Communities host Pakistani media professionals

For the second time this year, Massachusetts communities last month hosted participants in the U.S.-Pakistan Professional Partnership Program.

In April, the Pakistani visitors were mostly local government officials. The 13 visitors who arrived on Sept. 21 were media professionals, drawn from Pakistan’s Ministry of Broadcast and Information.

Their first stop was in Amherst, where the visitors were hosted by the Institute of Training and Development, an organization that promotes cross-cultural understanding. The institute, the recipient of a grant from the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, is partnering with the MMA in putting the money to work.

The Pakistani visitors, who also visited Boston media outlets, made a strong impression with their energy, knowledge and professional expertise. As with the group that preceded them in April, the visitors represented diverse regions of Pakistan and, in most cases, were visiting the United States for the first time. Some work in public relations, while others produce television and radio shows or manage publications.

Pakistani media, functioning independently of the government only since 2002, plays a role in solidifying the young democracy. The profession has had to overcome many challenges, including struggling to find sufficient numbers of trained reporters.

The visitors’ discussions with Americans suggested that some of the challenges are also true for American media, such as blurred lines between media and entertainment and a tendency toward sensationalism.

While the United States and Pakistan have played a role in each other’s foreign policy for years, distance and cultural differences have led to misinformation on each side. Pakistani and U.S. participants in the April visits said it was enlightening to get to know one another and become more informed about each other’s countries and cultures.

The host communities for the fall visit were Charlton, Easton, Foxborough, Hadley, Longmeadow, Springfield and Wellesley.

More groups of local Pakistani officials are expected to visit Massachusetts in the near future, and the MMA will be looking for additional communities to serve as hosts.