Mode of connectivity to reach out to the larger audience; be seen and be heard. Where every “nobody” is “somebody” and “anybody” can be “nobody”: Such is the life on social media. A place where people hide behind their fake identities while sometimes they are too real for the world. This magical world has brought […]
The courts in Islamabad frequently welcome a four-year-old petitioner who appears in front of judges in search of his missing father, journalist Mudassar Naru who has been missing since 2018. Given such stark optics, it is hardly surprising to learn that Pakistan is one of the most unsafe places for journalists. According to a recent […]
A year end report by Reporters without Borders sheds light on the dark reality of working as a journalist in countries where press freedom is constantly under threat. Spanning two decades, the report says 1,668 journalists have been killed across the world. Around 80pc of these deaths have taken place in 15 countries. Tragically, Pakistan […]
It is presumed that Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) has laid down certain rules to regulate electronic media to keep it within limits of civilised and healthy entertainment. But it seems that the authority has forgotten or ignored the purpose of its establishment. One may point out a few aspects that need immediate attention […]
TODAY we are constantly exposed to information overload. Especially with the development of social media, where the control is weak, people are caught in a surge of news that is questionable whether it is true or not. News can quickly reach the masses and can lead to provocation. However, the Allah Almighty says in the […]
Pakistan’s Right to Information (RTI) Act is playing an instrument role in generating information that can help hold the corrupt accountable for their actions. The Toshakhana case is one such example of how the constitutional RTI, extended to citizens 12 years ago, can make governments transparent. The RTI has revived the dormant National Anti-Corruption Strategy […]
Among the many other controversies, a new one has engulfed our country regarding the upcoming movie, Joyland and its disputed ban. The movie, before its official release, has already bagged four major awards, among them the ‘prestigious’ Cannes Film Festival award in two categories; the Queer Palm category given to LGBT-relevant content and the much-acclaimed […]
“When it comes to racism, discrimination, corruption, public lies, dictatorships, and human rights, you have to take a stand as a reporter because I think our responsibility as journalist is to control those who are abusing power.”-Jorge Ramos Article 19 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan pertaining to freedom of speech etc. […]
KARACHI: The Sindh High Court has ruled it is not the job of judiciary to morally police the public by deciding what should be or should not be viewed by them as unnecessary censorship suffocates a society and stifles its creativity and growth. “In our view, where a cinematic work has passed through the censors, […]
THE advancement of the internet has enabled people to obtain and distribute news messages at a rapid pace. Most of us now use social media websites and other online platforms to obtain news. The rapid distribution of news on the internet has changed the practice of the news industry. Some of the news reports may […]
The first dimension is that freedom of expression gives liberty, though under certain reasonable restraints, to express oneself by speaking or writing. The availability of freedom of expression nudges one to create an idea or hold an opinion to express without any coercion. Only can expressed views be shared. Views that remain unexpressed are unshared, […]
Freedom of expression is a fundamental human right, besides a fundamental human faculty to subsist in the world. Freedom of expression comes with four dimensions. The first dimension is that freedom of expression gives liberty, though under certain reasonable restraints, to express oneself by speaking or writing. The availability of freedom of expression nudges one […]
Journalists make mistakes. Even the ones that think they’re better than everyone else and then one day have spectacular falls from grace and are consigned to the dustbin of history. I would cite the following examples in my classes to remind journalism students of the consequences of mistakes made by the media. There’s the infamously […]
Last month, the horrific death of two broadcast journalists shone a spotlight on the dangerous working conditions faced by news media professionals in Pakistan. Television news anchor Arshad Sharif, unceremoniously fired by his channel in September, was shot dead in Kenya a month later in mysterious circumstances. TV reporter Sadaf Naeem fell from a truck […]
