Media situation
THE heads and other representatives of several media bodies, including CPNE, APNS and PFUJ, met with government officials on Thursday to take into account the current standoff between the two sides.
The caretaker Minister for Information and Broadcasting was also present. He gave certain welcome words of assurance and emphasised his opposition to physical action against the community. It is, however, necessary to back such words with appropriate actions. The crackdowns against protesting journalists in Karachi and Hyderabad were unwarranted. Though the Information Ministry might claim it does not have control over the police, but surely it can use the leverage it has; it can go a long way.
Moving to a suppression of a non-physical sort, despite ARYOne’s resumption of broadcasts, both from source and on the nation’s cable networks, broadcasts of the Geo group still remain suspended. And even amongst the channels that have resumed, there is a pronounced prospect of punishment for violating a Code of Conduct, which, if interpreted conservatively by the government, can be extremely restrictive.
Source: TheNation
Date:11/24/2007
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