Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) and the tribal areas along the Pak-Afghan border often generate big headlines in the national and international media.
Journalists in the region also remain under intense pressure to cope with the raw quantity of breaking news, which ultimately leads to an increase in circulation or ratings and also elevates the reporter to prominence.
Keeping in view the current law and order situation of the country, especially in K-P, and with the varying strategies of the militants, covering a story carries an inherent threat to life for every journalist.
In any incident, especially in bomb blasts or suicide attacks, there are cameramen who rush to the spot and try to bypass every other reporter to get quality footage for their organisations.
Leading journalists say this kind of behaviour unnecessarily puts reporters in the line of fire, especially in attacks on first responders, which have claimed the lives of many journalists.
“Journalists should take care of themselves as well and should cover such incidents from a safe distance,” said Quatrina Hussain, a journalist working with Express 24/7.
She said breaking news did not mean that you put your life at stake.
“The Tamil Tigers in Sri Lanka were among the first to follow up blasts by targeting security forces, and most of the time journalists fell victim as well,” she added.
Some say there is a proper policy signed by news channels on how to approach such even coverage but is inactive at present and journalists kept violating it anyway.
“We signed a proper agreement but it is not in practice; I don’t know what these people are doing, putting their lives in danger,” said a furious Jamshed Baghwan, Bureau Chief of Express News Peshawar.
Talking to The Express Tribune, Reporters Without Borders Country Representative Iqbal Khattak was also of the same view.
“The Shabqadar incident last Friday was the 67th attempt of a follow-up blast. People rushed to the spot after the first one but it was the second one which caused the most damage and resulted in a great loss of lives,” he said.
“We have reported follow up blasts killing journalists in Kohat, Balochistan, Karachi and other parts of the country,” he added, nothing that every journalist takes risks that ultimately pose threats to their lives.
“At least I would advice journalist to keep some distance while reporting as some times the journalist himself becomes a report,” Khattak concluded.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 16th, 2011.
COMMENTS (4)
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ