly periodical was also launched by the Serampur missionaries in April, 1818.

The first Indian-owned newspapers did not come out till the beginning of the 19th century. These newspapers were brought out to counteract the English and missionary influence on the local population. It is significant to note, therefore, the first such newspaper that was to come out was neither in the language of the area where it originated, that is, Bengal, nor in the language that was still deeply entrenched in the soil and in the courts and other official dealings, Persian. It was in English. Within the space of a few years, many other local owned newspapers were on the scene. The first Urdu newspaper in the subcontinent was “Jam-i-Jahan Numa” appeared in 1822. Bengal also claims the rare distinction of being the home of the first Hindi newspaper as well, “Qodunt Martund” launched in Calcutta in 1826. Calcutta, which was first to fall under British colonial rule of the three English colonies other two being Madras and Bombay – remained the most important and largest press centre during 19th century.
1.7 GROWTH OF MUSLIM PRESS IN SUBCONTINENT

The tempo of political agitation was quickened by the Muslim Press in particular in 1919 which set up new traditions of sacrifice. The Zamindar reappeared in December 1919; its circulation was 6145 in 1920. Another was “Paigham” by Abdul Kalam Azad from Calcutta in 1921 and “Sabah” by Qazi Abdul Ghaffar from Delhi. Al these newspapers made their contribution to the success of the non-cooperation movement. In 1922, the Press Act was withdrawn after the movement stopped under directive from Mahatma Gandhi.

The pro-league Muslim Press during 1924 – 1937 was spear-headed by the “Muslim Outlook” and “Inqilab” whose lead was accepted by Muslim papers all over the sub-continent. During 1938 – 1947 the Muslim press grew rather rapidly. A number of English language newspapers sprang up while Urdu Press too had new additions. Together with the old newspapers, they voiced Muslim political aspirations with still greater force and played the major role in mobilising public opinion in support of the Pakistan movement.

After the Lahore Resolution was passed, the Quaid-i-Azam sponsored a “create Muslim Press campaign” and collected funds for that purpose. He founded the “Dawn” in October 1942 as a daily from Delhi and placed it under a trust of which he was the Managing Trustee. Quaid-i-Azam also started “Manshoor” and Urdu daily from Delhi which was the official organ of the Al India Muslim League. This bright and fancy daily was edited by Syed Hassan Riaz.

HISTORY OF PAKISTAN’S NEWSPAPERS

When journalism crossed the borders of Pakistan, it had made considerable progress both intellectually and technically. Lahore had the distinction of having not only the oldest Paper in Punjab but that in the whole of Pakistan. It is ironical to note that there was no devoted and influential Press in Indo-Pakistan sub-continent to voice Muslim opinion during the days of struggle for independence. The majority of first class English dailies such as The Statesman, The Times of India, The Pioneer, The Hindu, The Bombay Chronicle and The Hindustan Times used to appear in Province which now apart of India. In Pakistan, Karachi at best could boast of three English newspapers. The Daily Gazette, The Sindh Observer and the Karachi Gazette all of them Hindu-owned. Peshawar had only one English newspaper, Khyber Mail, while Rawalpindi, Multan, Quetta, Sialkot and other big cities had none. In the Punjab, during the pre-Partition days, “The Civil and Military Gazette” and “The Tribune” were the most prominent English dailies.

As had been stated earlier, the territories now forming Pakistan were never the centre of prominent English dailies. The reason may be due to the political and educational backwardness of the majority of the Muslim population of these regions. The Muslim League could hardly have expected any positive contribution to its stand from these Papers. The founder of Pakistan Quaid-i-Azam says, “The role of newspapers in voicing and moulding public opinion cannot be over emphasised”. The press has played an important role not only in the creation of Pakistan by mounding and expressing Muslim Public Opinion in support of the idea of Pakistan but, also in the development of this new state.

OBJECTIVES

This study has been aimed to investigate the following:

? To study the news-seeking patterns of the Academicians and administrators of AIOU readers with respect to the selected aspect namely gender, age, and qualification.
? To investigate the news-seeking patterns of the Academicians and administrators of AIOU readers with respect to the selected aspect namely selected medium of newspapers as well as their time of reading newspaper.
? To find out differences in news-seeking patterns among Academician and administrators of AIOU readers with respect to the selected aspects, namely purpose of reading newspapers i.e. reading newspaper for just gathering updated information, job hunting, entertainment, time killing etc.
? To find out differences in news-seeking patterns among academicians and administrator of AIOU readers with respect to the selectedg aspects, namely National and international affairs, educational, political, economics news, articles and editorials etc.

HYPOTHESIS

In this study the hypothesis is that:

? The Academicians are more interested in the news related to international and national affairs, articles, editorials, political and educational developmental news.
? The administrators are more interested in the area of national affairs, city news, political, job hunting, sports time-killing, etc.

RESEARCH QUESTION

What are the different patterns of news-seeking of academicians and administrators of Allama Iqbal Open University?

SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDY

The researcher should examine and analyze the news-seeking patterns of two groups i.e. academicians and administrators’ communities. The researcher also discuss potential effects highlighting from print media i.e. newspaper. The specification of such effects should be contained within the hypothesis that link elements or concepts in each of the phases.

News is a form of communication. The present age is rightfully called “age of information, observation, and reasoning revolution”. (Pavlik, J. V., 1996). These revolutions began with the wish to remember important events or happening by writing them down. With a few scratches, our inventive ancestors set in motion the never ending story of recording information, the communication and the storage of knowledge outside the brain. Information, observation and reasoning are the main sources of human knowledge. Over ninety percent of our knowledge comes through this first source, i.e. newspapers.

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LITERATURE REVIEW

It is understood that information needs arise when an individual finds himself in a problem situation, when he or she no longer can manage with the knowledge that he or she possess, (Talja 1992, P. 72). There are a lot of studies on mass media or mass communication throughout the world done but a few research studies conducted on ‘news-seeking patterns throughout the world, and especially in Pakistan. The present study is significant not only for the newspapers’ industries and readers, but it is also important for educational point of view. This study will help to newspaper readers, media practitioners, academicians as well as administrators of different disciplines and planners of print media.

We, as individuals and groups, “repeatedly find ourselves in situations where information is needed, gathered, sought, organized, retrieved, processed, evaluated, and used” (Solomon 1996, P. 292). Reading of newspaper is part of daily routine for many consumers. The paper version provides tactile pleasure of turning pages and the portability of tucking the newspaper in a briefcase or book-bag for later or recycling it by leaving it on the break or breakfast table for someone else to enjoy. Newspaper, publication usually issued on a daily or weekly basis, the main function of which is to report news. Many newspapers also furnish special information to readers, such as weather reports, television schedules, and listings of stock prices. They provide commentary on politics, economics, and arts and culture, and sometimes include entertainment features, such as comics and crossword puzzles. In nearly all cases and in varying degrees, newspapers depend on commercial advertising for their income.

INFORMATION SEEKING

The close to topic of this research related researches made by the renowned researchers are given below:

Suriya, Sangeetha and Nambi (2004) carried out a research work on “Information seeking behaviour of Faculty Members from Government Arts Colleges in Cuddlier District.” The purpose of their study was to investigate, how faculty members seek information from the library. It mentions that most of the respondents 61 (38.12 percent) visited the library several times a week to meet their information needs. Regarding the type of search made by the respondents the majority of the respondents 91 (56.87 percent) made their search by subject.

Shokeen and Kushik (2002) studied about information seeking behaviour of social scientists working in the universities located in Haryana. They reported most of the social scientists visit the library daily. The first preferred method of searching the required information by the social scientists followed by searching through indexing and abstracting periodicals, and citations in articles respectively. The social scientists use current journals followed by books.

Challener (1999) investigated artists and art historians teaching in five liberal arts colleges and three universities. Results found that they need information for teaching. The participants almost all subscribe to art journals, and many read newspapers. They visit libraries frequently, usually more than one library, and unlike previous reports, the majority is willing to ask the librarian for help. A large percentage of both art historians and artists are using computers for teaching. All 27 participants use slides extensively in the classroom, supplemented in most cases by textbooks.

Reneker (1992) investigated the information seeking activities of 31 members of the Stanford University Academic community were examined over a two-week period during the 1990-91 academic year. She adopted the naturalistic approach and employed qualitative techniques for data collection using mainly personal interviews. Informants’ perception of their information environment expressed in positive terms and there a close relationship between knowledge, information, environment and the sources used. Information seeking embedded in the day-to-day activities and relationships of participants and triggered both by articulation of need and availability of information. A large number of needs are satisfied by the sources informants created or organized themselves and by interpersonal information sources. The findings of the study indicated that the action of information seeking originated from a wide variety of needs like personal, professional, entertainment, etc.

Althaus and Tewksbury (2000) wrote in his article “Online News-seeking Patterns of first and second year college students”: Academic research continues to show that online news users are not representative of the average rational voter. Althaus and Tewksbury’s study of “Online News-seeking Patterns of first and second year college students” reminds us that those who seek news and information online are qualitatively different from the general population. Not only do they have greater access to, and familiarity with, computer technology than non-Internet users, they also have different demographic and attitudinal profiles than the general adult population. “News habits developed within this community result not from an uneven social distribution of computer skills and access but, rather, from the unique needs that are better satisfied by on-line or traditional news media.”

Daniela Lesley Evans (1978, p. 96) write in his article entitled “A Critical Examination of Claims Concerning: The Impact of Print” he wrote ‘So much that we think of as characteristic of the modern world economic, social, religious, political is built on the foundation provided by newspaper as a medium of communication. From the sixteenth century it became impossible for the illiterate to obtain either wealth or influence, and this has largely occurred due to the invention of print as a medium of communication in the fifteenth century. This had widespread consequences, allowing large numbers of copies of a work to be made rapidly. The further availability of information provided enabled greater scientific advancement as it meant that other people’s ideas were more readily available. Similarly the development of the printing press encouraged religious reform, as it was a major factor in allowing the writings of Erasmus, Luther and later Calvin to achieve high levels of circulation.

Febvre and Martin (1976, p. 278) It is safe to assume that printing makes knowledge accessible to all, although it needs to be accompanied with the necessary cultural and political conditions making literacy compulsory for all. However, this does not necessarily lead to a society that is much more knowledgeable than one that uses oral communication as its foundation. In a non-literary society, where information is conveyed orally, to avoid the information it is necessary to avoid the whole of society. The only possible way by living a completely solitary life, by contrast, reading and writing are predominantly silent and solitary activities. Consequently, in a literary society, information is easy to avoid, simply by choosing not to read what is available.

USES AND GRATIFICATIONS MODEL OF THE MEDIA

The mass media is a huge phenomenon. Through the various different platforms, print or broadcast, the media is able to reach millions of people like no other force. Without media, powerful speeches by politicians would no affect, local events would remain local, and performances by great actors would be seen only by the people in the immediate audience. The media overcomes distances, and builds a direct relationship with audience.

The model looks at motives of the people who use the media, asking why we bother to read newspapers, why we find ourselves so compelled to keep up to date with our favourite soap.

Surveillance

The surveillance need based around the idea that people feel better having the feeling that they know what is going on in the world around them. One of the genres this often applied to news. By watching or reading news, we learn about what is happening in the world, and as the news is usually bad news, this knowledge leaves us feeling more secure about the safety of our own lives. This idea might seem a bit strange, that we know about tragedies and we feel safer, but sociologists argue that ignorance seen as a source of danger, and so the more knowledge we have the safer we feel.

When looking at the news it’s easy to spot news items that give us this reaction. For example if it wasn’t for watching the news we might be unknowingly left with five rupees notes that are worthless, or become vulnerable to the latest computer virus, or end up in a hospital with an awful track record also we have not knowledge about new world record in cricket which set by South African cricket team against world’s best team i.e. Australia. So, the surveillance models then all about awareness. We use the mass media to be more aware of the world, gratifying a desire for knowledge and security.

Using the Media within Relationships

Another aspect to the personal relationships model is how we can sometimes use the media as a springboard to form and build upon relationships with real people. The EastEnders strapline ‘Everyone’s talking about it’, despite being a clever marketing tactic, does hold up when looking at social uses of the media. Having a favourite TV program in common can often be the start of a conversation, and can even make talking to strangers that much easier.

The Advantages and Limitations of Media

Texts need audiences in order to realise their potential for meaning. So a text does not have a single meaning but rather a range of possibilities which are defined by both the text and by its audiences. The meaning is not in the text, but in the reading. (Hart 1991, 60)

Andrew Hart, many other theorists and researchers who identify and give value to the existence of audience in relation to the media. At the most basic level, audiences are vital in communication. It is for the audience that media constructing and conveying information, and, if it were not for the audiences, the media would not exist. The exact relationship between the media and their audiences has been the subject of debate since media were first seriously studied and emphasises the importance of audience and of their relationship with the media.

The Effects model is considered to be an inadequate representation of the communication between media and public, as it does not take into account the audience as individuals with their own beliefs, opinions, ideals and attitudes:

“Audiences are not blank sheets of paper on which media messages can be written; members of an audience will have prior attitudes and beliefs which will determine how effective media messages are. (Abercrombie 1996, 140)”

A new approach to the dynamics of audience/text relationship was suggested in the Uses and Gratification model. In this model, theorists were not asking how the media effects audiences, but how were audiences using media. They suggested that audiences had specific needs and actively turned to the media to consume various texts to satisfaction of these needs. The audience in Uses and Gratifications were seen as active, as opposed to passive audience in the Effects model. Uses and Gratifications acknowledged that audience had a choice of texts from which to choose form and satisfy their needs, Bulmer and Katz (1974).

The model still implies that messages are packages of information that all audience will read same. It does not consider how he messages are interpreted or any other factors affecting audience’s interpretation.

“Another criticism is that of the tendency to concentrate solely on why audiences consume media rather than extending investigation to discover what meanings and interpretations are produced and in what circumstances, i.e. how media are received. (O’Sullivan, Dutton & Rayner 1994, 131)”

In other words, media receivers want to use information in some way or to obtain satisfactions that they anticipate (Lowery & DeFleur, 1995).

A number of studies on audience’s uses and gratification of various media (Berelson, 1949; Kimball, 1959, etc), early 1970s scholars in this area turned to audience motivations, developing typologies of uses people made of media to gratify social and psychological needs (Katz et al. 1973). Such typologies included such needs as strengthening understanding of self, friends, others, or society; strengthening status of self or society; and strengthening contact with family, friends, society, or culture (Lowery & DeFleur, 1995).

It’s likely has been found in the uses-and-gratification research from the West, that an individual uses media for different purposes at different times under different circumstances; and different people may seek different gratifications from media. A question for researchers is how to meaningfully and effectively categorize (typologies) those different needs and objectives.

According to Chang, Chen and Zhang study in (1993): Early studies of Chinese media focused on propagandistic and persuasive aspects of mass communication. Since mid-1880s, various social factions have used newspapers mainly as tools in their political struggles. The Chinese communists have always recognized value of mass media (Robinson, 1981). For example, the government has emphasized use of mass media for China’s social, political, and economic development (Yu & Sears, 1996). As a powerful tool of opinion and perceptions, news media are supposed to unite the people, to elevate their consciousness and spirit.

ROLE OF PRINT MEDIA

To keep abreast of what’s happening in the world around us we need information. Without information we won’t know a threat exists until it is too late. But just being offered information is not enough. We also need to be willing to take that information on board while there is still time to avoid threat.

Public information will be just one of many issues officials will have to address, and media are often perceived as being a nuisance or hindrance to response activities. However, it is essential that communicating with media is made a priority in any response planning because the media will be among first responders at the scene and will be a vital information mechanism for government bodies. The media will therefore share a significant amount of responsibility for relaying vital information to public. Although newspapers makes knowledge more accessible to all, and has had dramatic effects on our culture and society, it does not necessarily follow that a literate society is greatly more knowledgeable than a non-literate one.

NEWSPAPERS READERSHIP IN PAKISTAN

Newspaper publishers estimate that nearly six out of ten adults every day, and seven out of ten read a newspaper each weekend. By the time they seen; mostly people have already learned about breaking news stories on television or radio. Readers rely on newspapers to provide detailed background information and analysis, which television and radio newscasts rarely offer. Newspapers not only inform readers that an event happened but also help readers to understand what led up to the event and how it will affect on the world around them. Media scholar Philip J. Hanes (1996) wrote his article entitled “The Advantages and Limitations Focus on Audience in Media Studies”:

“Audiences are not blank sheets of paper on which media messages can be written; members of an audience will have prior attitudes and beliefs which will determine how effective media messages are”. (P.140)

Veblen, (1994) wrote in his article entitled “Newspaper Readership and Informational/Cultural Processing”: Newspaper readership is an instance of cultural participation in regard to which information-processing. Reading newspaper is more straightforward form of information processing than various other cultural activities and at the same time choice of newspaper could scarcely count as very effective kind of status-oriented `conspicuous consumption’ on account both of relatively low price even expensive newspapers and of the fact that reading likely to take place in privacy of home as in public. Consequently, evidence of a connection between newspaper readership and status, independent of information-processing capacity, would, for our present purposes of particular significance.

Most people read only one (daily) newspaper, at least on a regular basis. This means that we can here avoid complications that arise with forms of cultural participation, such as, say, listening to music, where there a wide variety of genres and an individual may have a range of preferences. As we noted above, such instances have of late given rise to debates over whether distinction of greatest relevance in regard to status is that between those participating in `high’ as opposed to `low’ (or popular) culture or that between cultural `omnivores’ and `univores’.

According to Pakistan Readership Report (2002-03) issued by Gallup survey of Pakistan, newspaper readership ratio among adults (18 years+) is only 33% and among youth (10-17years) is 21%. Province wise this ratio is: for Punjab 31%, For Sindh 49%, for N.W.F.P. 25%, and for Baluchistan 28%. Among youth (10-17years), this ration is: for Punjab 16%, for Sindh 34%, For N.W.F.P 16% and for Baluchistan 19%. Apparently the situation is, to some extent satisfactory for Sindh province but this is due to high rate of readership in Karachi, which is among adults 69% and among youth 44% .By excluding Karachi, the ratio remains very poor for interior Sindh. The table and graph elaborate the province-wise ratio of newspaper readership in Pakistan.
Ratio of Newspaper Readership
Province Among Adults
(+18 Years) Among Youth
(10 – 17 Years)
Punjab 31% 16%
Sindh 49% (Karachi 69% &
Interior Sindh 29%) 34% (Karachi 44% & Interior Sindh 24)
N.W.F.P. 25% 16%
Baluchistan 28% 19%
Average 33 21

Newspaper readership and buyer-ship are two different concepts. Every reader is not a buyer of newspapers. One newspaper read by a lot person at homes, offices, shops and libraries. According to Pakistan Readership Report 2002-03 of the Gallup Survey, in Punjab 10.17 readers read one copy, while in Sindh this ratio is 5.57, in N.W.F.P this ratio is 8.47 and in Baluchistan this ratio is 13.98.9 Considering the economic peculiarities and rural character of the region, it is understandable that the number of readers per copy in Baluchistan is substantially higher than the national average of 7.7 It is necessary to mention that after including the ratio of readership per copy in FATA/FANA and Azad Jammu and Kashmir, the national average of readers per copy is 7.7.

NEWS SEEKING PATTERNS

In general, the amount of news reading tends to increase with age, education, and administrative status. News reading increases very rapidly through the academicians and administrators. Summarizing reading patterns by education appears that readers on lower end of educational curve tend to use newspaper for entertainment, sensational news, and political. Newspaper readership often measured by quantifying a particular indicator of newspaper-reading activity, readership tends to be viewed far too simplistically.

Qamar (2002, p.18) said in his thesis of M.Sc. Mass Communication entitled “The comparison of Different Newspaper Reading habits of Male & Female”. His comparative study of different newspaper reading habits of men and women in Pakistan meant to find out that; to what extent newspaper reading habits differ from each other. The researcher wrote in his research study that women are interested in reading newspaper. It was found that 56 percent female readers read newspaper daily. The survey indicated that high percentage of women read newspaper although not more than men.

It is found that men spend more time for reading newspaper per day than women, as 40 percent men read newspaper more than an hour, while there are no women spend more than an hour for reading newspapers. Men read newspaper more than women in terms of reading large volume of newspaper’s material. Men like to read hard news while women like to read soft news.

According to Herald Media Survey (1997) in Scotland revealed in an article “What they Read”? The survey showed that newspapers are still popular with young teenager in Scotland. More than three quarters of boys said they spent on average ten minutes a day for reading newspaper with sports page being the most popular only 13 percent of boys read the whole newspaper. Although girls spend slightly less time for reading newspaper, they are reading more widely.

Media researchers Mehta and Paralikar (1999) investigated through conducting a study that news-seeking pattern of the selected media were studied in relation to spent time, news language, news area, kind of news and news aspects. The overall findings of their study revealed that majority of respondents described to two English newspapers, because those newspapers give complete news and have good coverage of events. Overall and sex wise newspaper used as medium for seeking news most frequently. The kinds of news sought through newspaper were political, social, health educational, etc. Highly significant differences existed in the news-seeking patterns of female respondents with respect to spent time for seeking news, kinds of news and news aspects.

The kinds of news sought through this media with highest intensity indices were political, social, national and international current affairs, educational, sports, science, economics and business news. The other indices were headlines, detailed news, news briefs, articles, and editorials. The researcher conducted research on assessing the importance of news, to explore where news fits in daily life.

James (2004, p.3–4) Thus, we risk misunderstanding its true nature. As we become comfortable employing automatic processing with its focus on efficiency, we let our skills of meaning construction atrophy. With weaker skills, we come to depend more and more on the media to tell us what is important and who we should be. For centuries, getting access to information was a major problem for virtually all human. With rise of the mass media throughout the 20th century, the barriers to access were substantially reduced, especially with spread of Radio, Television and then Computer. Today, not only information easily available to almost anyone; information keeps getting produced at an ever increasing rate. The information problem is no longer about how to get access. The much more pressing problem is how to keep up with all the news-seeking patterns.

PRACTICAL USAGE OF NEWSPAPER’S INFORMATION

Andersen says in his article entitled “Communicating Information across Cultures: Understanding How Others Work” published on September 2002. There are specific communications differences between scientists and humanists that are created by their information-seeking patterns. An excellent example of academic’s cultural differences in the field of information seeking and uses, information-seeking research looks at how individuals go about finding materials that they need in order to satisfy informational needs both professional and recreational. In the ethnographic experience of an unfamiliar worship service, an individual might gather clues about standing-sitting-kneeling through watching others, through listening for directions from an authority, or through written materials available somewhere in the place of worship.

The academicians of AIOU usually follow the patterns established by their peers, relying upon mentors in their fields to guide them in graduate school and early professional development. Differences of style come from both individual—his or her own personal traits, predispositions, and biases, and from training that he or she has received in a particular discipline. Thus, culture including ways of individuals seeks information passed on through apprenticeship and practice.

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN EDUCATION AND NEWSPAPER

The relationship between education and newspaper readership is far from simple. First, newspaper readership correlates positively with information seeking, including information about civic responsibilities, and need for cognition, the pursuit of higher level reasoning. A body of research correlates interest in information about political, public policy and social issues to news seeking. For example, a panel study by Hugh Culbertson and others found that focused attention, interest and involvement in political issues correlated positively with news seeking. The study found that attention either to newspapers or to television news content predicted provide knowledge. However, the study of newspaper readers were more cognitively involved than television viewers.

Maxwell McCombs and Paula Poindexter found a positive correlation between the frequency of newspaper readership and perceived civic duty to keep informed. (Civic duty encompasses perceived obligation to vote and to support fundamental liberties, including free expression.) Similarly, in a comparison study of nonreaders, single newspaper readers and multiple newspaper readers conducted by Wayne Wanta and others, nonreaders demonstrated particularly weak motivation to use newspapers to understand events or to known informed about civic affairs.

One study found that highly educated are more tolerant of others’ freedom of expression than less well-educated, regardless of whether the issue in question supported by left or right-wing groups. The same study found that increased cognitive sophistication was even more predictive of support for free expression than level of education alone. Other studies using cognitive variables such as need for cognition have produced similar findings.

Rather than examine the possible multi-faceted link between education on free-expression issues and news seeking, research has tended to focus on differences among newspapers that may explain differences in civic knowledge among and between readers and nonreaders. For example, one study suggests that “not all newspapers are created equal.” The study measured differences in civic knowledge among readers of different types of newspapers and found that all newspapers may not benefit equally from increased interest in civic affairs among potential readers. Because readers tend to gather information about local affairs from local newspapers and information about national issues from metropolitan papers, the selection of news source was predictive type of civic affairs knowledge possessed by the reader. Therefore, desire for increased knowledge of national events would not be correlated with increased reading of local newspapers. However, research by Dan Drew and David Weaver found, to the contrary, that readers of local newspapers sought and were knowledgeable about both local and national civic affairs.

FACULTY MEMBER AND NEWSPAPER READERSHIP

Tak Wing Chan & John H. Goldthorpe (2004) writes their research article entitled “Social Status of Faculty Member and Newspaper Readership”. They write an instance of cultural participation in regard to which the information-processing might be thought especially favoured news for newspaper readership. More straightforward form of information processing of newspaper reading than various other cultural activities and at the same time choice of newspaper could scarcely count as very effective kind of status-oriented `conspicuous consumption’, on account both of relatively low price of even the most expensive newspapers and facts that reading at home to take place in privacy as compare in public.

Consequently, evidence of a connection between faculty member and newspaper readership, independent of information-processing capacity, would be our present purposes of the study. Most people read only one (daily) newspaper, at least on regular basis. This means that we can here avoid complications that arise with forms of cultural participation, such as, say, listening to music, where there is wide variety of genres and an individual may have a range of preferences.

However, we see how far the association between faculty member and readership’s status may be accounted by individuals’ educational attainment serving as proxy for their information-processing capacity. Although all newspapers are available and read throughout UK, Scotland has it own broadsheets (Herald, Scotsman) and tabloids. Their readers are grouped with those who read other regional newspapers under Regional category, local and others.

It may be noted that control variables do have some significant association with newspaper readership. The significant coefficients for sex, being generally positive, indication that women more liking than men to fall into other readership categories than broadsheet reader, while those for age, being generally negative, indicate that older persons are more liking than younger ones to read broadsheets than to fall into other categories.

The coefficients for income cannot be so straightforwardly interpreted but, as anticipation, they are in-fact less often significant, and especially when education brought into analysis. Scots appear less likely than others to read broadsheets, but this is probably an artefact due to omission of Scottish broadsheets in the response categories.

However, the effects of status and education are interesting variables of research study. Having demonstrated that there are strong and systematic association between faculty member’s status and newspaper readership, while status and class are clearly correlated in contemporary British society as status gradient runs, as it were, across the class structured status stratification within classes may still be quite extensive.

Today, the cultural level of lifestyle is chief way in which status expressed and recognised, then, since newspapers generally regarded as being culturally stratified, the status of individuals should show a close relation to the type of newspaper that they read.

The probability of individuals reading high-brow broadsheets rises with status, and at an increasing rate; the probability of their reading low-brow redtop tabloids falls with status in more or less linear fashion; and the probability of their reading middlebrow tabloids first increases with status and then decreases.

We have, moreover, considered the possibility that more basic relationship exists between individuals’ educational level, information-processing capacity, and their consequent preference for more or less demanding kinds of reading newspapers. We find that although education does indeed influence of newspaper readership and on lines that would be predicted under information-processing and education does not remove the effect.

The association between faculty member and newspaper readership persists within different levels of education. The information-processing can be reckoned as at least more immediately involved in reading newspapers that in many other forms of cultural participation, while choice of newspaper is not the most obvious vehicle of conspicuous consumption. The cultural level of newspapers’ readership does grooming their status within their community.

ACADEMICIAN AND ADMINISTRATIVE USAGE OF NEWSPAPERS

Everyone knows information is a form of power. Daily millions of peoples gain their knowledge of national and international affairs from the pages of newspapers all over the world. The Third World countries know this more than ever. That why they are calling for the establishment of new international information order and they feel this is just as urgent as the establishment of new international economic order.

All medium of communication play a main role in the field of information, but the print media plays a key role in focusing public attention, and news patterns influence, public perception of important issues of the day. The academicians and administrators are main source of ideas about needy changes in the University structure and managements. Discretionary behaviour by academicians and administrators who deliver services characteristics of most studies by the implementation research.

The modern newspaper plays several roles for its readers. From the analysis of intensive interviews, the researcher has attempted to construct a typology of such roles, or functions, of newspaper. Obviously the types enumerated here, while discrete, are not necessarily mutually exclusive for any one newspaper reader. Undoubtedly, different people read different parts of the newspaper for different reasons at different times. A group of readers seem to use newspaper because it enables them to appear informed in social gatherings, thus the newspaper has conversational value. Readers not only can learn what has happened and then report it to their associates but they can find opinions and interpretations for usage and discussions on current affairs with colleagues.

The newspaper reader’s predispositions are involved in effects of reading in two ways. They condition the reader’s selection of publications and the condition of his interpretation of what he reads. Almost any phase of reader’s personality may be involved in reading experience. Their personal traits, subject interests, and reading ability may determine which accessible publications they would choose to read. The difference can be explained only by differences in predispositions which may be fundamental or merely a temporary mood. The same predispositions are often involved in both selection and interpretation of reading, but they need not to be. The reader may select their reading from one set of conditions and respond to it from a totally different set.

Their methods of reading, which may range from a hasty skimming to close analysis, naturally affect both their response to publication and its effects on them. The more highly educated readers are attracted to more mature newspapers because their wider intellectual experiences enable them to share publishers’ more mature attitudes in the life. As the central fact in most people’s lives, occupation has an important role in selection and interpretation of reading, its importance, of course, varies with their occupation. Occupational differences such as clearly revealed in many subject classifications of publications. Reader motivated by need for greater social security may seek to improve their status within their family or social class or may try to exchange their social class for another social class.

News-seeking Patterns of Academicians

According to previous researches of news reading habits academicians or University teachers are interested to read the news according to their professional status. They want to read news of national and international affairs, educational, economics, editorial and article. They want to update their knowledge because they deliver a lot of lectures in the different institutions and topics.

Newspapers are most prominent media which are providing the current information to educationist according to their requirement. To produce well-informed citizens who can make their own judgements on the basis of available evidence. In so far as educationist deals with value judgements, it does so in the ways which encourage their students to explore the range of value judgements and to examine the sources of such judgements (including their own) and their effects. They seek to impose ideas on what constitutes “good” or “bad’ through newspapers.

News-seeking Patterns of Administrators

The administrators use a wide variety of sources, both informal and formal, to obtain the needed information as do their colleagues in other countries. However, in addition to giving preference to ‘human sources, as was found by Campbell (1997), they place more emphasis on the ‘press releases’. They seem to be more satisfied with the information that they receive from the sources that they prefer than those that they do not. It is interesting to note that these respondents are least satisfied with the print media.

The information gathered by these respondents appears to be mainly used for getting job opportunities, personal knowledge, and less so for preparing personality profiles, editorials, and columns. This was expected because a limited amount of items mentioned in the later group are actually needed and are written by a limited number of individuals.

There are some interesting usage patterns of administrators because administrative personality’s almost choose same news for reading like as academicians but some differences exist i.e. they give priority to; job hunting, sports politics, features and burning issues of the country. As compared to academicians administrators are spend a lot time regularly to read newspapers, might be have spare time for in-depth reading of newspapers.

DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION

In this chapter the researcher analyzed the data in response of respondents’ awareness/knowledge, personal identification, and confirmation of their news-seeking patterns. The data on the “News-seeking Patterns of academicians and administrators of AIOU” were collected through a questionnaire which was designed for this study with the help of supervisor. Primarily, cross-tabulation and correlation coefficient statistical procedure was applied to investigate exposure of newspapers’ readership, their demography and news-seeking patterns’ dimension; viz Reading English/Urdu language newspapers, purpose of reading newspapers, national and international current affairs, editorials and articles, economics, health and sport news, educational development news, information seeking on political news, and reading newspapers’ supplements.

Theoretical frame work for all the variables of this study was based on Uses and Gratification model. The data was analyzed with the help of SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences) version 12.0. Details of the data analysis are given below:

Table 4.1: Cross-tabulation of Profession’s Gender and
Age of the respondents

Profession’s Gender and Age Age of the respondents Total
30 to 40 41 to 45 46 to 50 51 & above
Academicians Gender of the respondents Male Count 22 15 1 10 48
% Age 64.7% 68.2% 50.0% 83.3% 68.6%
Female Count 12 7 1 2 22
% Age 35.3% 31.8% 50.0% 16.7% 31.4%
Total Count 34 22 2 12 70
% Age 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0%
Administrators Gender of the respondents Male Count 14 14 10 20 58
% Age 73.7% 77.8% 83.3% 95.2% 82.9%
Female Count 5 4 2 1 12
% Age 26.3% 22.2% 16.7% 4.8% 17.1%
Total Count 19 18 12 21 70
% Age 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0%

Table 4.1 shows the sample’s age of Academicians and administrators of the AIOU. The sample comprises the 50% Academicians and 50% administrators’ communities. As evident from the table, greater numbers of male Academicians 83.3% as well as male administrators 95.2% are falling in the age category of 51 and above. Whereas, the numbers of female Academicians 31.8% and female administrators 22% are falling in the age category between 41 to 45. Similarly, there is quite a good number of both Academicians and administrators falling in the young age category; i.e. 30 to 40 years.

To sum up, comparatively young male Academicians are working in the AIOU. However, the age group between 30 to 40 of female Academicians is younger than the age group of female administrators. Similarly, overall, there are young people ranging from the age between 30 to 50 employed in the University.

Table 4.2: Cross-tabulation of Profession’s Gender and
Qualification

Graph 4.2 documents that there are greater numbers of both male and female Academicians having M. Phil and PhD qualification 68.5%. Whereas, the administrating positions are mostly having masters degree qualification 91.7%. Thus the Academicians community is highly qualified as compared to the administrators in the AIOU.

Table 4.3: Cross-tabulation of Profession’s Gender and
Reading Newspaper

Graph 4.3 refers to the reading habits of faculty members and administrators. As evident from the table both male academicians and administrators read newspaper very greatly. However, the female academicians are less inclined toward reading newspaper as compare to female administrators i.e. 63% and 83% respectively. The overall result shows that reading newspaper by the administrators is higher than the academician community.

Table 4.4: Cross-tabulation of Profession’s Qualification and Reading Newspaper
Profession’s Qualification and Reading Newspaper Reading Newspaper Total
Yes No
Academicians Qualification of the respondents Master Count 21 8 29
% of Total 30.0% 11.4% 41.4%
M Phil Count 15 4 19
% of Total 21.4% 5.7% 27.1%
PhD Count 21 1 22
% of Total 30.0% 1.4% 31.4%
Total Count 57 13 70
% of Total 81.4% 18.6% 100.0%
Administrators Qualification of the respondents Master Count 39 6 45
% of Total 55.7% 8.6% 64.3%
M Phil Count 4 1 5
% of Total 5.7% 1.4% 7.1%

www.producersweb.com Life insurers may have billion in unclaimed death benefits, regulator says; Medicare and SS don’t need to be cut to balance budget, most Americans say; HHS gives out million in insurance exchange grants report; Wealthy investors handing reins to advisers, survey finds

 Adapted from the inaugural speech by Dr. Tariq Hassan delivered to the participants of the “Corporate Summit on Climate Change: A Catalyst for Climate Action” organized by LEAD Pakistan and held in Karachi on 19 February 2009.

Climate Change in Pakistan

Climate change is an inconvenient truth that we can no longer afford to ignore. It is causing widespread damage globally with not only extensive environmental but social and economic impacts as well. Environmental damage is being done by greenhouse gases and the consequent depletion of the ozone layer. The resultant increase in ultraviolet radiation has increased the risk of global warming and contributed to the adverse socio-economic effects of climate change.

Increase in average global temperatures and constant climatic variations are affecting human settlements and economy in Asia. In South Asia, where large populations live in low-lying coastal areas or adjacent to river deltas, coastal inhabitants of such areas are vulnerable to the consequent rise in sea-level and associated back water flooding. Even in other areas, rising global temperatures are causing significant changes in crop yields affecting low-income rural populations that depend on traditional agricultural systems. There is thus a growing concern in South Asian countries for environmental security.1

It has been observed that “the consequences of climate change are starker for the developing world, which is already resource starved. As the climate change is global in its impact, Pakistan, like other developing countries, is vulnerable too.”2 Pakistan is among the top twenty countries in the world that will be affected by climate change. Its status as a developing country, dependent mainly on agriculture, makes it particularly susceptible to the effects of climate change. Agricultural productivity in Pakistan is being affected by the changes in both land and water resources. Dry land areas in arid and semi- arid regions are most vulnerable and are putting the country’s food security at risk.

1. Gurneeta Vasudeva, Environmental Security: A South Asian Perspective, 14, Tata Energy and Resources Institute.

2. Arif Azad, “The Looming Crisis,” The News on Sunday (Policy III) 30 March 2008.

Climate change does not only affect agriculture and water regimes.3 It also affects urban centers, industry and human health. Urban centers and industry in Pakistan depend on hydro-power for cheap electricity due to the non-availability of sufficient quantities of indigenous oil, gas or fossil fuels in the country. Therefore, depleting water resources are also putting the country’s energy security at risk with all its attendant consequences.

Response to Climate Change

Nonetheless, the issue of climate change, even though considered to be important, has not generated any urgent response in Pakistan. The following observation by James Dailey in this regard is noteworthy: “I looked in vain for any mention of climate change in the opinion pages of local newspapers, and while there was vibrant debate over important international issues (e.g., the nature of democracy, government ineptitude, pollution, poverty, the U.S. playing kingmaker, and energy shortages), there was nothing on climate policy.”4 He went on to suggest that: “Unless it is linked to issues of social justice, energy security, economic growth, and the aspirations of a growing middle class in developing countries, support for action on climate change will remain pegged to the fortunes and attention of environmental liberals in the developed North.”

3. See generally, Imtiaz Ahmed, “Global climate change and Pakistan’s water-resources”, Paper published in the Proceeding of National Workshop on Water-Resources Achievements & Issues, in 20th Century & Challenges for the next Millennium, Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (June 1999).

4. James Dailey, “Climate change and Pakistan’s priorities”, Grist (Gristmill: The environmental news blog) . The change mitigation is related to building democracy and decreasing poverty:”Responses to climate change should not be put in a box as an altruistic thing to do, but should be a central component to improving the well-being of people around the world and promoting stable, prosperous democracies.”

The corporate response specifically to climate change in Pakistan has also been lukewarm. Dr. Harish Kumar Jeswani, who examined the “warmth” of corporate response to climate change in Pakistan and UK earlier,5 has now produced a more detailed study on the subject.6 The results of this study indicate that companies in Pakistan have recently begun to focus on improving energy efficiency even though the, mativating factor behind this effort is financial benefit on account of cost savings.

The reason for indifference to climate change in Pakistan, as in other developing countries, is generally the lack of awareness among the public and low priority given to environmental issues by the government. The government has, however, made an effort to communicate nationally on the subject. It has indicated that the energy sector is the single largest source of greenhouse as emissions in Pakistan but suggests that, as such, it is also the sector which is believed to have the greatest potential for development of mitigation options. Pakistan has vast potential for renewable energy development; the three provinces of Pakistan i.e. N.-W.F.P., Balochistan and Sindh provide vast untapped resources for hydropower, wind and solar energy. These sectors therefore represent an added opportunity for the corporate sector and foreign governments to undertake viable investments that will also assist Pakistan in utilizing its cleaner forms of energy.7 The government also appears to be keen to conform to international legal instruments regarding climate change.

5. Harish Kumar Jeswani et. al., “How warm is the corporate response to climate change? Evidence from Pakistan and the UK”, 17 Business Strategy and the Environment (No. 1) at 46-60 (2006). This research paper (by Centre for Environmental Strategy, University of Surrey, UK) compares corporate responses to climate change in Pakistan and the UK. By analyzing the divergence of strategies adopted by industries across different sectors in two countries, the paper examines the key factors influencing corporate adoption and implementation of greenhouse gas reduction and energy-efficiency strategies in Pakistan and the UK.

6. Dr. Harish Kumar Jeswani, “Corporate Response to Climate Change in Pakistan”, 24 Occasional Paper (LEAD Pakistan, 2008). The study discusses key factors affecting corporate reaction and recommends several measures to encourage more proactive responses of companies in Pakistan.

7. Government of Islamic Republic of Pakistan Ministry of Environment, Pakistan’s Initial National Communication on Climate Change, at 28 (November 2003).

Legal and Policy Framework

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, Rio de Janeiro, 1992 (“Climate Convention”), acknowledging that change in the Earth’s climate and its adverse effects are a common concern of humankind, provides the international legal framework to protect the climate.8 The Kyoto Protocol to the Climate Change Convention, 1997 (“Kyoto Protocol”) further establishes benchmarks for the reduction in emissions of carbon dioxide. Pakistan is a party to both these instruments.9

8 For details see, Robert K. Dixon (ed.), THE U.N. FRAMEWORK CONVENTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE-ACTIVITIES IMPLEMENTED JOINTLY (AU) PILOT: EXPERIENCES AND LESSONS LEARNED (Springer, 1999).

9. For details see, Sebastian Oberthur et at, THE KYOTO PROTOCOL INTERNATIONAL CLIMATE POLICY FOR THE 21St CENTURY (Springer, 1999). See also, Professor Dr. Herbert V. Morais, “International Law in Crisis: Reaffirming the Rule of Law in a Divided World”, Inaugural Lecture of the Tunku Abdul Rahman Chair in International Law, Faculty of Law, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur (9 October 2007).

Pakistan has pursuant to the Climate Convention, which requires States to enact effective environmental legislation, promulgated the Pakistan Environmental Protection Act, 1997.10 This enactment empowers the government to make rules for carrying out the purposes of the Act and for implementing the provisions of various international environmental Agreements specified therein, including the Climate Convention.11 As part of its environmental commitments, Pakistan Government has also laid down various environmental regulations12 and standards,13 and established an institutional framework for administering the environmental sector.14 The compliance framework for enforcing the laws, regulations, and standards is a mixture of administrative measures, judicial, sanctions and active civil society involvement.15

10. For a thorough examination of the provisions of this Act, see Jawad Hassan, ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS OF PAKISTAN (2006).

11. Sec. 31 read with item 14 of the Schedule to the Pakistan Environmental Protection Act, 1997.

12. See, e.g., Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency Review of Initial Environmental Examination and Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations, 2000.

13. The National Environmental Quality Standards (NEQS) finalized in 1993 provide standards for industrial and municipal effluents and air emissions, including 32 liquid and 16 gaseous parameters.

14. The Pakistan Environmental Protection Act, 1997 has established the Pakistan Environmental Protection Council (PEPC) and the Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency (PEPA) for the purpose of formulating and implementing policies and administering the laws.

15. Nelma Akhund and Zainab Qureshi, “You can make a difference”, IUCN publication, Karachi (1998). The Pakistan Environmental Protection Act, inter alia, provides for liability for offences by corporate bodies. See, Sec. 18, Pakistan Environmental Protection Act, 1997.

Furthermore, the government has taken major policy initiatives in the environment sector such as the enactment of a National Conservation Strategy in 1992 (NCS) and the finalization of a National Environmental Action Plan in 2001 (NEAP).16 Both the NCS and NEAP have indirect relevance to climate change issues.

16. The NCS lays out the fourteen key priority areas for policy formulation and intervention, while NEAP outlines four priority areas for development and implementation of environmental conservation programs-clean air, clean water, solid waste management, and ecosystem management. The NEAP also identifies five additional areas of concern in which additional support is needed to strengthen the base for environmental management in the long run.

The NCS emphasizes that development must be conservation-based: It suggests that development must’ protect the structure, functions and diversity of the world’s natural systems on which our species depend. To that end, it advocates the conservation of life-support systems: “These are the ecological processes that keep the planet fit for life … They shape climate, cleanse air and water, regulate water flow, recycle essential elements, create and regenerate soil and enable ecosystems to renew themselves.” In order to achieve this, the NCS specifies various training policies and measures, which include: (i) the introduction of special courses on sustainable development and conservation issues at existing training institutes for corporate managers; (ii) incorporation of sustainable development in training in business administration, and encouraging these institutes to offer special courses and seminars for the corporate sector; and (iii) organization of periodic, concurrent training programs for senior government decision makers and the corporate sector, and for decision makers at the Federal and local levels, to facilitate a better understanding of each other’s roles in achieving sustainable development.

The government training policies and measures provide an opportunity for academic and training institutions to fulfil their social responsibility to enhance public awareness and provide education to the concerned policy makers.17

17. Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) like LEAD Pakistan have taken on this challenge. LEAD Pakistan has conducted several trainings and capacity building workshops on renewable and alternative energy, multilateral environment agreements, natural resource management, as well as poverty-environment nexus and community mobilization.

Corporate Environmental Responsibility

In addition to the government, academia and NGOs, the largest share of responsibility for climate change mitigation falls on the corporate sector. It has, therefore, been recommended that the corporate and business sector should be mobilized to finance the transition to a low carbon economy. Transition to a sustainable low carbon economy can be promoted through approaches such as Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), Socially Responsible Investment (CSI), and Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI).18

18. Asia Pacific Regional Statement to the Ninth Global Civil Society Forum and the Tenth Special Session of UNEP’s Governing Council and Global Ministerial Environment Forum, Seoul, Republic of North Korea, 25-26 October 2007. For a detailed examination of this Statement see, Dr. Parvez Hassan, “Climate Change: Some National and Regional Responses”, Remarks made at the APFED Policy Dialogue on Climate Change on the occasion of UNFCCC/COP13 in Bali, Indonesia, 8 December 2007.

It has accordingly been suggested that “harnessing the power of corporations and encouraging their cooperation is one of the key areas for building environmental security. Both individually and as cartels and coalitions corporations have the size, influence and financial resources to wield control internationally. Multinational corporations can play an influential role in advancing environmental protection by shaping technological advances and commercialization of products and technologies, participating in negotiations on global environmental issues thereby contributing to consensus building, supporting programs for public education and awareness and creating international institutions to advance sustainable development principles.”19

I believe and have on an earlier occasion stated that businesses need to have a common vision centered on “enlightened self-interest”, a situation where companies would serve community-specific needs and safeguard the environment knowing that such actions generate greater well-being among existing as well as potential customers, and as a direct consequence generate greater business opportunities.20 Consequently, I had in my previous capacity as Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan, made a categorical commitment to advancing corporate social responsibility: “We are fully committed to CSR. We will not shy away from our obligations. But for this we need widespread partnerships.21 A compelling case for corporate partnerships has been made out in view of the broadening and expanding roles and responsibilities of businesses and stakeholders in society, in particular global businesses.22   

19. Gurneeta Vasudeva, Environmental Security: A South Asian Perspective, 22, Tata Energy and Resources Institute.

20. Statement quoted in Ambreen Waheed, “Evaluation of the state of corporate social responsibility in Pakistan and a strategy for implementation”, Report prepared by Responsible Business Initiative for Securities & Exchange Commission of Pakistan and United Nations Development Program, at 89 (PAK/98/011 PARADIGM-UNDP) (September 2005).

21. Id. at 90.

22 See, Alyson Warhurst, “Future roles of business in society: the expanding boundaries of corporate responsibility and a compelling case for partnership,” in THE FUTURES OF ETHICAL CORPORATIONS (edited by Ted Fuller and Jane Collier), 37 Futures (Issues 2-3) at 151-168 (March-April 2005).

In my view, a higher form of social responsibility can be attributed to corporate entities in respect matters relating to climate change on the basis of a parallel that can be drawn from the theory of “differentiated responsibilities” laid down in the Climate Convention. The Climate Convention has laid down this theory for the purpose of observing the principles and fulfilling the commitments thereunder. Article 3(1) thereof provides: “The Parties should protect the climate system for the benefit of present and future generations of humankind, on the basis of equity and in accordance with their common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities. Accordingly, the developed country Parties should take the lead in combating climate change and the adverse effects thereof. 23

23. See also, Art. 4, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, Rio de Janeiro, 1992 and Art. 10, Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

The theory is based on the recognition of differences in capabilities and socio-economic conditions between the developed and developing countries. It has been noted that: (i) the largest share of historical and current global emissions of greenhouse gases has originated in developed countries; (ii) per capita emissions in developing countries are still relatively low; and (iii) the share of global emissions originating in developing countries will grow to meet their social and development needs.

These differences prevail in the context of different state actors in developing countries as well. Corporate bodies are by far the most capable and socio-economically developed entities in developing countries. Furthermore, being the biggest energy users, they have the largest share of greenhouse gas emissions in the country. Consequently, they should bear the larger share of the commitment to preserve the climate within national boundaries. Within the corporate setup, foreign companies in developing ‘countries form the higher echelon of the corporate sector and should, as such, voluntarily aim to apply the higher environmental standards prevalent in their home countries in order to set an example for others to follow.

It would not be too burdensome for the corporate entities to discharge their environmental responsibility given the fact that management of climate change related risks mostly involves mitigating measures to save energy. To the extent that these measures provide substantial energy cost savings, companies may find these to be good business practices and hence be drawn willingly into actions against climate change.

What’s more, they are classmate at the Tiv comprehensive main academy style backward in the other 40s while analyzing for their received six certification

Jude travelled downwardly reminiscence way and done an arresting disclosure when he told the expedition President as an educatee had the peculiar wont of aiding his schoolmate to do their prep’s while leaving his ain undone. He done remark while trying to explicate the nature of soul the President is. ‘My brother’ (peters) is a very helping person. I am not surprised at what he is doing today.

Doesn’t that make the president a deviant as a school educatee? Jude disagrees and rather ascribes Peter’s stronger behavior as a school educatee to a practical demonstration of his belief in self-denial, of his willingness to help others solve their problems at the detriment of his own.

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His becoming president was a blessing for us and we thank God for his life. Before now, ours was a rural settlement without any amenity. Now we have everything we’ve wanted; illumed, H2O, commonweal roads, and modern houses, agnomen it. Describing peters as a self-made worked. Jude praised him for weathering the storm of life disdain losing both parents very early in life. I have very great respect for him, though I am older than