Daily Times

PESHAWAR: As many as twenty working and emerging journalists in Peshawar attended a two-day training workshop on personal and physical safety for journalists, arranged by the Centre for Peace and Development Initiatives (CPDI) in collaboration with the International Media Support on Tuesday.

CPDI Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Provincial Coordinator, Shamsul Hadi, informed the participants that journalism had become dangerous over the years and “It was very unfortunate that many journalists were still ill-equipped in ensuring their personal safety in such challenging conditions.” He further noted, “Journalists, especially those reporting from conflict-affected areas are exposed more to the risks of threats and violent attacks. Many journalists have been killed in Pakistan over the past decade which is a strong violation of freedom of information.”

Journalists associated with print, radio and electronic media from all over district Peshawar participated in the training, which consisted of lectures, visuals and practical exercises. Master Trainer, Ghais Akram Marwat, also interacted with the audience in a friendly environment that encouraged the young participants to ask frequent questions and share their experiences in detail. Speaking on the occasion, Marwat noted that media was the force for democratisation and stability, further adding, “It plays an important role in building democratic and open societies by providing the public access to balanced ad factual information. Now is the time to enable journalists with skills to make themselves safer in the field.” Local Frequency Modulation (FM) radio channel journalist and one of the eight female participants present, Romeen Khan, spoke high of the quality of the content presented to the participants. “The information pack shared with us is so rich it is a complete mini guide. Like many of my colleagues I too wasn’t aware of the constitutional rights of journalists and the basic rules for our own protection,” she added. The trainers also stressed the importance of neutrality and keeping credibility intact while reporting on sensitive issues. A journalist from Khyber Agency, Saleemur Rahman Afridi also appreciated the organisation for training journalists covering events on the frontline. “One of the most important lesson for me in this training is the simple fact that ‘no news is more important than one’s life’. Things, like covering a story using different sources, without taking sides and keeping one’s emotions out of the report, will help me in safeguarding my own protection while making my work more accurate,” he opined. The participants were made aware of the latest techniques and safety measures, adopted worldwide by journalists.

Salma Jehangir reiterated that she would try to use the techniques learned during the training in her professional life to making life smooth. “It is good to know how we can maintain our efficiency during stressful conditions. I like the idea of mediation and consultation with stress counsellor and psychiatrist in worst cases,” she added.

A team of Rescue 1122 also gave verbal and practical information about ensuring safety in dangerous locations while First Aid Training was also disseminated to the participants. Renowned journalist Rahimullah Yusufzai distributed certificates of participation among the attendants. Speaking on the occasion he said that Pakistan was one of the most dangerous places in the world for journalists. “118 journalists have been killed in Paksitan since 2000. Only four cases were investigated properly and the killers of only two journalists, Daniel Pearl and Wali Khan Babar were brought to justice,” he asserted.

He further maintained that journalists should never take sides when reporting and neutrality were the best practice. “Always take versions of all sides part of a news. No news is more important than your own safety, it’s better not to report a news than becoming a news yourself,” Yusufzai noted. A total of 1,500 journalists across the country will be trained for personal safety in an effort to make them aware of their own safety and safety of their colleagues.