Dejected Shahid Masood bids farewell to electronic media

 JournalismPakistan.com |  Published: 10 February 2017

Shahid Masood has bid farewell to electronic media, expressing his disillusionment with the current state of journalism in Pakistan. His announcement follows his growing concerns about media conflicts and the negative impact on society.

Summary

ISLAMABAD – A senior BOL News journalist Thursday said Dr. Shahid Masood was a “missing person” after the analyst announced he was bidding goodbye to the electronic media.

“We do not know where he is,” said the journalist responding to a query by JournalismPakistan.com.

The doctor, who appears as an analyst in the program Live with Dr. Shahid Masood, posted a video on social media Thursday sounding dejected and announcing his plans to quit.

“Sixteen years ago when the electronic media boom was beginning, I was among the first people to arrive. The aim and hope back then was to give Pakistani media an international stature and we succeeded in doing so.

“However, in 2017, for some reason one feels sad, hurt and ashamed, thinking that we wasted time or maybe we did not,” said Masood who had joined BOL in November last year.

His dejection apparently stems from the ongoing war between media houses of which BOL is also a part.

“What is happening in the media today….journalists are swearing at each other, and fighting, and hatred is spreading. The society is already in a state of anarchy and what role the media is playing," he asked.

“Our news channels are not local; they are seen in several countries. I receive phone calls from people asking me what the Pakistani media is doing."

Masood said he did not feel like appearing on TV again. “I am not sure if I will ever return. At his point, I am hurt and in extreme pain because I had never thought my colleagues and friends would go to such extreme. I am mentally disturbed by all that is going on.

“Pakistan is facing big challenges and media has a big role to play being the fourth pillar.”

He reminded journalists to think about Pakistan and also realize that they are being watched across the world. ”Do not make Pakistan a laughing stock.”