Key findings

• Barely half of the 92 surveyed media departments teach courses on disinformation, fact-checking, or media literacy, indicating both a growing responsiveness to global challenges related to information integrity, but also a large current gap. 
• Most media studies departments struggle with uneven development, infrastructure and resources. Nearly 40% do not have digital media labs, 84% do not have TV studios and around 1 in every 10 departments lack all practical media facilities.
• Most departments actively facilitate internships but barely 40% have formal partnerships with media houses, suggesting a pressing need to bridge academia-industry gaps.

Core recommendations:

• Enhance journalism department relevance and capacities by improving faculty-student ratios, curriculum, facilities and faculty development.
• Diversify and contexualise academic programmes to offer new specialisations in line with industry demands.
• Deepen partnerships with media organisations to introduce journalism students to required skills, industry trends and professional mentorship.
• Build practical media training infrastructures with facilities such as digital media labs and broadcast studios.

Strategic actions

In light of the findings, the report offers a 16-point roadmap to facilitate the process of revamping media and communication studies higher education in Pakistan. It recommends public-private collaboration to improve access to resources, facilitate experiential learning, and provide early career opportunities for media graduates.