Quetta—Speakers at a media training workshop called for adhering to ethical standards and fact-checking mechanisms while reporting human rights and faith-based violations, warning that misreporting could trigger a conflict in this age of digital media.
They underlined that mainstream media was facing growing challenges in the presence of social media and its strong commitment to fact-based and in-depth reporting could help it retain public trust and counter fake news.
The experts were speaking at the workshop, “Reporting Rights Violations and Faith-Based Persecution in Pakistan”, organized by the Islamabad-based Pak Institute for Peace Studies (PIPS), at the Quetta Press Club.
Journalists and social media content creators, especially Youtubers, took part in the event. Interactive discussions provided an opportunity for participants 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 practical examples, they were also sensitized to methods of identifying fake news on social media.
Lawyer and human rights activist Habib Tahir, speaking in the session on “Reporting Challenges and Ethical Dilemmas”, urged the participants to review the fundamental rights guaranteed by the Constitution to bring greater clarity to their professional work.
National Party Vice President Dr. Ishaq Baloch said their diversity was their strength but deplored that the state didn’t accept the cultural, religious, and ethnic diversities of this country, and distorted history. “This approach caused more polarization in society, leading to hate speech on social media,” he added.
Quetta Press Club President Irfan Saeed underlined that the local media in Balochistan was facing multiple challenges, including economic pressures and threats from various groups, resulting in a “casualty of truth”.
Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) ex-president Shahzada Zulfiqar urged the need for extra care while reporting incidents of human rights violations and faith-based persecution. “Journalism means responsible reporting,” he said. He added that it was the duty of mainstream media to counter fake news on social media through fact-checking and in-depth reporting.
Senior journalist Saleem Shahid stressed that journalists should adhere to ethical standards in reporting, noting that this is essential for their own safety and security. “A journalist must possess a strong command of the language he works in,” he added.
Balochistan Union of Journalists President Khalil Ahmad said that social media often disregarded journalistic ethics—a trend he warned is contributing to the rise of hate speech in digital spaces. “Social media is widening divisions within society and there is a need to bridge this gap through different measures,” he said.
PIPS Director Safdar Hussain, in his session, explained to the participants about the existing state policies and laws to tackle extremism in the country. He underlined that fake news and hate speech on social media had the potential to trigger real-world violence. “This hate speech mobilizes youth, leading to the glorification of acts of violence,” he concluded.