Pay cut at DawnNews

 JournalismPakistan.com |  Published: 1 May 2020 |  JP Staff Report

DawnNews has reduced staff salaries by 10% and fuel allowances by 50%, marking the third pay cut this year. These changes have intensified financial strain on employees in a struggling media industry.

Summary

ISLAMABAD — DawnNews Television has slashed staff salaries by 10 percent and reduced fuel allowances by half, deepening concerns within an already strained newsroom. According to an insider, this marks the third pay cut imposed within a single year, a pattern that has left employees anxious about their long-term financial security. The insider added that salaries last month were disbursed in two separate phases, a move that further disrupted household budgets and underscored the organization’s worsening cash-flow challenges.

The financial stress at DawnNews reflects a wider, industry-wide contraction that has gripped Pakistani media since 2018. Journalists across the country have been grappling with repeated layoffs, shrinking newsrooms, steep pay reductions, and chronic delays in salary disbursements. Once viewed as stable and respected professions, many media jobs have become precarious as advertising revenues decline, political pressures intensify, and digital disruption outpaces traditional business models.

These ongoing challenges continue to threaten not only the livelihoods of media professionals but also the overall quality and independence of journalism in Pakistan. With fewer resources, shrinking teams, and rising operational costs, news organizations struggle to sustain robust reporting. For many journalists, the combination of financial insecurity and professional pressure has created an atmosphere of uncertainty that shows little sign of easing.

KEY POINTS:

• DawnNews cut salaries by 10% and fuel allowances by 50%.
• This is the third pay cut within a year, raising employee anxiety.
• Salaries were disbursed in two phases last month, complicating budgets.
• The pay cuts reflect larger financial challenges in the Pakistani media sector.
• Journalists face job uncertainty due to declining advertising revenues and rising costs.