Pakistan’s media landscape is under siege, with journalists confronting unprecedented risks that undermine democratic discourse. A damning Saturday report details the onslaught: PECA’s grip on online journalism, a barrage of defamation cases from elites, and security apparatus intimidation have crippled independent reporting.
Those chronicling rallies, opposition campaigns, and volatile regional conflicts face everything from threats to beatings. Documented incidents by press bodies reveal reporters nabbed in security sweeps, with accountability rare, perpetuating fear.
Women in the field battle extra layers of digital torment—organized harassment campaigns, intimidation, and smear efforts—spiking when they probe politics, rights abuses, or faith-related stories. Local polarization supercharges these attacks.
Bound by legal shackles, surveillance, financial squeezes, and online bans, journalists work in a stifled arena where free speech rights collide with draconian statutes on security, terror, blasphemy, and cyber offenses.
Self-censorship prevails in editorial suites, where risk assessments lead to diluted stories, anonymized sources, or outright suppression. The fallout? Skewed public narratives, a shift to echo chambers on social media, and waning credibility for mainstream outlets.
Inequities abound regionally—reporters in restive zones like Balochistan, KP, and Sindh endure amplified hazards from scant resources and militarized environments. Reforms are imperative to restore press vitality and public trust.