A bull in a china shop

What divine message can possibly come of a divorce that the media is spending so much time and energy mulling over it

Sometimes one cannot help but feel that the Pakistani media behaves like the proverbial bull in a china shop. Under the guise of ‘awareness’, ‘free speech’ and the ‘right to information’, there have been many instances of the Pakistani media prioritising sensationalism over well-researched facts and poking its nose where it isn’t needed. The media explosion in Pakistan is still in its youth, as is repeatedly reflected in its immature behaviour and lack of basic etiquette in not knowing where to draw the line. A case in point is the way the divorce of Imran Khan and Reham Khan has been handled. What we have witnessed is a tsunami of media intrigue building up over the issue like a dark cloud.

Having reduced themselves to the level of rags and tabloids, various media outlets, particularly electronic, left no stone unturned when reporting on the divorce. To state the obvious: let private lives remain private. Politicians’ personal lives are of no relevance to the affairs of the state. There is much else that requires urgent coverage. Granted, the individuals involved were public figures who commanded constant media attention. But what divine message can possibly come out of a divorce that the media is spending so much time and energy mulling over it? Instead, in its desperate attempts to dig deep for dirt, the media is only exposing its own standard of ethics, its petty nature and the mindset of those reporting on the matter. Yet there is the argument that in giving such aggressive coverage to a ‘hot topic’, channels and newspapers think that they are merely doing their job well, as they feel that this is what it means to ‘report’. In such a case, the solution lies in a proper education in journalism, covering all facets of reporting and the running of media outlets. The Pakistani media needs to wake up to notions of journalistic ethics, so that harassment is not confused with hard work and ‘duty’. The crass and intrusive behaviour of the media at what must be a painful time for the individuals involved has left nothing but a bad taste in the mouth.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 3^rd, 2015.

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