Journalism Pakistan
Journalism Pakistan
PFUJ to IHC: PECA Law must be suspended to protect journalismHum News leads the way: First Pakistani channel to embrace AI toolsEnhancing trauma reporting: Dart Center Ochberg Fellowship 2025Youm-e-Tameer-o-Taraqi or Youm-e-Tabahi? Government spends millions on self-congratulatory adsBlogger killed, editor missing as Mozambique's press freedom crisis deepensPTV pensioners continue protests over unpaid dues and medical facilitiesWill PECA 2025 law be repealed? PFUJ begins a legal battleDefying threats: Munizae Jahangir's story reveals what it costs to be a woman journalist in PakistanIndia revokes nonprofit and tax status of news outletsUkraine's security service opens criminal case after Ukrainska Pravda reportTwo Cambodian journalists detained over cyber scam torture videoThe Olympic Games: A timeless testament to human excellence and unity

In Turkey bombings, media bans 'arrive before ambulances'

 JournalismPakistan.com |  Published June 10, 2016

Join our WhatsApp channel

In Turkey bombings, media bans 'arrive before ambulances'

ISTANBUL - Well before police could establish who was responsible for a car bombing in Istanbul that killed 11 this week, the government in Turkey had banned the media from reporting anything about the investigation.

Bans have been implemented after such incidents since 2013 and have become so routine that some joke on Twitter that the ban arrives before the ambulance — but they're part of what free-speech advocates say is an increasingly concerning pattern of restricting news coverage in Turkey. Violating the ban leaves local news channels vulnerable to fines and possible prosecution.

The Committee to Protect Journalists describes Turkey as "the current master" of the media blackout practice.

Although other countries, especially in the Middle East, use such bans, what makes Turkey different is their extremely broad nature and the absence of clarity as to when they expire and what the consequences are for those who take the risk of violating them. They are usually issued by an official regulatory body but they have also come from courts or even the office of the prime minister.

"How these bans are defined, we don't know," says Kadri Gursel of the International Press Institute. "How these so-called violations of the bans are prosecuted, we don't know. So it is a very arbitrary situation. ... These are very vaguely defined bans but they have a chilling effect."

Critics say Turkey has witnessed a sharp decline in press freedoms since two polarizing elections that dominated headlines in 2015; the resurgence of conflict between Turkish security forces and Kurdish militants as a truce collapsed last summer; and a string of suicide attacks blamed on Islamic State militants.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan advocates a broader legal definition of "terrorism" and "terrorist" to include journalists, as well as activists and legislators, who voice support for terror organizations. The European Union wants Turkey to narrow the definition out of concern that existing laws are used to crush dissent.

Turkish officials defend bans, saying that they are necessary to protect the investigation into the attacks, prevent fear and panic among the public and bar images from serving as "propaganda" for the terror groups. That is a point of view that has considerable support in the broader public.

A senior official told the AP the orders don't amount to "media bans," as news channels do cover the general aftermath of terror attacks, but aim to prevent Turkish media from publishing and broadcasting violent images that Western media outlets would not publish or broadcast "due to ethical standards."

News coverage in Turkey and the Middle East can indeed be more grisly and graphic than what is shared with audiences in the West.

The bans prohibit reports that name suspects and increase the flight risk of collaborators, he said. The official spoke on condition of anonymity in line with government regulations that prevent public officials from speaking to journalists without prior authorization. As well as restricting reporting of attacks, the bans have been used during a fatal mining disaster in 2014 and a probe into top brass corruption in 2013.

Gursel of the International Press Institute rejects the notion that the bans are in the interest of smoother investigations. The goal, he says, is to intimidate journalists and TV channels from covering stories that could hurt the reputation of the government or from carrying out investigative reporting.

"The aim is mainly to make the public know less, see less and read less about these incidents, of which the coverage is seen as detrimental to the government," he told the AP. "It is a reflex to protect and safeguard government interests. It is a kind of perception management."

Aykan Erdemir, a former Turkish legislator and currently a fellow at the U.S.-based Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, says it is true that local media outlets publish graphic images without any concern for the rights of the victim.

But these bans, he says, are primarily used as a form of censorship to silence critical media outlets and "to veil the government's incapacity in its struggle against terrorism." It is on a par with the firing of critical journalists and the government takeovers of opposition media that have become so commonplace in the country, he says.

Ozgur Ogret, the Turkey representative for the Committee to Protect Journalists, says the news bans violate the right to be informed. Although some citizens sidestep them through the internet or by accessing foreign satellite channels, "they are very effective in the medium of television which is the number one news source of this country," he told The Associated Press.

Suleyman Demirkan, a member of the Radio and Television Supreme Council, RTUK, says broadcasters that violate the ban are issued a warning for a first infringement. If violations continue, they are fined 1 percent of the revenue they declared to the regulatory body the month prior to when the infringement occurred.

The fine can be raised to 5 percent if a channel is deemed to be aiding a terror organization through its infringement, said Demirkan, who is one of two members appointed to the nine-member council by the main opposition party and is critical of the blackouts.

The bans are just one of a slew of measures that have made reporting difficult for journalists in Turkey. The president has launched some 2,000 lawsuits over "insults," multiple foreign journalists have been deported and local journalists are in jail for revealing "state secrets" in what press freedom advocates call a widening crackdown on dissent.

Access to the conflict zones of the southeast, where the security forces are battling Kurdish militants, is limited to state media. Local Kurdish journalists are routinely jailed. This week, three journalists were attacked by a mob as they tried to cover the aftermath of a suicide bomb attack on a police station in the town of Midyat.

Turkey ranks 151 out of 180 countries in the 2016 World Press Freedom index compiled by Reporters Without Borders. It fared better than most Middle East countries and China but was far behind in comparison with the countries of the European Union, a bloc it aspires to join.

Journalism is a dangerous profession across the world. There's now an arc of countries from Russia to southern Africa where the kind of journalism that would be praised in many societies may get you imprisoned or killed. In Turkey's neighbor Syria, journalists are routinely tortured, killed or disappeared.

News bans are only one weapon in the broad arsenal deployed to silence critical media across the region, and are not uncommon. Jordan this week issued a gag order on a shooting attack that killed five employees at an intelligence office in a refugee camp. In volatile regions of Pakistan, journalists risk jail if they publish statements issued by militant groups.

When militants in Gaza or Lebanon fire rockets at Israel, the military censor bans immediate reports of the precise locations of the exploding shells to prevent gunmen from using the information to deploy more accurate fire. Sometimes Israeli police issue temporary gag orders if they think it could jeopardize a case.

Although there are no known cases of Turkey media outlets being prosecuted for violations of the ban, Demirkan points to the case of opposition journalists Can Dundar and Erdem Gul who were convicted last month of revealing state secrets for their reports on alleged government arms shipments to Syrian jihadists.

"Unfortunately, in the long run, these practices are causing harm to the Turkish state which they claim to protect," Demirkan said. "They are bruising the state's respectability and trustworthiness." - AP

PFUJ to IHC: PECA Law must be suspended to protect journalism

PFUJ to IHC: PECA Law must be suspended to protect journalism

 February 11, 2025:  The PFUJ has petitioned the Islamabad High Court to suspend the PECA Amendment Act, arguing that the law curtails press freedom and contains contradictory provisions. The court has issued a notice to the Attorney General for assistance.

Hum News leads the way: First Pakistani channel to embrace AI tools

Hum News leads the way: First Pakistani channel to embrace AI tools

 February 09, 2025:  Hum News Network becomes the first Pakistani channel to embrace AI tools like ChatGPT and DeepSeek, enhancing productivity and innovation. Discover how this visionary move sets new standards in media.

Youm-e-Tameer-o-Taraqi or Youm-e-Tabahi? Government spends millions on self-congratulatory ads

Youm-e-Tameer-o-Taraqi or Youm-e-Tabahi? Government spends millions on self-congratulatory ads

 February 08, 2025:  As Pakistan faces an economic crisis, the government splurges taxpayers' money on full-page ads and press releases to glorify its achievements. Critics call it a wasteful PR stunt. Read how public funds are being misused for political propaganda.

PTV pensioners continue protests over unpaid dues and medical facilities

PTV pensioners continue protests over unpaid dues and medical facilities

 February 07, 2025:  PTV pensioners staged nationwide protests demanding their unpaid pensions, medical benefits, and dues for nearly 400 retirees. Protesters, supported by PFUJ, criticized PTV management for corruption and lavish expenses while neglecting retirees' rights.

Will PECA 2025 law be repealed? PFUJ begins a legal battle

Will PECA 2025 law be repealed? PFUJ begins a legal battle

 February 06, 2025:  PFUJ has challenged the controversial PECA Act 2025 in the Islamabad High Court, citing it as an attack on press freedom. Journalists and rights organizations protest the law’s implications for free speech and media independence in Pakistan.

Defying threats: Munizae Jahangir's story reveals what it costs to be a woman journalist in Pakistan

Defying threats: Munizae Jahangir's story reveals what it costs to be a woman journalist in Pakistan

 February 06, 2025:  Pakistani women journalists like Munizae Jahangir and Asma Shirazi face severe threats, harassment, and online abuse. This article explores the struggles of women in media, the systemic challenges, and potential solutions to ensure press freedom and journalist safety.

Contrasting paths:  White House welcomes digital media, Pakistan crushes it

Contrasting paths: White House welcomes digital media, Pakistan crushes it

 January 29, 2025:  As the White House welcomes podcasters and digital journalists, Pakistan tightens censorship through PECA amendments, silencing independent voices and forcing journalists into exile. A stark contrast in press freedom emerges.

PECA amendments further tighten government's grip on digital expression: IFJ

PECA amendments further tighten government's grip on digital expression: IFJ

 January 29, 2025:  Pakistan’s latest PECA amendments expand government control over social media, criminalize misinformation, and threaten freedom of expression. Media stakeholders and human rights groups condemn the draconian changes. Learn more about the implications for journalists and activists.

Newsroom
Enhancing trauma reporting: Dart Center Ochberg Fellowship 2025

Enhancing trauma reporting: Dart Center Ochberg Fellowship 2025

 February 09, 2025 The Dart Center Ochberg Fellowship 2025 is open for applications! This prestigious program at Columbia University offers journalists an intensive seminar on trauma reporting, media ethics, and responsible journalism. Apply by March 3, 2025.

Blogger killed, editor missing as Mozambique's press freedom crisis deepens

Blogger killed, editor missing as Mozambique's press freedom crisis deepens

 February 07, 2025 Mozambican journalist Albino Sibia was killed while filming police brutality, and reporter Pedro Junior was shot covering his funeral. Arlindo Chissale remains missing. These attacks highlight the dire state of press freedom in Mozambique amid post-election unrest.

India revokes nonprofit and tax status of news outlets

India revokes nonprofit and tax status of news outlets

 February 05, 2025 The Committee to Protect Journalists urges the Indian government to stop targeting independent journalism after revoking the nonprofit and tax-exempt statuses of The Reporters’ Collective and The File. Learn how this impacts investigative reporting and media freedom in India.

Ukraine's security service opens criminal case after Ukrainska Pravda report

Ukraine's security service opens criminal case after Ukrainska Pravda report

 February 04, 2025 Ukraine’s security service (SBU) has opened a criminal case for disclosure of state secrets following Ukrainska Pravda’s report on statements by military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov. CPJ urges authorities to respect press freedom and journalist protections.

Two Cambodian journalists detained over cyber scam torture video

Two Cambodian journalists detained over cyber scam torture video

 February 03, 2025 Cambodian journalists Duong Akhara and Lay Socheat have been detained on incitement charges after publishing a video allegedly showing torture in a cyberscam center. Press freedom advocates call for their immediate release.