Journalists stage protests to denounce censorship

AP Published July 16, 2019

Journalists protest against press censorship in this undated file photo.

Pakistani journalists are holding nationwide protests to denounce rampant censorship that they say is being imposed upon them from the country's power quarters, massive layoffs due to budget cuts, and months-long delays in payments of their wages.

Tuesday's rallies, dubbed 'Day of Protests', are spearheaded by the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ).

PFUJ says journalists are facing the roughest phase in the country's history and have decided to “fight the unprecedented censorship”.

Afzal Butt, president of PFUJ, says the rallies are only the “beginning of a protest movement”.

Journalists and press freedom advocates say Pakistan's media outlets are being pressured by powerful quarters in order to quash critical coverage and that the country's newly-elected government is slashing its advertising budget, squeezing a key source of revenue for private newspapers and TV stations.

Senior journalist Hamid Mir also tweeted about the protest from Islamabad, where he attended a demonstration outside the National Press Club.

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Hassan

Jul 16, 2019 04:49pm

Any kind of censorship is unacceptable in the world and the journalists' protest rallies against open or unannounced censorship are justified but we have to decide whether these protests are for the interests of journalist or for the sake of employers. Interestingly some channels or newspapers are playing role of pro-govt while some are anti-govt. If these protests are for freedom of press, then what about the working conditions in media houses, employees getting their salaries two or three months late even one of the largest group doing the same. Secondly majority of the employees fired by media groups were drawing salaries under 20,OR 30,000. At that time not a single body stage a protest demonstration for those poor employees. Sorry to say as we are all divided, similarly journalists too.

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FROM

Jul 16, 2019 04:56pm

I have a lot of sympathy for the journalists on strike who try to report on issues that are important. However I find it very strange that the same journalists are dependent on government for revenue to pay their employees! For newspapers and journalists to be independent, newspapers must raise revenue from advertising as is the norm across the world. My second point is when journalists write on national security issues! I have to read a newspaper here in the UK in which the national security is a topic. I feel that the Pakistani Journalists and politicians once out of power are always making it out as if Pakistan will break up! This is not what freedom of speech is all about!

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Zaraq Khan

Jul 16, 2019 05:19pm

Why should the government pay for you ? You are having a private job , is gov responsible for your delayed or no wages ?

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Vivek Lahore

Jul 16, 2019 05:19pm

The journalists in Pakistan are really very brave.

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Tamir

Jul 16, 2019 05:30pm

Our country very successfully controlled the narrative on balakot by closing all access to media & strict control on civilians. Embolden by the success new regulations were made to control information until PEMRA decided to be the only news dispenser. Unfortunately Pakistani citizens hava seen through this strategy which has now backfired

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waqas shaikh

Jul 16, 2019 07:48pm

@Hassan, Why the channels who are pro-government are free to say anything but others are not? It is a clear systematic approach by the government to suppress their failure to address the issues masses encounter in their daily lives. I fully support this protest march because freedom of press is paramount to our democracy.

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Awaz....

Jul 16, 2019 09:32pm

On many occasions since the creation of Pakistan press has been playing a major role it has not only proven itself as the major policy maker as the tool of gathering votes but it has also proven as the body educating masses in Pakistan. Due to this fact media has been controlled and put under influence and it has also chosen by itself to be under influence too. The foreign intervention has also played a major role on providing a voice to the media in Pakistan which can be seen similarly be seen through the leadership crisis prevailing since 1947 in Pakistan. The flaws have not only been on the government level but also on the journalistic level where it has proven to have forgotten its social moral code of ethics to perform and guide the just path. The overall view of freedom of press and media has been repeatedly questioned and way outs such as yellow journalism have found its way in and out time and again in Pakistan.

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Awaz....

Jul 16, 2019 09:43pm

A single phone call from press information department is enough to hype a small issue or to completely drop a news story or photographs that annoyed the government. President Musharraf’s era seem to be a beautiful dream for the freedom of press as he allowed the cable television to run in Pakistan, press can now criticize government and its functionaries more easily. Now the question for this nation is how long we are going to bare these restrictions on the press in the name of public interest and how long we will take to come out of this transaction face to emerge as mature press. According to me, as General Pervez Musharraf is the great favorer of “moderation and enlighten.” PM Imran Khan should leave the press out of governments control and allow the press to make mistakes and learn from them. it is only if the government stops intervening and allow the press to take the responsibility from within and do whatever they want for the public interests.

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Saif Zulfiqar

Jul 16, 2019 10:14pm

Protests and processions will not solve your problems. Censorships are in Europena countries also but the journalists go to courts for their rights.,

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Gordon D. Walker

Jul 16, 2019 10:41pm

Censorship! The bane of Democracy... The deminishing of freedom... A curse when carried to extremes... S A D. Go journalists, go! Gordon D. Walker Canada

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Ali Sabir

Jul 16, 2019 10:58pm

Not really fair treatment of journalists.

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