Pakistan's Broadcast Media Draw Up Guidelines for Election Coverage
4 August 2005
 |
| Delegates at the CBA workshop in Bhurban, Pakistan. |
Some 30 participants representing state and private TV and radio stations in Pakistan, as well as representatives from the Government, political parties, the Election Commission of Pakistan, Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority, UNESCO, Internews and the National Democratic Institute, have agreed that any political pressure to control editorial content "must be resisted and recorded by the management and professional unions and associations". They also supported the practice where the "airing of official news should be restricted to the reporting of the event itself and not include electioneering material." They agreed on the differentiation between news and comment on election coverage.
In a message to the workshop participants from Commonwealth Secretary-General Don McKinnon, which was delivered on his behalf, the Secretary-General stressed the need for balanced news reporting by the media, and accurate and well-informed comment that will contribute to a genuine national dialogue.
CBA media consultant Tim Neale stated that the guidelines will help the media to play a democratic role in the reporting of political affairs, especially in the periods leading up to the elections, when being fair and being seen to be fair are important.
"In a democracy, ordinary people, ordinary listeners and viewers have the right to be served by the media they can trust. They have the right to expect the media to be impartial. This applies to all media -- state media and private media. State TV and radio do not belong to the state and cannot be used to support any political party. All state institutions belong to the people of that country and are held by the state in trust for all the people, not just those who voted for the ruling party," said Mr Neale.
He pointed out that due to the limited number of radio and TV channels providing relevant news, if any channel takes a political stance, it can substantially distort any possible even-handed supply of news to millions of voters at a crucial decision-making time in the run-up to the elections.
Mr Neale added that the media guidelines for election coverage will contribute to the promotion of a peaceful, just and equitable society in Pakistan.
Arshad Saeed Khan, UNESCO's Senior National Specialist in Education, said the workshop provided a platform for discussion on strategies for improved media coverage and related issues such as press freedom and democracy. He stated: "This workshop will help to sensitise players involved in election coverage. It's a beginning and I hope the guidelines will help in the long run to promote balance in election coverage in Pakistan."
Syed Shamsuddin, Co-ordinator at the Centre for Democratic Development, Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, said the guidelines will help strengthen democratic processes and the role the media can play in reporting news with neutrality and impartiality.
Mujtaba Aamer, Islamabad Station Director for Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation, commented that the timely CBA media workshop to promote balance in election coverage would help improve planning for such coverage in the lead-up to the local elections in August 2005 and the General Election in 2007.
Ihsan Qadir Hashmi, Chief Editor of News and Current Affairs of Pakistan TV, expressed hope that the guidelines that evolved from the workshop can be put into action to enhance election coverage.
Sharing his sentiment was Moneeza Hashmi, General Manager of HUM TV, a private cable network. "The guide lines are really very good provided they are implemented," she said.
CNIS - Commonwealth News and Information Service Issue 246, 3 August 2005
delicious
digg
reddit
facebook
stumbleupon
News feeds