MEDIA LANDSCAPE: PUBLIC PERSPECTIVE ON MEDIA IN THE POST-MERGER FATA

Abstract

This study was conducted on the post-merger media landscape in the erstwhile FATA from public perspective. The study attempted to investigate public perspective on the existence and role of mainstream media and was also determined to explore journalists’ conditions from the public perspective in the region. In the wake of ex-FATA merger with the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, through a constitutional amendment, as an mainstreaming effort by the government to bring the region into the national life of the country and while keeping before media role as a potential instrument to serve the cause of national cohesion and integration process, the current study aimed at exploring public perspective on the country mainstream media i-e, their availability, language priority, frequency of attachment, purpose, coverage and articulation of public voice on issues of the region. The study used quantitative research method of survey sampling technique by selecting 384 sampling size for the target population of North Waziristan tribal district for data collection through simple random sampling procedure. The study found strong Positive Correlation “r = 0.965” with P < 0.05, between the country mainstream media ignoring coverage of public voice on issues can be a cause of public alienation and can be a cause of use of social media as alternative source option in the region. Strong positive relationship exists between journalists’ faces hindrances and corresponding shirking of reporting issues as correlation coefficient obtained at 0.970 with higher significant values 0.000 for the region. The study concluded that significant relationship exists between ignoring of coverage people voicing their issues on the country mainstream media can be a reason of public alienation and a cause social media use as an alternative option. The study also concluded existence of significant relationship between hindrances faced by journalists and the shirking of reporting issues. Keywords: FATA Merger, North Waziristan, Mainstream Media, Social Media, Coverage, Alienation, Report Shirking, Correlation.