KU Mass Com Department launches digital magazine

KARACHI: The Department of Mass Communication at the University of Karachi launched its print and digital magazine, ‘Mediaverse,’ along with the magazine’s website on Thursday.

The launching event was held at the KU’s Chinese Teachers Memorial Auditorium to bring students’ creative projects into the digital age.

 KU Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Prof Shaista Tabassum, emphasized the importance of responsible journalism, urging students to create content that promotes positive change in society and offers valuable learning opportunities for others.

She said that stepping into a digital world is a good sign as the department has recently launched a new degree programme, ‘digital media marketing’, and observed that such initiatives will help students to connect with the digital world. 

Speaking at the event, Chairperson of the Mass Communication Department, Prof. Dr. Asmat Ara, shared that the project was developed by second-year students, who, along with their teacher, had a dream of launching both a print and digital magazine, as well as a dedicated website. She noted that they worked hard for seven months to make it a reality, highlighting the dedication and teamwork of both the faculty members and students of the department.

During the ceremony, students shared their personal experiences and recounted the journey from conceptualizing the magazine to bringing it to life. Their collective effort was met with applause from the audience.

Later, a panel discussion titled “Contentpreneurship in the Age of Digital Media and AI” was held and the panelists shared their diverse experiences in the fields of digital content creation and entrepreneurship, offering students valuable insights into the rapidly evolving digital media landscape.

Usman Riaz, the creator, and brainchild behind Pakistan’s first even hand-drawn animated movie The Glassworker, talked about how finding a financer for a film is one of the biggest challenges in Pakistan but he also mentioned that he has been pretty privileged in this regard yet the journey wasn’t smooth. It took him a decade to create this masterpiece.

Asad Memon, the face behind one of the biggest Pakistani YouTube channels Food Fusion shares his journey with his wife. He and his wife Saima quit their corporate careers to pursue their passion for content creation, alongside food fusion, they have also launched their venture of “proudly made in Pakistan” products. Memon shared about expanding this venture too to contribute to Pakistan’s economy.

Amtul Baweja, a comedian at an all-women Pakistani comedy troupe Khawatoons, and a content creator at Patangeer also shared her struggles of the early days of comedy and content creation and how she struggled to make money out of her passion.

Hassan Daudpota, CEO of KEYS Production mentioned the highs and lows of his journey, he also mentioned the event management industry is not limited but it has a wide range of streams to pursue.

During an interactive question and answer session, students engaged with the panel and talked about internet censorship, content moderation, and the challenges of navigating the modern media environment. The discussion emphasized the importance of adaptability, creativity, and ethical responsibility in content creation today. The session ended with a guest appearance of Babar Mangi who, with his energetic performance, closed the show on an energized note.

The launch event was hosted with the collaboration and partnership of 19 esteemed Pakistani brands. A memorandum of understanding was signed with IO Digital to manage the magazine’s website.