LAHORE – Pakistan was the most dangerous country in the world for journalists in 2010, said South Asia Media Commission (SAMC) General Secretary Najam Sethi, while presenting a report on attack on the press in South Asia.
Sethi presented his report, South Asia Media Monitor 2010, at a conference organised by SAMC and Media Commission Pakistan. Other high profile speakers including I A Rehman, Arif Nizami and Khalid Ahmad expressed their views on this report. Sethi said, “Pakistani journalists are becoming victims of both state and non-state actors as Pakistan occupies the top slot in terms of journalist killing in South Asia, despite freedom of speech.”
He, while quoting the stats of journalists being killed in 2010 in South Asia, deduced that Pakistan was the most ‘unsafe area’ for journalists in the world. He said 19 journalists and one media worker had lost their lives in 2010, owing to intolerance in the region. He said out of 20 media personnel, 13 were killed in Pakistan, which clearly defines the scenario prevailing in Pakistan. He said three journalists were reported to be killed in Nepal and two each in Afghanistan and India.
EQUIPPING THE JOURNALISTS: Arif Nizami, giving an overall view on the current media situation in the country, said, “We have come a long way in the fight of free media and expression.” He said owners of media organizations should make sure that journalists that are being sent in deep waters should be properly trained, paid and fully equipped to work in combat zones.
“Unpaid, untrained and unequipped journalists are being deployed in sensitive areas,” he said. He said that proper equipment and appropriate training of journalists on how to work in combat zones should minimize the presented figures to some extent. On answering to a question about the financial situation of journalists, Nizami said journalist should be paid regularly. He said that it was the responsibility of the owners to make sure that journalists were being paid up to their calibre.
He said an established paper should not kick out journalist only because they intend to start a TV channel. “Kicking out journalists only because the company wants to start a channel is unfair and beyond my understanding,” he said. He said the Press Club and unions should step forward and act responsibly on this situation and wage board should be implemented.
While applauding the local journalists on learning rapidly on tackling combat zones without training, he said that mid-career training should be conducted by media institutes for the awareness of journalists. Talking on self assessment, he notified the lack of editorial control in the country’s media. He emphasised that editorial control should be implemented to the fullest and that editors should confirm all facts before airing or publication.
THE REAL FREEDOM: Commenting on the report, senior journalist and human right activist IA Rehman said the media’s freedom should be used properly and with responsibility. He said that Indian news channels were banned in the country, which did not make any sense. He said all news channels should be allowed to be broadcasted in the country which will certainly raise the exposure of local journalists. He demanded the raise of bans on all Indian news channels.
SELF REGULARITY: Media Monitor Editor Khalid Ahmad said the South Asian counties were going through different eras simultaneously. He explained that Nepal, India, Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan were on separate levels. He said progress and consistency towards the freedom of media was necessary and self regularity was an important step towards the real meaning of media’s freedom of media.
