First with the false news and into the Hall of Shame

 JournalismPakistan.com |  Published: 24 February 2017 |  Imran Naeem Ahmad

PEMRA has served show-cause notices to 29 channels for inaccurate reporting on a bomb blast in Lahore. This incident reveals serious flaws in television journalism ethics in Pakistan.

Summary

ISLAMABAD – In a glaring collective failure, 29 television channels in Pakistan have been served show-cause notices by PEMRA for broadcasting false reports of a bomb blast in Lahore on Thursday — a disturbing reminder of how far broadcast journalism has drifted from its professional moorings.

The list of offenders includes several so-called media “heavyweights” — channels that often boast about being “first” and “number one” in the industry. This time too, they were first — but first with false news, and notably, none have owned up to their blunder or offered an apology for the fear and panic they caused among an already anxious public.

Channels like Geo, Dunya, Samaa, ARY, BOL, Express News, Abb Takk, Capital, DawnNews, Jaag, and others, all featured prominently in the regulator’s list — each one arguably deserving a place in journalism’s Hall of Shame for the day.

How did nearly 30 channels all get it wrong? The answer lies in the herd mentality that plagues much of Pakistani media. It only takes one channel to ‘break’ a story — verified or not — for the rest to jump in blindly, prioritizing speed over accuracy. In this reckless race for ratings, ethics and verification are the first casualties.

No one paused to ask the basic questions: Is it true? Has it been confirmed? Instead, newsrooms rushed to amplify an unverified story, fueling fear across the country and damaging the credibility of the industry in the process.

The problem is systemic. The competition for breaking news is so fierce that being first often matters more than being right. The consequences — PEMRA notices, possible fines, public outrage — barely register. Tomorrow, the same cycle will repeat: breaking news, half-truths, inflated claims, and little accountability — a formula that has, unfortunately, become routine in Pakistani broadcast media.

Until newsrooms begin to value accuracy over urgency and credibility over clicks, the public’s trust in journalism will continue to erode.

KEY POINTS:

• 29 television channels served notices by PEMRA for false reporting.
• Channels prioritized speed over accuracy, causing public panic.
• Major networks like Geo, ARY, and DawnNews included among offenders.
• Herd mentality in media leads to reckless news amplification.
• Systemic issues in broadcast journalism contribute to credibility loss.