Challenging environment: Journalists urged to adopt safety measures

‘The risk can be minimised by adopting safety measures’

LAHORE: Journalists in Pakistan are working in a challenging environment, but they can minimise the risks by adopting certain safety measures, says Red Crescent Director Dr Nadia.

Speaking at an event titled Safety of Journalists in Pakistan under the aegis of the Centre for Peace and Development Initiatives (CPDI), Dr Nadia said that journalists should get first-aid training so that they could help themselves and their colleagues in time of need.

Explaining the steps journalists should take while reporting in emergency situations, she said, “When there is a danger of teargas shells being fired, journalists should keep salt and water with them. And when exposed to teargas, they should wash their eyes with that water to avoid allergy,” she said.

Trainer Khurrum Badar said that many journalists had been killed in Pakistan over the past decade. “Media is a force for democratisation and stability, as it plays an important role in building democratic and open societies by providing the public access to balanced and factual information,” he said. Now is the time to enable journalists to make themselves safer in the field, he added.

The trainers said that Pakistan had been one of the most dangerous countries in the world for journalists. “Journalists are working in a very challenging environment in Pakistan.

The risk in performing the journalistic duties can be minimised by adopting safety measures and acting upon specific safety guidelines,” said a trainer.

The trainers spoke about the challenges being faced by journalists, especially those reporting from conflict zones, and the safety measures being adopted by journalists worldwide.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 31^st, 2016.