A REGULATOR that is supposed to be independent continues to play its biased role of censoring political voices that fall out of favour with the establishment. Whereas the role of the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority is to regulate media independently under the Pemra Ordinance 2002 as amended by the Pemra Amendment Act 2007, what […]
IN ‘Whitney vs California’, 1927, justice Brandeis of the US supreme court said “… in … government, deliberative forces should prevail over the arbitrary; … freedom to think as you will and to speak as you think are means indispensable to the discovery … of political truth”. Recently, Pemra, the electronic media regulator, imposed a […]
In the past five years, since the launch of 3G internet in Pakistan, the media landscape has undergone a paradigm change. The media market both on the demand side (media consumers) as well as on the supply side (media producers/channels) has had a huge transformation. First, among the bouquet of media, internet and social media […]
While there are exceptions, too often both the Israeli and Arab press fail miserably when it comes to reporting on violent acts in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Already this year, there have been dozens of murderous assaults by Israeli forces into Palestinian populated areas and deadly Palestinian attacks against Israelis. Aspects of the press coverage of […]
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 […]
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