Journalists should report conflict, not amplify it

Peshawar—Speakers at a media workshop said that journalists must cover conflict with great care and responsibility to ensure they are reporting events, not inadvertently reproducing or amplifying the tragedy.
The media experts and academics spoke at the session, “Reporting Rights Violations and Faith-Based Persecution in Pakistan”, organized by the Islamabad-based Pak Institute for Peace Studies (PIPS) at the Peshawar Press Club.
Mainstream Journalists and social media content creators took part in the event, which provided an opportunity for them to share experiences and adopt best practices for balanced and impactful reporting on rights violations, and instances of faith-based persecution, and hate speech.
With hands-on exercises, they were sensitized how to identify, document, and report incidents of faith-based violations and hate speech. They were briefed on techniques for identifying fake news on social media.
Dr Syed Irfan Ashraf, an assistant professor at the University of Peshawar, said journalism functioned as a form of crisis and conflict communication and couldn’t be treated like ordinary messaging. “Journalists must assess while covering conflict, whether they are just reporting it or inadvertently reproducing it,” he added. He underlined journalists must understand the legal framework and structural inequalities when covering incidents of faith-based violence.
Dr Qibla Ayaz, judge of the Shariat Appellate Bench of the Supreme Court, said the lynching incident of a Sri Lankan factory manager over blasphemy allegations in Sialkot had a potential to incite attacks against Muslim in Sri Lanka. “The threat was averted only due to the responsible reporting by mainstream media on the incident,” he added.
Social media has a destructive role in the sectarian conflict of Kurram tribal district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa—an issue that needs to be addressed, he added.
Journalist and anchorperson Rifatullah Orakzai, speaking in his session “Reporting Challenges and Ethical Dilemmas”, said journalists were facing not only economic pressures but also online trolling and growing technological challenges.
PIPS President Muhammad Amir Rana said journalists should acquire the skills required to adapt to the changing landscape of mainstream media driven by social media.
“In-depth reporting and covering offbeat stories are essential for journalists to remain relevant,” he added.
Journalist and media trainer Imran Mukhtar gave an overview of the existing constitutional and legal provisions that ensure free speech, along with some restrictions. He urged the participants to maintain their own checklist for fact-checking to ensure accurate reporting on a certain event, rather than simply relying on information available on social media. “This practice would make you relevant in the fast-changing scenario of the field of journalism,” he added.