Most vibrant press in Asia

Pakistan ranked 139th out of 180 countries on the 2018 World Press Freedom Index

May 3 is commemorated as World Press Freedom Day, a day which aims to highlight the importance of a free press in present-day times. The specific theme for 2018 is “Keeping Power in Check: Media, Justice and The Rule of Law.” Its goal is to highlight the importance of a proper legal environment to protect journalists. This is a theme that is very important for the Pakistani media given the challenges it has faced over the years.

To give some context, one can refer to a recent report compiled and released by the respected international non-governmental organisation (NGO) — Reporters Without Borders, also known as Reporters Sans Frontières. The report showed that Pakistan was ranked 139^th out of 180 countries on the 2018 World Press Freedom Index.



According to a country-specific analysis by RSF which accompanied the publication of the annual listing, the journalistic community in Pakistan it said was openly targeted by both state and non-state actors within the country over the past few months, often without consequences.

But that is just the tip of the iceberg. Various interest groups continue to harass and condemn the media for not toeing their line. What is worse is that the state does not take action on this.

The culture of impunity seems to be the biggest challenge facing the Pakistani media and fits well with the Press Freedom theme of justice and rule of law.

Hundreds of Pakistani journalists have died over the years but their murders remain unresolved let alone having the perpetrators put behind bars.

In a story by this newspaper quoting the RSF report, it was said that the Pakistani press has found itself under pressure from multiple sides, as warring parties find it easy to denounce acts of sacrilege by the media.

The report noted “Deadly attacks against journalists continue to take place every year, even if the number has tended to fall in the past five years. In October 2017, armed groups in Balochistan issued an ultimatum to journalists, threatening them with violence if they continued to refuse to cover the actions and statements of these groups.”

The natural consequence of this climate of fear under which journalists now work in the country has led to widespread newsroom self-censorship.

But there is a silver lining. At the same time, RSF praised the Pakistani media for being the most vibrant in Asia, and for a slight improvement in annual score, 43.55 in 2017 to 43.24 in 2018 (zero being the best score), which was linked to the sobering fact that no journalist was killed for expressing his/her views in the country this year. “Pakistan is still ranked 139^th out of 180 countries, between India (138) and Thailand (140). It is the same rank as last year, even though the overall score of the country has improved,” RSF told this newspaper in an exclusive statement. This is cause for some relief although it by no means takes away the seriousness of the challenges faced by the media.

The report says that judicial activism, political upheavals, terrorist attacks and rising frustration over corruption and incompetence in governmental circles, evidenced by massive street protests in the past few months, have contributed towards steadily worsening political conditions and security. These trends are not limited to just Pakistan, and the hatred of the press all over the world is now directly threatening democracies, as well as other systems of governance. America is no exception.



Regional reviews of press freedom worldwide revealed that the countries in the Middle East are ranked bottom on the index as armed conflicts and political clashes make reporting ‘extremely dangerous’ in the area. Terrorism charges against independent journalists and media, especially in Turkey and Egypt, sparked global outrage in 2017 and 2018. War-ravaged Syria is ranked 177, Yemen at 167, and Iraq does not fare much better, listed at 160. Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt are also ranked low in the index.

One does not know whether to celebrate out little success or mourn the larger picture. But the challenges for the media in Pakistan not only remain but continue to grow. The media must be allowed to work in a free and fair manner for it to be able to report accurately and without bias. One hopes for the best in the years to come.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 30^th, 2018.

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