KARACHI: The representatives of press clubs belonging to different areas of Pakistan agreed that the rush to break news combined with the unprofessional attitude of editors, newsroom personnel and media houses leave jo
urnalists working in the field vulnerable and at risk.
These views were expressed during the ‘National Consultative Dialogue on the Safety of Jo
urnalists’ organised by the Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF) in collaboration with Open Society Institute (OSI) at a local hotel in Karachi on Thursday.
Leading jo
urnalists from press clubs in Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Quetta, Peshawar, Muzaffarabad, Gilgit-Baltistan, Abbottabad, Khuzdar, Federally Administered Tribal Areas and other cities parti
cipated in the dialogue.
PPF Secretary General Owais Aslam Ali moderated the interactive discussion, ensuring participation of all representatives in identifying challenges faced by jo
urnalists. He
also shared PPF’s vision and mandate of capacity building along with safety and security of media professionals.
Participants
also narrated stories of attacks on their respective press clubs, and the threats faced by their members.
It was agreed that the ‘breaking news’ phenomenon found in electronic media, combined with non-professional attitude of newsroom editors puts jo
urnalists at great risk. Lack of awareness of safety measures and guidelines among jo
urnalists was
also cited as a problem.
Hammad Rind of the Balochistan Union of Jo
urnalists added that reporters and editors often crossed the line between jo
urnalism and activism. He said that partisanship, or prejudice in favour of one viewpoint
also puts media personnel at risk.
Participants
also emphasised the need for proper follow up on cases of attack on media, and to put an end to the impunity enjoyed by those who target media professionals. The discussion
also revolved around how to identify those jo
urnalists killed or injured while performing their professional duties.
Karachi Press Club Secretary Alauddin Khanzada bemoaned the role of media owners in following up on cases of attack on jo
urnalists. He added that families of victims should be provided financial compensation and legal assistance. Khanzada emphasised that families of victims need to take the lead in this regard, citing the example of slain jo
urnalist Wali Khan Babar, whose brother ensured that those responsible were brought to justice.
The second half of the workshop focused on solutions and the role various stakeholders including media houses, unions, government, law enforcement agencies and civil society organisations can play in improving safety conditions of jo
urnalists.
Participants were of the view that training sessions and workshops on hostile environment, trauma and security measures, particularly for those working in conflict zones were needed to ensure their protection. They said th
at better equipment and safety gear would
also help those in the field to protect themselves.
During the seminar, it was discussed that provision of insurance, promise of compensation, and consistent follow-up on attacks on jo
urnalists, unions, media owners and government officials would
also improve the overall situation. Moreover, payment of proper salaries to district reporters and implementation of the Wage Board Award were
also cited as solutions.
The representatives of the various press clubs
also opined th
at better coordination and communication with law-enforcement agencies and government would h
elp to improve safety standards.