‘Pseudo-anchors increase risk factors for professional journalists’
By Masroor Afzal Pasha
KARACHI: Journalists have always been facing variety of pressures during discharge of their duties while their lives remain at high-risk due to the non-professional attitude of pseudo-anchors in electronic media.
These views were shared by professional journalists and speakers at a seminar entitled ‘Free Press -Free World’, organised by the Karachi Union of Journalists (KUJ) on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day at KUJ office on Tuesday.
Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) secretary general Amin Yousuf informed that pseudo-anchors in private channels put the lives of journalists at high-risk by assigning dangerous and risky assignments without realising the repercussions of such work. These assignments leave a variety of negative effects on the journalist community especially those reporting in sensitive areas and conflict zones, he remarked.
He said life insurance is the primary responsibility of media houses, newspapers and channels but unfortunately it was not the case in Pakistan.
“PFUJ had taken up the issue of life insurance, Employees Old Age Benefits Institution (EOBI) and the Endowment Fund with President Asif Ali Zardari who immediately issued directives to the Information Ministry to pursue these three issues on immediate basis,” he informed.
“We are also working on it and news will be announced as soon as things finalise,” he disclosed.
KUJ president Siraj Ahmed said journalists face three kinds of pressure firstly from the media house over deadlines of stories and burden of work, secondly, intense political pressure, and the third pressure comes from the government.
The journalists unions are further weakening due to the formation of fake associations, Ahmed said,
adding that these associations divide the unity and strength of journalist unions.
Speakers also highlighted that the working conditions in most of the newspapers have deteriorated where journalists are hired either on contractual basis or without appointment letters.
The speakers further said majority of the journalists are not receiving salaries in time and inappropriate salary structure is making it difficult for the reporters and photographers to work in a highly intolerant society.
At least 70 percent of the newspapers and news agencies have no concept of labour laws, Newspaper Employees (Conditions of Service) Act, 1973 or Wage Award.
Enforcement of labour laws and the Wage Award in all the newspapers and news agencies in order to ensure complete freedom of Press is much needed, they added.
PFUJ secretary general Amin Yousuf, KUJ president Siraj Ahmed, KUJ general secretary Hassan Abbas, Prof Tauseef Ahmed of Journalism department of Federal Urdu University, All Pakistan Newspaper Employees Confederation vice president Rafiq Bashir and a large number of journalists, photographers and others were also present on the occasion.
Source: Daily Times
Date:5/4/2011
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