Taking part in a round-table discussion organized by IRNA in Islamabad, senior Pakistani journalists discussed the different types of threats and difficulties faced by the journalists in making fair reports.
The discussion was held to mark National Reporter’s Day. August 8 was designated National Reporter’s Day in Iran after Taliban militants killed Mahmoud Saremi, the correspondent of the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), along with eight Iranian diplomats, in the northern Afghan city of Mazar-i-Sharif in 1998.
Senior journalist Faisal Raza Khan from 92 News TV channel expressing his views on challenges to journalists in Pakistan said that there are external and internal pressures on journalists in the country.
“There are pressures on journalists from state institutions, from political parties, businessmen etc,” he said.
He added that owners of media outlets only want to do the business and they don’t care about the professional journalism. “They are using their media outlets as propaganda tool,” he noted.
He added there are many challenges faced by a journalist within media house. Faisal Raza Khan went on to say that sometimes a journalist has to a do a fabricated story on someone orders.
The analyst said journalists receive threats from powerful personalities. “They might get threatening phone calls also,” he said. He said sometimes political parties influence reporters to get a story in their own interest.
He went on to say that people who are not true journalists have become a major threat to the professional journalists.
“Journalism is not a smooth path you have to face difficulties but it happens across the world,” he said.
Rashida Sial from Abb Tak TV channel added that media in Pakistan is not free and independent as it used to be some years ago.
“Now we are facing lots of censorship, sometimes my story is completely changed by my editors,” she pointed out.
She said that media in Pakistan is not impartial and the people are losing faith in the information of media rather it is losing credibility.
Journalist Anwar Abbas from Waqt TV channel said that major threat to the journalism in Pakistan is by the journalist itself as they are not focusing on their work and do not study anymore.
He said that another problem is that many big guns or powerful people are controlling the media which is damaging the quality of news in Pakistan.
He regretted that less trained, less educated, unprofessional people are coming into the field of media. “We need to build our own capacity,” he said.
Anwar Abbas said that 'We can use the mode of social media to pass on any kind of information and there are plenty of safe ways to express ourselves.'
Essa Naqvi, Bureau Chief of Indus News Network viewed that quality of work has gone down in Pakistan and may people from other professions have joined media outlets. “People holding media screens are not true professionals,” he said.
He noted that some journalists in Pakistan also work on international agenda. He said that some years back media is not a lucrative industry in Pakistan but now people are making lot of money in this field.
Essa Naqvi added that media is also facing the issue of authenticity.
Faisal Raza Khan expressing his views said that professional journalists are facing many problems. He added that many newcomers are coming into the media who are ready to work on very low salaries as they have no liabilities. “The quality of journalism is suffering,” he noted.
He added that media owners do not want professional, talented people and this is the real problem. “Journalists have no life insurance, no job security, no shelter security, their children and families are at stakes, there is no health insurance and even your salary is at stake,” he said.
Rashida Sial in her views said that there is no job security to professional journalists in Pakistan as they can be sacked if they demand their salaries to be paid off.
Faisal Raza Khan added that journalism is not a dangerous profession of Pakistan. “Yes sometimes we do face problems from Taliban or some other institutions but it is not happening to every journalist in Pakistan,” he said.
He said that powerful politicians, land grabbers, businessmen do create problems for journalists especially working in small cities.
Anwar Abbas added that 60 percent of people working in media houses are not genuine journalists.
Essa Naqvi expressing his views said journalism is not a dangerous profession but yes we do face some problems. He added that even western media is not independent. “You cannot file a story against Pentagon,” he said.
Rashida Sial added that journalists who work in small cities do face more problems as compared to the journalists working in big cities. “If they are dragged into some kind of problem nobody is there to protect them,” she added.
The journalist said that cameraman also face lots of problems as they are the ones who have the video footage of any crime or any incident. “But they have no facility, no security of job and life and they are also being paid less,” Rashida Sial said.
She said that being a female journalist she has to face some problems in the media industry. “My movement is restricted and I cannot go everywhere like my male colleagues,” she said. She added that it is also not possible for her to do late sittings in office.
“But still it is a good profession for women,” the journalist added.
Essa Naqvi said that in 2014 he was beaten up by some protestors while covering an event. “But this does not mean that it is a dangerous profession,” he said.
Anwar Abbas to a question said that Nongovernmental Organizations (NGO) are not independent in Pakistan and have not done anything constructive for the rights of the journalist.
He added that even journalist unions are not doing anything for journalists as they are being controlled by powerful people who are not genuine journalists.
Rashida Sial noted that these organizations are controlled by mafias.
Faisal Raza Khan said that if something happens to a journalist nobody cares. He added that press clubs are meant to work for the welfare of the journalists but here the case is opposite. “They are controlled by land grabbers who have no sympathy for the rights of journalists,” he said.
He said that most of the media organizations do not give appointment letters to the journalists.
Essa Naqvi added that as Pakistan is a developing country so there are less facilities available here in all professions including journalism. “It is not that journalists are being victimized,” he noted.
He expressed the hope that things will improve in times to come.
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Islamabad, Aug 7, IRNA - The field of journalism is facing different challenges in Pakistan and the people associated with media are subject to many restrictions and discriminatory approach in the country.
