THE death of two cameramen in the Quetta suicide blast on Monday underscores the perils of conflict reporting that Pakistan’s media routinely face.
Mehmood Khan of DawnNews and Aaj TV’s Shahzad Ahmed were among the over 70 people killed in the secondary attack that took place at the Civil Hospital where lawyers and media had gathered following the shooting of senior advocate Bilal Kasi earlier in the morning.
This incident again draws attention to the vulnerability of a media compelled most of the time to tell the story at any cost — 72 media personnel in the country have lost their lives in the line of duty since 2002.
Surely, no story is worth the life of a reporter or cameraman. In fact, covering an attack with the patience and restraint necessary in a risky situation will not detract from the newsworthiness of the story.
Both media houses and their employees ought to realise this and the importance of adhering to safety guidelines in the coverage of terrorism-related incidents.
Coercing reporters to obtain exclusive information and footage in the aftermath of a blast is simply wrong, even for upping the ratings.
Unfortunately, journalism is often driven by commercial interests, and most reporters and cameramen risk their safety to earn a livelihood.
Newsrooms conducting live interviews of injured media workers — some lauded for their intrepidity on air — takes away from the message that safety comes before one’s duty to provide information.
Therefore, news editors must only encourage information and footage obtained safely. On their part, many media workers don’t want to be told how to do their job and indulge in spats with security officials when refused access after an attack — in their quest to shoot footage of victims, some have even hindered medical efforts.
It’s about time editors collectively endorsed and implemented revised and updated SOPs, especially in view of the rising incidence of secondary attacks that have proved more lethal.
Staffers must receive training and security briefings; they must display their press badges and wear flak jackets and helmets, besides familiarising themselves with exit strategies.
Meanwhile, instantly uploaded social media footage also encourages news outlets to push the accepted limits to get the story out quickly. This worsens matters.
The information war reminds one of George Orwell’s words: “In times of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act.” Telling the truth is essential but it should be told with sensitivity and without recklessness.
Published in Dawn, August 10th, 2016
