THE South Asia Media Commission’s seventh report released on Tuesday highlights issues that should be addressed seriously by the fourth estate as well as by the governments of all the eight member-states of Saarc. Of primary concern is the growing incidence of violence in the region and its impact on media practitioners who have become vulnerable to it. According to the report 12 journalists were killed in 2009 in South Asia, more than half the number — i.e. seven — in Pakistan alone. It goes to the credit of the Pakistani media that in spite of the hazards it faces its members continue to perform their duties in a steadfast manner. Ironically as long as the press was in chains, journalists were more or less secure. They could not pose a danger to anyone. Now that it is in a position to expose the wrongdoings of governments and mobilise support for the rights of ordinary citizens, especially the downtrodden sections of society, it has come under attack from vested interests. To survive this difficult phase, the media must be protected by the government as well as by media proprietors.
Why have journalists not received protection from the law-enforcement agencies and their own employers in the form of protective gear and training as they go about their often dangerous duties? This is absolutely essential if the media is to survive as an institution that reaches out to people to report their concerns. Security measures must be extended by the government to foreign journalists as well to enable them to enter risky zones with adequate protection so that Pakistan receives fair coverage in the world media. The SAMC report points to another key feature of the media that should prompt us to take serious notice. It observes that some “zealots” in the profession have used their freedom to “scandalise and destabilise a fragile democracy.” It is not becoming of any organ of the media to become the mover and shaker of governments. The media’s job is to expose and work for a holistic development of a democratic order. This is possible if various sectors of the state act in coordination and are developed in an integrated manner.
Why have journalists not received protection from the law-enforcement agencies and their own employers in the form of protective gear and training as they go about their often dangerous duties? This is absolutely essential if the media is to survive as an institution that reaches out to people to report their concerns. Security measures must be extended by the government to foreign journalists as well to enable them to enter risky zones with adequate protection so that Pakistan receives fair coverage in the world media. The SAMC report points to another key feature of the media that should prompt us to take serious notice. It observes that some “zealots” in the profession have used their freedom to “scandalise and destabilise a fragile democracy.” It is not becoming of any organ of the media to become the mover and shaker of governments. The media’s job is to expose and work for a holistic development of a democratic order. This is possible if various sectors of the state act in coordination and are developed in an integrated manner.
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