JournalismPakistan launches ‘Once Upon a Newsroom’ to preserve the legacy of The Muslim newspaper

 JournalismPakistan.com |  Published last month |  JP Staff Report

JournalismPakistan plans to launch 'Once Upon a Newsroom', a storytelling project celebrating Pakistan’s newsroom culture, beginning with The Muslim, the defunct independent daily from Islamabad.

Summary

ISLAMABAD — JournalismPakistan is set to launch a new storytelling series titled Once Upon a Newsroom, celebrating Pakistan’s media history and preserving the spirit, memories, and culture of the country’s vibrant newsroom life.

The series will begin with The Muslim, an independent daily published from Islamabad in the 1980s. Bold and uncompromising, The Muslim became a symbol of fearless journalism during General Zia-ul-Haq’s martial law and trained many of the country’s leading journalists.

Revisiting an Era of Bold Reporting

Through Once Upon a Newsroom, JournalismPakistan plans to revisit those days, capturing personal recollections, anecdotes, and photographs from former staff and newsroom veterans reflecting the life and times of The Muslim and the people who made it what it was.

The series will also highlight how the newsroom navigated censorship, political pressure, and the practical challenges of reporting during a restrictive era, offering younger journalists a window into the resilience and ingenuity that defined that generation.

Call for Contributions

Former staff members — reporters, editors, photographers, proofreaders, and others — who were part of The Muslim family are invited to share their memories, short write-ups, or photos for possible inclusion in the upcoming series.

“We welcome all contributions, whether personal anecdotes, photographs, or reflections, to help document this important chapter in Pakistan’s journalism history,” the JournalismPakistan team said.

Contact for submissions or inquiries:
Contributions can be sent via WhatsApp to +923215173277 or by email at info@journalismpakistan.com

KEY POINTS:

• JournalismPakistan is launching a new storytelling series, titled 'Once Upon a Newsroom,' to document Pakistan’s media heritage.
• The series will open with a focus on The Muslim, an Islamabad-based daily known for its independent reporting during the 1980s martial law.
• It aims to collect personal recollections, anecdotes, and photographs from former staff to chronicle the newsroom’s culture and legacy.
• The project will examine how journalists at The Muslim worked under censorship, political pressure, and operational constraints.
• Former members of The Muslim are invited to share memories, write-ups, and photos for potential inclusion in the series.

PHOTO: AI-generated image inspired by The Muslim.