International conference: Journalists’ safety takes centre stage

Pakistani, international media professionals discuss ways to reduce threats against journalists.

ISLAMABAD:

Over 90 journalists have lost their lives in the line of duty in Pakistan since 2000. Just in the space of one week, from February 25 to March 2 this year, three journalists were murdered across the country.

As if that was not enough, all six eyewitnesses of the murder of Karachi-based reporter Wali Khan Babar have been killed.

What is, perhaps, more terrifying than these statistics is the impunity with which journalists are being targeted and the lack of institutional and state protection in the country.

With the objective of discussing ways to combat this impunity, media professionals from Pakistan sat together with their international counterparts at the ‘International Conference on Promoting Safety of Journalists and the UN Action Plan on Impunity’ on Wednesday.

The two-day conference is being conducted by Intermedia, in collaboration with UNESCO and other international media support groups. In addition to raising awareness among journalists about measures to reduce threats against them, the conference also aims to highlight the UN Action Plan against Impunity. The plan, which is being piloted in five countries including Pakistan, will be unveiled at the conference today (Thursday).



“Only safe journalists can guarantee a free and professional media, and pluralistic, inclusive and democratic societies,” said Intermedia executive director Adnan Rehmat at the start of the conference

During a session on the state of impunity in Pakistan, veteran journalists identified criminals, militant groups, spy agencies, political parties, the military establishment, police and even the owners of media organisations themselves as potential threats to journalists’ security.

The panelists raised issues such as self-censorship, pressure on reporters working in conflict zones from militants and the indifference among the journalistic community.

“It is not just the tribal areas… even in Karachi, reporters have accepted that there are some things they are not going to report,” Owais Aslam Ali, general secretary of the Pakistan Press Foundation, noted at the conference.

Journalists also lamented that owners have never responded to requests from the journalist unions to discuss issues such ethical reporting, safety equipment for reporting breaking news and insurance for employees.

Mazhar Abbas, director news of Express News, said Pakistani journalists should investigate the cases of their slain colleagues and follow-up on the court cases for murdered journalists. He said some media groups are helping the families of killed journalists which should be appreciated.

In another session, representatives of international media support groups talked about strategies to tackle attacks against journalists in other countries.

Chris Warren, former president of the International Federation of Journalists, shared eight points with the conference participants to combat impunity against journalists which include caring for slain journalists’ families, strong collaborative press institutions, respect for the rights of minorities within journalism and a process of dialogue between stakeholders.

Rehmat mentioned that the Pakistan Journalist Safety Fund has helped 30 journalists over two years, including putting five journalists in safe houses for protection.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 7^th, 2013.