Not all the news ‘fit’ to report

There is a feeling that Pakistan has suddenly become a territory where every other person is engaged in some kind of a heinous crime such as murder, kidnapping for ransom, sexual offence against minors, and rape. It also seems that most of the drivers have become negligent as every day there are several accidents, buses hit each other or fall into a ditch or a canal, killing many persons. This impression is largely the product of our news media, particularly the electronic media, whose priorities are different from basic principles of journalism. In the past, such enhanced news coverage of crime incidents was rare, selective and within certain ethical limits. The English language newspapers often avoided highlighting such events and they still do. It was only the Urdu and regional press that gave more space to such happenings. These days almost all TV channels cover both major and minor crime cases, involving some fatalities, and often give more prominence to them than political and economic news of national or international importance. Pakistanis, one may say, already suffer from depression and pessimism caused by dismal economic and social conditions such as persistent hike in prices of essential commodities and the power crisis.. Hearing such crime news from all the outlets only adds to their frustration, despair and uncertainty about future. In most Pakistani homes, television is watched by all the members of the family, sometimes collectively. Being told frequently about incidents of rape, sex related crimes, and the horrible consequences of marriages solemnised without the consent of the family, certainly leaves a negative impact on many and also creates an embarrassing situation for both elders and the young sitting together before the television. But what is more disturbing is the possibility that constant exposure to such information might lead to further spread of such crimes. For, one learns doing things, particularly the undesirable things, by watching others do it. By informing viewers about an old woman burnt to death by a younger relative for the sake of property or about a child being kidnapped for ransom by an uncle, the television can give a wrong message to its viewers. There is no suggestion that TV channels should stop covering crime stories. What is required is a certain discipline. That all such incidents are neither socially approved nor morally upheld must be the veiled message in the coverage. That raises the question: Is all the news fit to be covered? With due respect to the freedom of the news media, which they have got in Pakistan only recently, it must be pointed out that freedom entails responsibility. A free media also means the responsibility to exercise this freedom in such a manner that no harm is caused to the society that it serves. Now, if we go through the history of journalism, we shall find that responsible news outlets have always been selective in news coverage, for various reasons — political, cultural, religious and ethical. And that was why one of the most respectable newspapers, The New York Times, had introduced a slogan in 1896, which said "All The News That's Fit to Print", implying that there were certain events which had a news value but the newspaper did not consider them fit to be published, for one reason or the other. Besides accuracy and objectivity, the generally accepted principles of journalism also include what is known as the Harm Limitation principle. This principle underlines the need for taking into consideration the negative consequences of reporting an event which otherwise meets all the requirements of being a news item. Under this principle, it has been recommended that some sections of available information or all of it may be withheld, if it violates decency or the rights of privacy of private citizens or for some other significant reason. According to the code of ethics of The Society of Professional Journalists of the United States, special care must be taken "about identifying juvenile suspects or victims of sex crimes." The code also advises reporters to be "judicious about naming criminal suspects before the formal filing of charges" and also to "balance a criminal suspect's fair trial rights with the public's right to be informed." Our media appears completely oblivious of the requirements of the Harm Limiting principle. This principle, if applied to the current situation in Pakistan, certainly allows the withholding or, at least, being selective in the case of crime news that harms the society in the manner described above. It has also been noticed that the Pakistani media in general and the TV channels, in particular, have taken to sensationalism. Not only the language used in the TV news bulletins but also the one employed in the strips running in the lower part of the screen (which are often more than one, putting strains on eyes) are usually satirical or given to lampooning. The most amazing is the 'Breaking News' phenomenon. Quite often, a news item, too insignificant, is projected with the pomp and glory of a "Breaking News" interruption of a regular programme. (That Nawaz Sharif has reached Punjab House was once flashed as a Breaking News by a channel.) Sometimes the Breaking News item has already been announced in the regular news bulletin of the same channel or has been conveyed to the viewer through the running strip. The truth is that the breaking news, as practised by our TV channels, has lost its appeal because on most occasions it hardly breaks any news.