And its so-called representatives
There has been no let-up in the tough conditions the media industry has been facing for the better part of a year now. Newspapers in particular have felt the pressure due to tight cash flows caused by falling advertising revenues. Add to that a level of interference in editorial decision-making that forces self-censorship and you have a situation worse than during the Zia years– at least then the policy was explicit. Back then there were media bodies that fought the good fight to secure the rights of the press. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said about bodies representing the media presently. As the representative body of newspaper publishers, the APNS (All Pakistan Newspapers Society) of the past had streamlined the advertiser-newspaper relationship while protecting the fundamental rights of newspapers. A shadow of its former self, now the body is unable to perform even its fundamental function of securing outstanding dues of its members from private-sector advertisers the federal and provincial governments. Most worryingly, the body has become increasingly undemocratic in its operations with elections heavily skewed in favour of a few publishers.
It is no wonder therefore that the same individuals emerge victorious in their elections, courtesy a blatantly unfair vote weightage system. For these reasons, for the first time in the history of the body, around 40 per cent of members abstained in this year’s election. Given the dearth of democratic principles within the body, it is difficult to presume that it will stand up effectively against the undemocratic forces that are currently taking a wrecking-ball to the Fourth Estate. The eventual creation of the PMRA will only add to the pressures being faced at the moment. Rather than misusing important, one-time effective, platforms for the fulfilment of the selfish objectives of a few, it is imperative that a unified front is put up to combat this latest wave of media suppression.
