Pakistan Electronic Media and Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) issued new directives to news and current affairs television channels, on the recent coverage of torrential rain and urban flooding in the country.
The notice issued by PEMRA says: “It has been observed with grave concern that while reporting/airing news/ footages on natural calamities, torrential rains, and flooding, news channels generally rely on videos which are widely circulated on digital platforms such a Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and WhatsApp instead of mobilising their own field teams for providing actual /real-time footages to the viewers, which is not only the responsibility of the channels but also mandated.”
The statement further said that these “sloppy videos” create “unnecessary panic and fear” not only among the inhabitants of the cities being reported but for the loved ones living across the country or even abroad.
The authority said, ” All satellite TV channels are once again directed to produce their own footages/packages and train their reporters/ news teams to be vigilant, responsive and active and cover each event/ occasion themselves so that viewers could get real-time factual information rather than relying on videos available on social media platforms.”
Journalists lashed out at the new PEMRA directives.
Jounailt Shahzad Iqbal tweeted, “Ruling party #PTI & Govt use social media for narratives but social media footages of rain in Islamabad that killed two people can’t be used?”
Iqbal further wrote, “It will also mean media won’t be able to air any footage of atrocities in Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK) or attacks on Palestinians by Israeli forces because we don’t have our reporters in the field.”
Journalist Amber Rahim Shamsi wrote, ” Every channel in the world uses eyewitness footage from emergencies/disasters/conflict zones. It’s a bizarre directive until you realise the motive – keep TV channels on a tight leash when it makes the government look bad.”
Journalist Zebunnisa Burki criticised the new directive and tweeted, “Pemra seems to have gone completely off the rails.”
Journalist Benazir Shah questioned, “Guess PEMRA has not heard of ‘citizen journalism.’ If a video has been verified by channel why can it not be aired?”
