Daily Times

With the government mulling to setup a media regulation authority, there had been some serious reservations by severaljournalistic bodies that include the CPNE and PFUJ which sought clarification from the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting in this regard. However, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry has clearly stated in his recent meeting with senior officials of CPNE that no such authority shall come into force without due consultations with all stakeholders.

A purported draft of an ordinance became a cause of concern which the minister claimed is ‘fake’. Nevertheless, aconcept paper has been circulated amongst media organisations which is a welcoming sign in ensuring transparency of steps being taken for the media’s long-term benefits.

It is pertinent to point out that with the advent of social media, disinformation campaigns and dissemination of unethical material have gained much traction with smear campaigns being launched on several levels. This is essentially a weaponisation of the concerned platforms that has caused great distress to those targeted.

Ethical norms and impartialityshould be prioritised for the best interest of not only the media but the state in broader spectrum given how the world is evolving.

Freedom of press should also be ensured with existinglaws implemented for safety of journalists who are vulnerable to undesirable consequences given the country’s tainted history when it comes to relations between the media and the state.

The Information Minister has lately sought to revolutionise the media, hence, the idea of an authority should only be taken forward once everyone is satisfied.

The government’s Digital Media Wing is already working round the clock with other departments for training the public sector.

Perhaps, a similar coordination could be useful via an independent authority meant to train journalists in digital sphere in light of a fast changing world where a journalist cannot thrive without the skills required to master social media.

It is pressingly required that relations between the state and media remain harmonious given some recent untoward incidents that have polarised the media itself. *