Outline for Essay Writing

I. INTRODUCTIONA. Start with a sentence that will catch the attention of the reader, but also introduces the subject of the paper.B. Narrow subject

1. Give background information.2. Cite author and article, short story, or poem on which your essay is based.3. Define terms your readers might not know.

C. Name Main Points - Usually two or three, in the same order in which they will be discussed in the essay body.D. State Thesis - Opinion or point of view you intend to defend, to be supported by main points.

II. BODYA. Main Point - First (same for Second and Third)

1. Topic Sentence - Introduce first main point; limits paragraph to only that topic.2. Examples that are illuminative and provide proof for you topic.3. Explanation and details4. Conclusion/Transition

III. CONCLUSIONA. Return to general discussion as in INTRODUCTION.B. Restate Thesis (NOTE: Restating the thesis means rewording the thesis, not simply "cutting & pasting it").C. Concluding Statement - Ends essay with impact and makes it more than simply a repetition of the Introduction.

1. Discuss implications of thesis.2. Propose solutions for thesis.3. Relate thesis to something beyond scope of essay: how does thesis fit into relevant, larger picture like

society, humanity, government, science, personal relations, etc.

Power of Media in Modern World

The Writer got 68/100 Marks for writing this Essay in CSS 2009.

Outline:

Introduction: Power of media in 21st century Most powerful weapon of the contemporary world Media...backbone of tremendous social, political and cultural changes Freedom of expression...a basic human right Interrelationship between media and democracy Thesis statement leading to conclusion.

Constitutional provisions and guarantees:

Article 19 of the constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan 1973.

Constituents of freedom of press:

Freedom of thinking, speech, expression Freedom from all government pressures.

Functions of media:

Education for the masses

Awareness about world scenario and fundamental rights and duties Opinion formation related to social, political, economic & religious issues Ensures public participation in government's policies.

Freedom of press in Pakistan:

Semi-independent press owing to punctuated democracy Role of military regimes from Ayub Khan to Zia Ul Haq

Current scenario in Pakistan over the last decade:

PEMRA 2001...martial law regime 2001 Mushroom growth of private TV channels Role of media in promulgation of emergency...3rd November 2007 PRO, under emergency

Challenges / hurdles before Pakistan's media

Illiterate population...Lack of interest/ awareness Political instability Indifferent attitude of the masses towards the policies of the government Shortage of funds/ resources Political interference

Obligations of media/ the way forward.

Ethics of journalism/ press to be followed. Strive for national integration Impartial / unbiased analysis Avoid exaggeration Avoid obscenity / vulgarity Depiction of Pakistan's true culture and history Promotion of social, ethical and moral values Projection of softer image of government's policies Maintenance of public confidence Promotion of Quaid's vision and ideology of Pakistan .

Conclusion

“Freedom of conscience, of education, of speech, of assembly, is among the very fundamentals of democracy and all of them will be nullified if the freedom of press be successfully challenged.”(US president, Roosevelt)

Media is regarded as the most powerful weapon of 21st century. It is as lethal a weapon as a nuke. It has the capability to convert day into night and night into day, a hero into a villain and a villain into hero. Media has brought revolutions in the world and has transformed the globe into a global village. It has virtually erased the geographical boundaries, removed the barriers of social, political and cultural differences and as a result this diversified world has been reduced to remote control. Media's role in education, awareness, opinion formation and entertainment is so diversified in its horizon and domain that one thing is clear and decided that the tides of media cannot be reversed, however, they may be altered in nature and composition.

The status of freedom of press in Pakistan, ever since independence, has remained semi-independent, despite adequate safeguards and provisions promised by the constitution.

“There shall be freedom of press. It shall, however, be subjected to any reasonable restrictions imposed by the law, in the interest of glory of Islam, of the integrity, security and defense of Pakistan or any part of it, friendly relations with foreign states, public order, decency and morality or in relation to contempt of court or commission or incitement to an offence.”(Article 19 of the constitution, 1973)

Freedom of press literally means the freedom of expression i.e. speech, writing and thinking. It also ensures the liberty to think and act without any restrictions and pressures.

A free press and electronic media is an essential attribute of democratic polity as both work hand in glove with each other. If democracy is the government of the people, media is the voice of the people. But it is a matter of grave misfortune for Pakistan that due to one factor or the other, ever since independence, media could not breathe independently and one of the factor that could be held responsible for this sorry state of affairs is the obstructed and failed democratic form of government.

The fundamental ingredient making democracy possible is the flow of information. Media is the only force that can ensure the flow of information. If restricted, hindered or obstructed in any way, masses remain ignorant, ignorant of their rights, their duties to the state, their needs and the role that they can play for the betterment of the society and the country they live in.

Media's role in imparting education to the masses cannot be stressed enough. Online lectures and speeches of the professors, scholars and intellectuals are playing a significant role in imparting formal and technical education to the masses.

Media's role in creating awareness among the masses regarding the political, social and economic scenario cannot be overemphasized. Owing to the mushroom growth of TV channels and newspapers, people today are more aware and educated about the surroundings and the steps taken by the government. This is promoting public participation in the decision-making of the state machinery. The skilled and bold personalities of the anchor persons raise people's voice, analyse government's actions and get the expert opinion.

Media has also played a significant role in bringing the world at our doorstep. It produces and introduces different lifestyles in the world, changes moods and behavior, braves the bold topics through dramas and talk shows. It also suggests the new household styles, guides the youth to new opportunities and creates civic sense.

Media also helps in providing religious knowledge by the competent scholars, answering the queries of public to solve their problems. It highlights religious events and promotes sectarian harmony.

In the historical perspective, one can safely say that unfortunately democracy could not flourish here in the true sense of the word. Consequently, Pakistan has not been able to evolve a full- fledged free news media. The media in Pakistan has not received the nourishment needed for its full flowering.

However, the electronic media took new form after promulgation of Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) 2001, by the autocratic regime of president Musharraf. The authority has been made responsible for facilitating and regulating the establishment and operations of the broadcast media and distribution services in Pakistan. The mandate of the PEMRA is to ensure accountability and transparency by optimizing the free flow of information. This law is on the face to the article 19 of the constitution, which guarantees freedom of speech, expression and press.

Despite frequent martial laws, other factors that stand responsible for the poor growth of independent media could be indifferent attitude illiteracy, poverty, unawareness, attitude of indifference towards the political decisions, lack of interest in state affairs, political instability and political pressures and problems.

Illiteracy has proved to be one of the major obstacles in the improper growth of press and electronic media. Owing to lack of education, people have been rendered unaware of their rights, duties and of course responsibilities to the state. This dilemma of illiteracy gave birth to poverty and consequently, the poor masses that could not afford two meals in a day, could never realize the importance of newspapers and freedom of press. This sorry state of affairs has created an indifferent attitude on the part of the common masses. Consequently, the apathy shown by the government and the people gave birth to an orthodox and stereotyped thinking and nationalist approach.

There are certain ethics and do's and don'ts of media channels and press to shape the discipline of journalism so that they may seek truth, convey information, ideas and opinions with transparency and accuracy. These ethics advise the media personals to report and interpret honestly, striking for accuracy, fairness and disclosure of all essential facts and urge the necessary correction of errors.

21st century has turned out to be a century of media war, as it has turned out to be the most lethal weapon of the contemporary age. Drastic, cultural, political and social changes can now be seen as a result of revolutions brought about by media. Media is bursting forth like a meteor, breaking new frontiers. In this age of cosmic revolution and technology and means of communication, those archaic barriers blocking any people's access to independent source of information are being dismantled rapidly to the utter discomfort of the obscurantist still intent on keeping them intact. This is an era of satellite television, internet connectivity and mobile telephones. US constitution categorically forbids that:,

“Congress shall make no law abridging the freedom of speech or of press.”

Dr Quratul Ain Malik (CSP)__________________

Let me take care of today, tomorrow shall take care of itself

1. Introduction: Ever since his arrival on the face of this Earth, man has subdued the greatest adversities of his life by devising an effective mitigation plan then and there. But unfortunately, the modern society in its quest of worldly desires has become oblivious to its day-to-day obligations and prefers to indulge in high sounding future planning devoid of any practical action.

2. What is meant by 'me' here?Considering the severity of challenges confronted by modern society, every social entity has to take care of its today. So, 'me' signifies:a) An individualb) A nation-Statec) World community as a whole

3. What needs to be taken care of immediately?

a) At individual leveli. Materialism and restlessnessii. Moral declineiii. Evasion of obligations and insistence on rights onlyiv. Estrangement from Religion

b) At State level(Challenges confronted by developed and developing States awaiting their timely solution*were separately discussed)

c. At Global leveli. Climate changeii. Nuclear weaponsiii. Food crisisiv. Economic crunchv. Energy depletion

4. What is at stake?An immediate collective action plan is required to solve these problems as they are endangering our joint existence in animal kingdom.

5. How these timely actions will take care of our future?They will:

a) Redress the suffering soul of manb) Address the decline of social values in societyc) Produce responsible future generationsd) Prevent next global economic meltdownf) Avert the problem of global warmingg) Remove class disparitiesh) Check third world war

Conclusion: Since "the only alternate to coexistence is co-destruction", all we need is to start taking care of our today to ensure a safe and prosperous tomorrow.