A fine and shifting line for Pakistan’s media
The government of Balochistan, the troubled southwestern province of Pakistan, registered a case against national television news channel ARY on Monday, August 26, after it aired a video clip of the destruction of the residence of Pakistan’s founder, Muhammed Ali Jinnah. The case was filed under Pakistan’s Anti-Terrorist Act of 1997, claiming that airing the…
Can Pakistan’s corrupt media be checked?
With ratings driving the profits of media channels, journalists and political talk show hosts are being motivated to stir up controversy at any cost. Meanwhile, the professionals who believe in credibility, objectivity, and honesty as essential parts of ethical journalism are becoming sidelined.
No joke: Moves to squelch Pakistani media, again
With general elections approaching, the landscape is again bearing eerie resemblance to the final days of General Pervez Musharraf’s reign. In November 2007 he banned selected TV channels for 88 days to stifle what he saw as “irresponsible journalism.” Now, Pakistani electronic media might be chained again, this time for violating cultural and ethical values…
A Pakistani ‘sword of Damocles’ in the making?
Given that it is usually punishable by death, “treason” is a dangerous word to bandy about. When it is applied to journalists, it is even more worrisome. We’ve seen that in Sri Lanka, which is in the throes of a backlash against a U.N. resolution on past human rights abuses. (See “Amid Sri Lankan denial,…