Attack in Ottawa

Journalists in Pakistan need to learn from CBC how to respond responsibly in the immediate aftermath of an incident

The blatant attack on the Canadian parliament, and the shooting of a Canadian soldier on October 22 reminded the world yet again of the continued threat that radicalisation poses to people and countries the world over. The attack is reported to have been carried out by a recent convert to Islam. With Canada being one of the countries that has participated in the aerial bombing of the Islamic State, this appears to be the reason behind the attack. While there will now be renewed calls for Western countries to review the policies that lead to increased radicalisation and other similar incidents, it is also important that the attack does not become the reason for any increased victimisation of Muslims living in Canada and other Western countries.

There is a popular view that sees many of the conflicts the world faces as a battle between the Muslim world and the West. There is a need to discourage such views both through words and actions. In this regard, it is important that the Canadian government makes sure that there is no backlash of the parliament attack on the local Muslim population. Here it is pertinent to note the way the entire incident was covered by the Canadian media, which sets an example to broadcast media across the world. In such situations, it is usual for broadcast media to spread further panic, release information not verified by officials and in the end, perpetuate rumours that can potentially be lethal to entire communities. What we saw on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation was, in fact, balanced and responsible coverage. There was a conscious effort to not name or profile the suspect or a premature discussion held to link the attack to other such attacks and developments in recent times. There is a lesson to be learned here for Pakistan’s local broadcast media. Given that Pakistan faces a precarious security situation, journalists here need to learn how to respond responsibly in the immediate aftermath of an incident and to ensure there is proper verification of facts before analysts and commentators jump to conclusions.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 24^th, 2014.

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