Institute of Policy Studies hosts digital advocacy sessions in Islamabad

The Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) in Islamabad recently conducted two sessions under its Digital Advocacy Program focused on the mechanics of online communication and strategic messaging.

The first session, titled “Beyond Information: How Communication Shapes Perceptions in the Digital Age,” featured speaker Talha Aslam. The discussion examined how digital narratives develop and how audiences interpret messages based on existing attitudes, social environments, and repeated exposure to content such as humor and satire. The session emphasized that an online image evolves through continuous engagement rather than single instances of content.

The second session, “From Narrative to Influence: Strategic Writing for Digital Advocacy,” featured Anum Akhlaq from the National Emergency Operations Centre, Polio Eradication Initiative. The discussion focused on the practical application of strategic writing, noting that effective advocacy must be grounded in credible evidence and audience research. Akhlaq highlighted that the ultimate goal of advocacy is to move beyond mere awareness to trigger individual and collective action by connecting policy issues to their human impact.