Journalism's Achilles heel: the moral injury in Pakistan

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The current state of global media, and particularly Pakistani journalism, often triggers memories from my varied professional experiences - as a TV anchor, producer, print journalist and university teacher across multiple disciplines. These experiences, interwoven with exposures to diverse classrooms, including high-profile media and security workshops at the National Defence University, recurrently lead me to draw parallels with classical literature. One story that incessantly echoes is that of Achilles in the Iliad whose sense of betrayal by his commander, Agamemnon, who publicly humiliated him by taking away his "war prize", transforms into a sentiment of unfairness. Whether it is the heartbreaking history of Biharis and non-Bengali Urdu speakers - who stood alongside the Pakistan Army for a united Pakistan - or the dishonesties permitted in public and private sectors, this theme of disillusionment repeats itself.

Journalism too, that once only meant truth telling, is experiencing betrayal as a norm in Pakistan. The plight and predicament of our journalists are seldom given any attention while analysing the state of media here. Who are the majority of our journalists and what exactly are they faced with in the line of their duty? Abandoned by their own institutions, editors, or even the state quite frequently they are coerced to self-censor, squash critical stories, or augment government parables. The damages of this hushed combat remains hidden in our peculiar contexts where at least I could not see any non-funded public awareness and demand for ethical journalism or examples of grassroots movements supporting press freedom in Pakistan.

In the 1990s, Jonathan Shay, an American psychiatrist who worked with Vietnam War veterans, detected that many of them suffered from deep psychological wounds - not just fear-based trauma (as seen in PTSD), but injuries tied to moral and ethical violations. This led him to coin the term "moral injury". In 2010, researchers like Brett Litz and others formalised moral injury as a psychological concept, defining it as: "The lasting psychological, behavioral, social, and sometimes spiritual impact of perpetrating, failing to prevent, or bearing witness to acts that transgress one's deeply held moral beliefs and expectations." Over time, researchers noticed the professionals who regularly encounter ethical dilemmas and systemic constraints that compel them to act against their moral convictions. Thus, this concept transcended the military to include healthcare workers, police, humanitarian aid workers and journalists. Disconsolate realities of journalism in Pakistan, though not always labeled as moral injury, contribute to profound psychological distress and ethical erosion within the profession. While there may not be a dedicated report on the subject, within Pakistan's media sector, several publications do highlight the manifestations of moral injury. For instance, the reports from Pak Media Monitor, the Committee to Protect Journalists or Pakistan Press Foundation in 2024 documented a dreadful design of violence against journalists - restrictions, detentions, physical offensives, terrorisation, etc, and indicators of an embedded fear in Pakistan.

Like Achilles, who withdraws from battle after his betrayal, many journalists in Pakistan, disheartened by threats, and censorship, either leave the profession or retreat into silence. Here, another parallel emerges – The Patroclus Effect. Achilles' closest companion, Patroclus, dies in his absence, leaving him consumed by guilt and rage. Perhaps calculating or even perceiving the burden of guilt carried by many in the media due to killing the critical truth sounds too snobbish. How many young reporters struggle to make a name in Karachi, Lahore, or Islamabad, only to see their work distorted by editorial pressures? How many regional correspondents, filing reports from Balochistan or KP, witness narratives altered to suit heady interests? How many quit or can quit or are empowered enough to speak out about the erasure of public trust and professional ethics? No research is available to uncover the state of mental health of the reporters recounting extremism and terrorism. They largely remain an undiagnosed case of PTSD and moral injury.

Infuriated investigative reporters, unable to practise their craft freely, quite often turn to social media to expose hidden truths - though at times with many personal biases. The rise of partisan journalism is, in many ways, a reaction to deep-rooted moral injuries within the profession. Here arrives the Revenge Journalism - The Hector Parallel. In Pakistan, years of systemic oppression have led many good journalists to adopt highly opinionated, polarising reporting, deserting the pretense of neutrality.

The moral struggle of Pakistani journalists is mirrored by Achilles' story where Achilles does not just feel anger - he feels injured ethically and questions the rationale of war and the honour of the Greek cause. Modern journalists face the same dilemma when their institutions betray their ethical commitments. Ironically, the cycle of moral injury will persist without the consultation of those in power - those who influence and manipulate. Journalists alone cannot reconcile and heal. The true test of integrity, however, persists: the courage to tell the truth, no matter what the cost. In the real life theatre, truth is the first casualty.

What is the possibility of Redemption and Moral Repair - The Priam Moment that offers a flicker of hope? Moral repair is difficult but not impossible. Achilles ultimately finds peace when he returns Hector's body to King Priam. Integrity-driven journalism can survive through alternative spaces of fact-checking initiatives and independent watchdog groups. Wonder who can ensure the access to authentic digital platforms or international collaborations that remains neither easy nor all inclusive?

Postscript: I am struck by a realisation that is both familiar and frustrating as I wrap up this op-ed and look at it again through a feminist lens. Just as Patroclus' story is overshadowed by Achilles, the contributions of female journalists are rarely recognised. The Iliad revolves around Achilles' rage, but at its heart is Briseis - a woman treated as a war prize, claimed and exchanged by men, her voice lost in the politics of power. Women in the media know this story too well. Their presence is often paraded as progress, yet their authority is rarely real. Stories about gender-based violence and structural patriarchy are either shelved or strategically 'managed' by patriarchal arrangements. It is always worth asking: Who is allowed to be Achilles? Who is reduced to Patroclus? And how many Briseises are still waiting to be heard?