Daily Times

In the far past, there was a good trend among print media houses in Pakistan to get clearance from the concerned government officials before publishing a story about a sensitive strategic or security related subjects. This tendency indicated that print media leaders of that time were more conscious about the dangers to the Pakistan’s security and internal stability. But, unfortunately in the developing countries, the current media houses do not consider it necessary to seek clearance of the concerned government officials before publishing a write up on a sensitive subject of strategic nature or related to the national security.

This trend is prevalent among almost the majority of the electronic media houses of Pakistan, as they consider that it is perhaps not necessary for them to get the governments’ clarification or clearance before publishing even the stories having the strategic or security implications for the country. This is because, probably, they do not consider it obligatory to feel answerable for their published material, which in fact should have not been in the print headlines or on the television screens. This inclination is more evident in Pakistan’s electronic media channels, as compared with the print media houses, as the majority of the print media persons correctly think that it is their obligation to get the sensitive material cleared from the concerned government officials, before publishing it.

The electronic media channels are ignoring this responsibility because they are always on the run to keep their rating above others. In this game of earning money and fame the most of the electronic media houses, tend to ignore their national obligation of getting the sensitive material about the subjects of national importance cleared from the concerned government officials. And, if the government or the armed forces representatives ask the media people not to publish any specific story or at least check before sending it to press, then a large section of media considers and projects it as an attack on press freedom.

Pakistan’s media managers should feel more responsible while writing on matters related to the country’s security and internal stability

On the other hand, the media houses of the most developed countries like the United States appear to be more conscious about getting the government’s clearance before publishing stories about the strategy or security related subjects. For example, an article titled “NY Times Admits It Sends Stories to US Government for Approval Before Publication” by Ben Norton published in the Global Research on 24 June 2019, mentions that the New York Times has publicly acknowledged that it sends some of its stories to the US government for approval from “national security officials” before publication.

According to the above stated article, the New York Times has publicly acknowledged that it sends some of its stories to the US government for approval from “national security officials” before publication. So, this article also confirms what the New York Times correspondents like James Risen have said: The American newspaper of record regularly collaborates with the US government, suppressing reporting that top officials don’t want to make public.

Thus, when the media correspondents of the top newspapers of the super power like the US are so conscious of writing about the subjects of national security of their country, the media houses of developing countries, especially Pakistan should be more concerned about writing on security and other sensitive matters of the country to help in guarding the national security and cohesion/unity. This is more important when India, with the help of some neighbouring countries, has started a hybrid war against Pakistan, that involves, disturbing Pakistan’s unity, internal harmony and peace by sponsoring terrorism in Balochistan, Karachi and other areas of the country, supporting separatists of Balochistan and PTM in the former FATA region.

Therefore, with a view to thwart the prevailing threats to Pakistan’s security from India and some of India’s friends, it is highly important that Pakistan’s media managers should feel more responsible while writing on matters related to the country’s security and internal stability. In this context, it would be appropriate to suggest that before publishing sensitive stories about the subjects of national importance, like the New York Times, Pakistan’s media persons should also share the sensitive stories with the concerned government ministries and the ISPR for their clearance.

In the above context, though Pakistani media did very well during recent military tension with India, the Indian media projected their government’s narrative, even by making and publishing false stories. Although due to their false reporting they got embarrassed by the refutation of their claims by the New York Times, but Indian media continued to tow their government’s line to protect Indian government’s false claims. Hence, in view of the aforementioned strategy of the Indian media on the issues related to Pakistan, it is also very important that Pakistani media remain sensitive while projecting Pakistan’ security and stability matters, which needs to be done in consultation with the ministry of interior and the ISPR.

The writer is a former Research Fellow of Islamabad Policy Research Institute (IPRI), Islamabad