raditional news media has evolved in an attempt to appeal to the younger viewers. Only 27 percent of the millennials think news has a positive impact on the society [citation needed].

When millennials were first introduced to The Simpsons, it was perceived as a show about family. Homer, Marge, Lisa, Bart and Maggie did feel like an actual family. In hindsight, the series was primarily an incisive satire, tackling a wide array of subjects, politics being one of the hottest.

The creation of political cartoons did not erode the evolution of political satire as a genre. Rather, it enriched it by employing a new medium.

Political satire remains relevant and popular to this day. The genre may be a shapeshifter but it is here to stay.

With the advent of social media, political cartoons started circulating in the form of memes. The memes would go viral, indicating that the users – most of them young people – had not lost their appetite for satire.

Earlier, in 2000s, political satire was presented by more traditional television programmes such as Loose Talk. The show mimicked and satirised regular news.

Aired first in June 2002, Loose Talk was a social and political commentary for the masses. It was written and created by Anwar Maqsood. Mimicking BBC’s HARDtalk, the show garnered immense popularity in Pakistan.

Loose Talk jokes had an acerbic undercurrent to them that was picked by many and missed by some. Its success was so phenomenal that those who were the butt of the joke were forced to laugh along and admit to it. The then president Pervez Musharraf admitted to being a fan.

With Moin Akhter as a guest essaying various personalities including Saddam Hussein, Abdul Sattar Edhi, Manmohan Singh, Sushma Swaraj, Javed Miandad, a harmonium player, a nurse, a transwoman and a single mother, the program was enjoed by both adults and children.

Some of the shows sought to push the envelop, trying to extend discussion beyond what was allowed in mainstream current affairs shows. Such shows included the likes of Hum Sub Umeed Say Hain and the Banana News Network (BNN).

Hum Sub Umeed Say Hain aired on Geo. The show, written by humorist Muhammad Younis Butt and directed by Fawad Wyne Anjum Shehzad, was a major hit. It featured humorous segments on Pakistani politics. The show was hosted variously by Saba Qamar, Fizza Ali and Mehwish Hayat. The first person to host the show, Veena Malik, had her own signature style.

Around the same time, a show called 4 Man Show was aired by Aaj TV. The 4 Man Show introduced us to Channel 4, which was essentially a parody of news channels, complete with its own bulletins, tickers, headlines, interviews and on-field reporters. The attention to detail made it a raging success.

In its stead followed the Banana News Network, a show released on Geo in 2011. The show followed a pattern similar to that of the 4 Man Show and one could tell it was being executed by the team that had also worked on the 4 Man Show.

As the theatrics of the Pakistani political landscape evolved, so did the medium and the content of the shows. Next to follow in the genre were productions such as MazaaqRaat. In this show, stand-up comedy and talk show format were blended together. Hosted by Vasay Chaudhry and actor Noman Ijaz, the show became a favourite with many families.

The bubble of social media began to bloat in 2015 and appears to be here to stay.

It brought with it youngsters who demanded change in the country. What followed was a parallel universe of prominence and a wealth of stand-up comedy and podcasts that catered to a new audience.

The podcasts and open mic nights pointed to a “grey area” between political satire and political reality.

With the likes of Saad Haroon and some serious podcasters such as Shehzad Ghias of The Pakistan Experience YouTube-ing away their political commentary, the political satire game changed completely. The content is uncompromised, often relatable and refreshingly entertaining.

None of today’s shows and podcasts come anywhere close to what Anwar Maqsood and Moin Akhter pieced together. However, it is interesting to note the shift in preferences of the audiences.

The focus on real-life events and real-time coverage across various platforms underscores the value of analysing political satire as a means of influencing viewers’ perceptions of the world around them and shaping public opinion in ways that will affect the way people make their choices and pick their leaders.

What began as entertainment has morphed into a political campaign forum.

What began as prime family time with adults having dinner and children loitering in the background has turned into youngsters listening to YouTube videos with wireless earphones.

It can be argued that it is not about Television Rating Point (TRP) any longer. The ways of reaching out and measuring the success in that effort have changed. While the legacy media sought to educate the viewers, the new breed is more about citizen journalism.

The writer is a freelance journalist based in Karachi. She may be reached at sara.amj@hotmail.co.uk