At least two journalists have died and 38 others have tested positive for the Coronavirus pandemic in Pakistan, according to a report issued by Pakistan Press Foundation on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day.
The report on “Media Safety and Press Freedom in 2019-2020” expresses concerns over the alarming situation that COVID-19 has created for the Pakistani media.
The number of positive cases amongst media workers is an alarming trend that reflects a lapse in the implementation of the necessary measures to ensure the safety of media workers and prevent their exposure to the virus, the PPF report states.
While at least 38 cases have been confirmed in media workers, the actual figures could be much higher as only a small fraction have been tested for the virus, the report adds.
Most media organizations, as well as the government, fail to ensure the effective implementation of safety protocols and the timely provision of personal protective equipment (PPE) to journalists and other media workers.
A key recommendation of the report is calling on Pakistan’s media associations to develop detailed workable guidelines for all media workers on how to cover the Coronavirus safely and to monitor their implementation by their member organizations.
The report also recommends that all levels of government recognize the need for free flow of information during this time, respect the right to freedom of expression and release all journalists who have been arrested for their work.
Between January 2019 and April 2020, journalists in Pakistan worked under increasing restrictions with little accountability of those who limit freedom of expression. Forces hostile to the media continue to target journalists and aim to discredit their work through a range of tools. These range from attacking journalists to placing financial constraints on media outlets as a pressure tactic.
This already high-risk environment which journalists operate under has been further made difficult by the policies and rhetoric of the ruling government, which in 2019 likened critical media coverage to treason.
Senior journalist Mubashir Bukhari said that press freedom in Pakistan is facing its hardest times, for various reasons. The ruling establishment of politicians and bureaucrats don't want the media to tell the truth or show a more true picture. They have adopted a multi-layered strategy to gag the media. On the one hand, they use PEMRA and other institutions to dictate to the media. Secondly, the current government has slashed a huge chunk of advertisements to media houses that resulted in massive downsizing by media outlets. It is a severe blow press freedom. Thirdly, the rulers are using their social media teams and clergy to target their opponents. Those who dare to criticise the government's policy are flooded with abuses and threats by the government's supporters on social media. In short, the picture of press freedom in Pakistan is bleak at the moment.
Space for press freedom is likely to keep narrowing in the future.
The report on “Media Safety and Press Freedom in 2019-2020” expresses concerns over the alarming situation that COVID-19 has created for the Pakistani media.
The number of positive cases amongst media workers is an alarming trend that reflects a lapse in the implementation of the necessary measures to ensure the safety of media workers and prevent their exposure to the virus, the PPF report states.
While at least 38 cases have been confirmed in media workers, the actual figures could be much higher as only a small fraction have been tested for the virus, the report adds.
Most media organizations, as well as the government, fail to ensure the effective implementation of safety protocols and the timely provision of personal protective equipment (PPE) to journalists and other media workers.
A key recommendation of the report is calling on Pakistan’s media associations to develop detailed workable guidelines for all media workers on how to cover the Coronavirus safely and to monitor their implementation by their member organizations.
The report also recommends that all levels of government recognize the need for free flow of information during this time, respect the right to freedom of expression and release all journalists who have been arrested for their work.
Between January 2019 and April 2020, journalists in Pakistan worked under increasing restrictions with little accountability of those who limit freedom of expression. Forces hostile to the media continue to target journalists and aim to discredit their work through a range of tools. These range from attacking journalists to placing financial constraints on media outlets as a pressure tactic.
This already high-risk environment which journalists operate under has been further made difficult by the policies and rhetoric of the ruling government, which in 2019 likened critical media coverage to treason.
Senior journalist Mubashir Bukhari said that press freedom in Pakistan is facing its hardest times, for various reasons. The ruling establishment of politicians and bureaucrats don't want the media to tell the truth or show a more true picture. They have adopted a multi-layered strategy to gag the media. On the one hand, they use PEMRA and other institutions to dictate to the media. Secondly, the current government has slashed a huge chunk of advertisements to media houses that resulted in massive downsizing by media outlets. It is a severe blow press freedom. Thirdly, the rulers are using their social media teams and clergy to target their opponents. Those who dare to criticise the government's policy are flooded with abuses and threats by the government's supporters on social media. In short, the picture of press freedom in Pakistan is bleak at the moment.
Space for press freedom is likely to keep narrowing in the future.