Threats to Journalists

 Visiting the Ministry of Information in Islamabad was like a trip in a time machine. It's a throwback to when "journalists" in Pakistan worked only for state-controlled media, dutifully distributing government press releases. The minister, Dr. Firdous Ashiq Awan, sat at the head of a long conference table. We were seated among the members of her sizable staff. The lights dimmed and we were shown a 14 minute video called "Vibrant Pakistan." A narrator with a soothing American accent assured us of Pakistan's stable business and political climate, and even the war-torn tribal regions were presented as enticing tourist destinations.
 Watch the video here.
 
The minister was more politician than spokeswoman. She is also a sitting member of Parliament from the ruling PPP, the center-left party of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto's family. Dr. Awad spoke of the "gap of perception and reality" between Pakistan and the US, saying international partners "have not helped us the way we were expecting." She criticized US drone attacks on terrorist targets as a violation of Pakistani sovereignty and said "our friends have not given us the political space to explain why we have to be with them as a power," quickly adding, "no one wants to disassociate from the USA."

The gap between perception and reality was most obvious when the discussion turned to the threats facing journalists and what the government might do to improve their security. The minister said the threats were "fabricated" and directed against "oversmart guys who put their own interest ahead of the national interest."
When a Pakistani stringer for a US news organization respectfully challenged her statement by telling how he had once been seized and warned not to include certain facts in his reporting, the minister did not budge. She went on to criticize sensationalism in privately-owned media that has developed in the past decade. "Free media is a new concept for us," she said. "You can have a proper security cover (for journalists), but they need proper training." On that note, it was time to adjourn for refreshments and photo opportunities.

UPDATE: We met other Pakistani journalists who told us of the dangers they face. One of them was found strangled to death less than a month later. Read the article by John Diaz in the San Francisco Chronicle here.

After I returned to the US and had time to do a little more research, I learned that Dr Awan had turned in her resignation in December 2011, when she was criticized for her response to "memogate." The scandal involved a memo in which representatives of Pakistan's civilian government allegedly asked for US help in curbing the power of Pakistan's military. Shortly after our visit, she was reassigned to the Ministry of National Regulations and Services. Her replacement is another PPP politician, Qamar Zaman Kaira. His bio says he is known as "one who raised his voice for freedom of speech and democracy during the military government in the country." Only time will tell if he will confront the forces of darkness and make Pakistan a safer place for journalists. A good place to start would be demanding more effective law enforcement to catch, convict and punish those who harm journalists. For another dose of reality, read this excellent Q and A with assistant editor Sajid Hussain of the News International in Karachi, one of the Pakistani journalists on our exchange.Read the article in Global Journalist here.

It's hard to see the role of the "Ministry of Information" in modern public relations. It's not just Pakistani journalists who need training; government spokespersons need to learn their role in responding to press inquiries and communicating with the public. Freedom of information and transparency should be encouraged in all public agencies, rather than having one "Big Brother" that gives out only self-serving propaganda and runs state-owned broadcasting media in its own interest.