Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) issued advisory to all TV channels
FOE Link or motive by PPF
ConfirmedCase Update Status
PEMRA just issued a notice, no action was taken later.
Summary of Case
On 24 March, 2021 The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) has asked news and current affairs satellite channels to refrain from airing “unsubstantiated, judgmental and unipolar remarks” about the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), “with an alleged intent to malign the state institution”, without getting the bureau’s point of view.
Pemra said in a statement that airing of such unsubstantiated and unipolar remarks was in “absolute disregard” of previous instructions, including those issued in compliance with orders of the Supreme Court, prohibiting discussion on sub judice matters.
The regulator added that airing of such content was in violation of Pemra (Amendment) Act of 2007 and Pemra Rules of 2009.
“All news and current affairs TV channels, and their anchorpersons as well as guests, have to refrain from voicing personal biases in a news report or a talk show, and moderate the programmes in a fair, balanced, objective and impartial manner,” the statement said.
The law allows discussions about investigation and under-trial matters in such a manner as to provide information to the public and to avoid airing content, including commentary, opinion and suggestions, about the potential fate of such cases which tend to prejudice the determination by a court or tribunal, the regulator said.
“The licensees are obliged through these provisions of law to observe reasonable constraints while extracting contents from court proceedings and police records and to air them fairly, accurately and in an objective manner,” the Pemra directive added.
It said all satellite TV channels should refrain from airing “biased and unipolar analyses”.
Television networks “have to tighten their editorial oversight and review the content of their talk shows through in-house monitoring committees before airing them”, it added.
Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) has strongly condemned the issuance of advice barring all satellite TV channels to stop analysis on the performance of National Accountability Bureau (NAB) as this is unnecessary as per the standards of the globalized world we live in today.
In an advice dated March 24, the media regulatory body said that satellite television licensees “indulged in airing highly unsubstantiated, judgmental and unipolar remarks regarding National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and its functioning without getting official point of view of the Bureau with an alleged intent to malign the state institution”.
The notice added that this was in “absolute disregard” to earlier instructions by the Supreme Court and PEMRA’s rules etc.
“All the above referred provisions of PEMRA laws and ruling of the Hon’ble SCP clearly stipulates that all the licensees and anchorpersons as well as the guests shall refrain from voicing personal biases/opinion in any news report or talk show and moderate the programmes in fair, balanced, objective and impartial manner”.
While PEMRA is responsible for setting rules and guidelines for the broadcast media, it cannot dictate the content covered by the media. For the regulatory body to accuse TV channels of acting with an “alleged intent to malign the state institution” is a grave allegation being placed upon the media. It undermines the integrity of the media and accuses them of acting to undermine NAB. The media is not responsible for presenting a positive picture of any state body; instead, it is responsible to cover all developments in a fair and accurate manner.
As the media regulatory authority, PEMRA should not be playing the role of a spokesperson for state bodies and becoming excessively restrictive towards the media.
The latest order by PEMRA has been condemned by members of the media fraternity. The Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE) expressed concern over the directive and said that it was a “violation of the canons of press freedom and free speech”. CPNE criticized the regulator for barring television channels from airing analyses and comments regarding NAB’s activities in their current affairs programmes and news bulletins.
Meanwhile, the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) also condemned the directive. PFUJ President Shehzada Zulfiqar and Secretary General Nasir Zaidi “urged for immediate withdrawal of the letter and demanded stern action against PEMRA chairman and officials, who are bent upon damaging the image of the country by issuing such piece of advice and notices to TV channels on petty issues to suppress media and press freedom in the country”.
Category of Incident
Censorship
ICCS Status
ICCS Divisions: 0803-Acts related to freedom of expression or control of expression
ICCS Group: 08031-Acts against freedom of expression
ICCS Class: N/A
ICCS Crime: Acts against freedom of expression
Reported By
Dawn
Date of incident
24
Month
March
Year
2021
Name of affected person
No person affected
Other affected persons
No other person affected
Name of affected organization
All Media Outlets
Other affected organizations
All Media Outlets
Action by
Pakistan Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA)
City
Nationwide
Province
Nationwide
Designation
Not Applicable as PEMRA issued notice to all TV channels
Professional category
Not Applicable as PEMRA issued notice to all TV channels
Age of victim
Not Applicable as PEMRA issued notice to all TV channels
Marital Status
N/ACompensation Details
Amount of compensation announced by government: Not Applicable as PEMRA issued notice to all TV channels
Date of compensation announcement by government: Not Applicable as PEMRA issued notice to all TV channels
Date of compensation paid by government: Not Applicable as PEMRA issued notice to all TV channels
Amount of compensation announced by others: Not Applicable as PEMRA issued notice to all TV channels
Date of compensation announced by others: Not Applicable as PEMRA issued notice to all TV channels
Date compensation paid by others: Not Applicable as PEMRA issued notice to all TV channels
FIR Details
Was FIR registered ?: No
Court Details
Was case investigated ?: Not Applicable as PEMRA issued notice to all TV channels
Court where case was presented: Not Applicable as PEMRA issued notice to all TV channels
Name of prosecuting lawyer: Not Applicable as PEMRA issued notice to all TV channels
Date of first court hearing:
Date of last court hearing:
Status of court case: Not Applicable as PEMRA issued notice to all TV channels
Journalist Union Status
PFUJ
N/A
APNS
CPNE
PBA
Condemn Status
Colleague of victim
N/A
Employer organization
N/A
Press Club Status
Press club 1: N/A
Press club 2:
Press club 3: