Daily Times

On numerous occasions, Federal Minister for Information Marriyam Aurangzeb has reiterated the significance of free media when it comes to the protection of democracy and its ideals. For this reason alone, her endeavours to ensure the release of withheld salaries of workers in the media industry should be applauded.

After all, only when the existential questions of survival have been addressed can those assigned the crucial responsibility of searching for the truth and bringing it out in the open stay true to their cause. However, this was not all that changes to Pemra law focused on. Through a confusing distinction between misinformation (unintentional) and disinformation (deliberate), the government plans to filter out the menace of fake news while ensuring the freedom of media.

Still, a lot needs to be answered about the input of stakeholders from the journalist organisations and broadcast associations. There’s no apparent clarity when it comes to the intentions of the watchdog bodies in ascertaining reports and their “level” of misinformation.

Earlier, the state’s borderline obsession with curtailing free expression in a bid to bolt the doors shut on falsely construed narratives and their peddlers sparked outrage in all corners. The said bill might have been an improved version of the previous notorious version of the Pakistan Media Development Authority Bill that had instantaneously hit the headlines, thanks to its Orwellian doublespeak and stifling vendetta.

Yet, anyone who believes in forcing members of the press to toe a certain line cannot be called a champion of free speech. To ask discomforting questions and hold the authorities’ feet to fire remains the crux of our responsibilities towards the masses. Special consideration should be given to work for legislation that encourages reporters to hunt for missteps, not worry about how they would have to prove their veracity in front of a certain panel. *