'Editors for Safety' aims to safeguard media

 JournalismPakistan.com |  Published: 12 December 2015

Editors for Safety has been launched to address the increasing threats against media in Pakistan. The organization aims to unite media outlets in handling these challenges.

Summary

KARACHI: Editors and directors news of a large number of newspapers and television channels met Friday and decided to formally establish Editors for Safety, an organization for exclusively focusing on issues related to violence and threats of violence against the media. Editors for Safety will focus on the alarming level of insecurity for media professionals and institutions in Pakistan.

Zaffar Abbas (pictured), Editor Dawn, was elected as the first chairman. The basic philosophy of Editors for Safety will be that an attack on one journalist or media house will be considered an attack on the entire media. Those in the organization will assess such situations and jointly make decisions regarding media coverage of violence and threats of violence against any media house.

Beyond coverage, it would also assist journalists or media houses in dealing with such issues by providing them resources, sharing information and expertise or reaching out to stakeholders involved.

The formal creation of Editors for Safety has ensured timely coordination between many newspaper editors and television news directors in case of attacks/threats on media professionals which will also result in improving the quality of media coverage of such attacks.

The decision has been taken so that media houses can speak with one voice against the prevalent culture of impunity where journalists across the country are being attacked on a regular basis, and perpetrators are rarely brought to justice. The meeting decided to approach all newspapers editors and television news directors to join Editors for Safety.

The meeting also decided to consult All Pakistan Newspaper Society (APNS), Pakistan Broadcasters Association (PBA) and Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE) and invite them to nominate representatives to the Safety.

Those who attended the meeting and formed Editors for Safety include Wamiq Zuberi (Business Recorder), Mujibur Rehman Shami (Daily Pakistan), Ali Kazi (KTN and Kawish), Fahd Hussain (Express News), Azhar Abbas (Geo News), Shahrukh Hassan (Jang Group), Abdul Khaliq (Online), Anwer Sajdi (Daily Intekhab), Aamer Ahmed Khan (Aaj TV), Tahir Najmi (Daily Express), Jabbar Khatttak (Awami Awaz), Zahid Mazhar (Dawn News), Jahanzaib Haque (Dawn.com), Naveed Hussain (Express Tribune), Farhan Reza (ARY News), Imran Saleem Dar (AVT), Zaffar Abbas (Dawn) and Owais Aslam Ali (PPF).

Those who could not attend the meeting but have been part of the consultations include Arif Nizami (Pakistan Today and Channel 24), Rameeza Nizami (Nawa-e-Waqt/The Nation Group), Kamran Khan (Dunya News), Kazi Abid (Ibrat) and Siddiq Baloch (Balochistan Express). The meeting decided that Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF) would be the secretariat of Editors for Safety. - Online

KEY POINTS:

• Editors for Safety focuses on violence and threats against media professionals.
• Zaffar Abbas, Editor of Dawn, elected as the first chairman.
• The organization promotes joint responses to attacks on journalists.
• Members include editors from various leading newspapers and channels.
• Pakistan Press Foundation will serve as the secretariat for the organization.