PAKISTAN MEDIA MONITOR- November 2024
A monthly report on trends relating to state of journalism and media rights, policies and practices
Tracking:
Media related laws, policies and regulations
The state of media professionalisms
The state of media economy
Threats and attacks against journalists and information practitioners
Vol. 5, No. 11 – November 2024 Edition
Produced by Freedom Network – www.fnpk.org
SECTION 1: Media related laws, policies, regulations, mechanisms
- Freedom of expression (FOE)
- Right to information (RTI), access to information (ATI)
- Federal and provincial governments (relevant ministries and departments)
- Media related regulators (PPC, PEMRA, PTA)
- Regulatory issues related to print, electronic and digital media
Justice Minallah upholds citizens’ right to access information
Date: November 4, 2024 – Source: Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF)
Supreme Court (SC) Justice Athar Minallah affirmed that the SC was committed to upholding citizens’ fundamental rights, emphasizing that it is inconceivable for the judiciary to curtail or revoke these rights, including the right to access information (RTI).
SECTION 2: The state of media professionalisms
- Media independence issues
- Public interest journalism practices and challenges
- Ethical journalism issues
- The state of thematic journalism
- Community-focused media
- Misinformation / disinformation / fake news
HRCP finds no evidence to support rape claims at Lahore college
Date: November 2, 2024 – Source 1: Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), Source 2: Dawn
A fact finding commission set up by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) concluded that without forensic evidence and credible testimonies, it is impossible to verify the allegations of sexual assault at a private college in Lahore.
Date: November 3, 2024 – Source: The News
The rise of social media has reshaped everything we knew about communication, but in doing so, has also allowed dangerous and misleading content to proliferate. This seems to be a global problem but in countries like Pakistan, this breeding ground for rumors and disinformation becomes more disturbing.
Pakistan-based website sparks Halloween confusion in Dublin
Date: November 4, 2024 – Source: Express Tribune
A misleading Pakistan-based website caused confusion in Dublin, where hundreds gathered on O’Connel Street, believing they were attending a Halloween parade that never took place. The situation escalated to the point where the Irish police felt compelled to issue a public statement.
Pakistani firm apologizes for Halloween parade misinformation in Dublin
Date: November 4, 2024 – Source: Express Tribune
A Pakistan-based company issued an apology after a Halloween parade listing on its website mistakenly led thousands of Dubliners to gather on O’Connel Street for a parade that did not exist. While the blunder sparked laughter on social media, it also raised concerns over misinformation and AI-deepfakes.
NIPP hosts roundtable on tackling misinformation, hate speech on social media platforms
Date: November 5, 2024 – Source 1: The News, Source 2: Daily Parliament Times
The National Institute of Public Policy (NIPP) hosted a roundtable conference to address the pressing need to regulate social media in Pakistan by developing a comprehensive regulatory framework to tackle misinformation and hate speech.
COAS terms misinformation a big challenge for Pakistan
Date: November 16, 2024 – Source 1: The News, Source 2: Business Recorder (BR)
Addressing the Margalla Dialogue 2024 conference, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Asim Munir said that freedom of expression in absence of rules was causing a decline in moral values while promoting the spread of misinformation and fake news.
SECTION 3: The state of media economy
- Economic landscape of media industry
- Impact of Covid-19 on media resilience and sustainability
- Government and private advertising for media industry
- Advertising sector and its interface with media industry
- Business viability and sustainability of media
- Wages, salaries and arrears of journalists and media practitioners
CPNE urges government to reverse amendment impacting newspaper advertisements
Date: November 4, 2024 – Source: Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF)
The Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE) warned that if the amendment restricting tender advertisements in newspapers in Punjab was not reversed, it will threaten the survival of small, medium and regional publications across the province and endanger jobs of thousands of media professionals.
Punjab government announces additional 3,400 residential plots for journalists
Date: November 4, 2024 – Source: Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF)
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz directed the provincial information ministry to take swift steps towards completing the Phase Two of the Journalists’ Colony in Lahore, ensuring allotment of 3,400 residential plots to journalists and media professionals.
Amendment to PPRA Rules withdrawn, APNS informed
Date: November 23, 2024 – Source 1: Dawn, Source 2: Business Recorder (BR)
Azma Bukhari, Minister of Information, Punjab in a meeting with All Pakistan Newspaper Society (APNS) representatives announced that Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz had acceded to their request to withdraw the amendment in PPRA Rules and restore tender notice advertisements in newspapers.
SECTION 4: Threats and attacks against media and information practitioners, including online
- Murders and killings
- Kidnappings and abductions
- Arrests and detentions
- Threats – verbal and written
- Harassment and intimidation – offline and online
- Surveillance, hacking and data breaches
- Legal cases for journalism-related work or free speech
- Impunity of crimes against journalists
- Censorship
FIA detains journalist over ‘offensive’ news report
Date: November 1, 2024 – Source: Dawn
The Cyber Crime Wing (CCW) of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) picked up journalist Faraz Nizam from Lahore for reporting a crime story which it termed ‘sensitive and offensive’. The FIA claimed to have acted on a petition of public interest filed by a local lawyer.
Pakistan’s deadliest year for journalists unveiled
Date: November 1, 2024 – Source 1: Dawn, Source 2: Express Tribune, Source 3: Hum English
The year 2024 stood as one of the most perilous for journalists in Pakistan, with multiple target killings and a staggering 57 recorded violations against media practioners, according to the first-ever annual Media Impunity Report launched by Freedom Network (FN).
Acting president, PM want Israel held accountable for massacre of journalists
Date: November 3, 2024 – Source 1: Express Tribune, Source 2: Daily Times
Acting President Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif urged the international community to hold Israel accountable and bring it to justice for the massacre of journalists in Gaza.
Journalist discharged from cybercrime case
Date: November 3, 2024 – Source 1: Business Recorder (BR), Source 2: Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF)
A city magistrate in Lahore discharged journalist Faraz Nizam from a case registered by the Cyber Crime Wing (CCW) of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) for ‘offensive’ reporting of a criminal incident.
SHC strikes down PEMRA ban on broadcasting news about court proceedings
Date: November 23, 2024 – Source 1: Dawn, Source 2: Express Tribune
The Sindh High Court (SHC) set aside the directives of the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) barring electronic media from airing tickers with regard to court proceedings.
Meeting of journalist body disrupted in Dera Ghazi Khan
Date: November 26, 2024 – Source 1: Freedom Network (FN), Source 2: Dawn, Source 3: The News
The district administration in Dera Ghazi Khan forced an early end to a meeting of journalists discussing threats to their lives and the state of media freedom in Punjab’s Seraiki belt, according to a press release issued by Freedom Network (FN).
Constitutional bench expresses annoyance over issuance of notices to journalists
Date: November 26, 2024 – Source 1: The News, Source 2: Business Recorder (BR)
The Supreme Court’s (SC) constitutional bench sought a report from the Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) regarding harassment of journalists by issuing them notices under Section 161 of the Criminal Penal Code (CrPC) of Pakistan.
Private news channel’s DSNG van attacked in Rawalpindi
Date: November 26, 2024 – Source: Express Tribune
The Express News Digital Satellite News Gathering (DSNG) van came under attack near the Rawalpindi-Islamabad border area while covering the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) protest. The van suffered heavy damage due to attacks from both sides by enraged protesters, who shattered the van’s windows while injuring a cameraman.
Journalists injured as protesters attacked NPC, media houses
Date: November 27, 2024 – Source: Dawn
Several journalists were injured when the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) protesters attempted a forced entry into the National Press Club (NPC) and offices of media houses in Islamabad.
Uproar as journalist booked in ‘narcotics case’
Date: November 29, 2024 – Source 1: Dawn, Source 2: Arab News
Journalist Matiullah Jan was remanded in police custody over alleged drug possession and assaulting a policeman, charges that were derided by journalists’ bodies, his legal team and even a Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader, as being ‘bogus’.
Date: November 30, 2024 – Source: The News
There is a disturbing pattern in Pakistan where journalists are selectively targeted. This does not mean there is no disinformation in the country. There are parts of the media that are complicit in spreading disinformation, but there are no constructive efforts to hold them accountable.
OBJECTIVES: This series of monthly report aims to:
- Monitor the state of policies, regulations and mechanisms governing the media sector in Pakistan; the state of freedom of expression and right to information environment in the country and how these interfaces with media freedoms allowed or restricted via media regulations governed by the print, electronic and internet regulators.
- Track the state of media professionalisms in the country including ethical and public interest journalism practices and challenges, and the challenges of misinformation, disinformation and fake news phenomena.
- Follow the changing economic dynamics of the media industry and how they impact the business viability and sustainability of media and exploitation of media staff in lieu of their wages and arrears.
- Scrutinize threats and attacks against media and information practitioners, the state of impunity of crimes against journalists and efforts to provide justice for those aggrieved and distressed.
INFORMATION SOURCES: This report monitors, among others, the following sources of information:
- Government: Federal and provincial cabinets
- Ministries: Related ministries, including Information and Broadcasting, Information Technology (IT) and Telecom, Human Rights, Science and Technology, Commerce and Industry, etc.
- Legislatures: Senate, National Assembly, provincial assemblies, relevant standing committees
- Regulators: Pakistan telecommunications Authority (PTA), Pakistan Electronic Media regulatory Authority (PEMRA), Press Council of Pakistan (PPC), State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), etc.
- Global organizations: UN/Unesco, International Media Support (IMS), Reporters Without Borders (RSF), International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Amnesty International (AI), Human Rights Watch (HRW), etc.
- National organizations: Digital Rights Foundation (DRF), BoloBhi, Media Matters for Democracy (MMFD), Institute for Research, Advocacy and Development (IRADA), Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), etc.
- Media: Dawn, The News, Express Tribune, The Nation, Pakistan Today, The Friday Times, etc.
- Social Media: Facebook, Twitter, etc.
- Local networks: Journalists Safety Hubs Network, Alliance on Diversity & Pluralism in Media, etc.
- Any other open public information sources.
