Originally Posted by Walrus

Yes, sir. What I presented in the post was just an general overview of how people could merge many of (those) things in different answers, and could come up with a substantive answer, accordingly.

I attempted this exam in following way, if you want me to be exact.

2. Do you think that internet is flattening the cultural differences and synching distinct cultures on some common grounds? Discuss critically

Ans: In this, I asserted the importance of internet and especially social media platforms like Facebook for connecting; Twitter for sharing information and daily routines, activities, and what not; Linked-in for finding people with common interest in work; MySpace, Soundcloud, 8tracks for music, etc.

Then I came to address the question that how it flattens the cultural differences on broader level by giving the example of how people from distinct cultures came together on one platform and managed to find common grounds; such as how activism of people, citizens, and activists from Arab Spring in Middle East, Pink Tide in Brazil, and Euro Maidan in Ukraine brought people of common interest together and how they could relate to each other on social media and internet by sharing their stories despite having difference in cultures and distance of continents.

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3. Media do not tell you what to think, but what to think about. This premise signifies the role of media as an agenda setter. However recent research on agenda setting explores the media's role in framing the most salient aspects of an issue and let the people think not only about the issue but also affect thinking process of the viewers. Discuss the distinction about agenda setting and framing(as a secondary-level agenda setting) theories.

Ans: I attempted this question by briefly defining agenda and framing. Then kept distinguishing between them with how editorials in DAWN came up with an agenda of 'Govt.'s dialogues with terrorists' and how it gradually shifted to the framing of 'options of operations available to deal with terrorists'. This way, how it affected thought process and how it becomes secondary source for signature agenda of DAWN i.e. best way to deal with terrorism is operation. This was from POV of journalistic or printing press.

Then for the example of media, which was the question in first place, I came up with how revelations of Snowden via Glenn Greenwald caused havoc in American media and how the agenda to discard discussions on those heinous crimes were covered with framing of smear campaign against Greenwald and putting 'traitor' tag with Snowden by the pro-govt. media.

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6. Media and media practitioners are naive and are unable to understand the complexity of social and political problems of a country. Hence, they need to be governed and their affairs should essentially be regulated. Don't you think this premise is against the canons of freedom of expression? discuss

Ans: This I attempted by an intro that first obligation of media and media practitioners is not to understand the complexity of social and political problems of a country because a country has sociologists and political scientists for that. In fact, their first obligation is to bring the truth to public about what's going on behind the scenes in the name "matter of national security".

Examples were: Wikileaks, Manning Case, Snowden, and also how media educated people on very social and political issues. How the constitution of almost every democratic country protects freedom of expression and some specifically have written freedom of press in the document and how they should be provided security if they are threatened because they are revealing the truth and that they should not be governed or regulated because they are like fourth or fifth estate which keeps govts. in check with their 'watch-dog' role, etc.

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7. In election 2013, social media were used as a vehicle as political advertising by the leading political parties of Pakistan. Do you think that sociAL media had considerable effect on the election results? support you answer with concrete examples.

Ans: For this, I wrote that campaigns of political parties went in to new dimension as they created social profiles on FB, Twitter, YouTube and how they advertised their agendas via statuses, tweets, and video uploads of their rallies, and set the tune for their desired results.

And how not only parties but also activists and citizens took part in this by posting their pictures out of polling stations, election day routine, etc. Also, I mentioned that how big brands joined this novelty by posting promotional messages like "If you have voted, then come to our outlet, show your blue-marked thumb and get discounts or free foods."

And how pictures of women standing in line outside polling stations coming from those areas which were under the control of terrorists elements humbled other people and made them come out of their homes to vote and went on to have a considerable effect on turn-out.

Example which the question needed, I gave the example of how PTI filed report of rigging in Karachi where people were standing in lines till late hours of the evening and still were not able to vote, on the back of social media. How it went to Election Commission, with undeniable proof posted on social media, and how it affected the result for Dr. Alvi of PTI.

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Hope it helps. Ta.