Report: ‘Pressure on reporters compromises quality of journalism’

Most reporters are unaware of investigative journalism: Report.

LAHORE:


Excessive pressure on reporters in Pakistan has led to the quality of reporting being compromised, states a report published by an Islamabad-based consultancy, Individualland.



The research was funded by Foundation Open Society Institute. Most of the reporters are unaware of what ‘investigative journalism’ is, says the report, adding “in a country that lacks transparency and neutrality, it is important that investigative journalists fulfill their role”. According to the report the pressure of producing a report or two every day is taxing and leads to reporters getting bored.

Khaled Ahmed, who is quoted in the report, called investigative journalism the “essence of accountability”. He said that investigative reporting could end the current approach to information that he called “superficial”. Shaheen Sehbai recommended that instead of assigning beats to reporters and telling them to file a story every day, they should be encouraged to “dig deep” and “investigate all angles of a story”.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 17th, 2012.
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