Photojournalism - A forgotten tale for the government of Pakistan?

A number of journalists in Pakistan have made their name in the industry by starting from scratch and working their way up the long, tiring, and harsh career ladder. With minimal support from the government, educational institutes, and the media, the profession has been unable to garner the attention and interest of the people.

'Reporters Without Borders' named Pakistan as the most dangerous place in the world for journalists in 2011. Since then, not much has changed or improved and journalists still walk with a red target on their backs. Gruesome stories about reporters being murdered, kidnapped, threatened, or abducted routinely appear on the media. In addition, rumours of political pressures, and the unattractive salary structure are just some of the factors which contribute to the journalism industry’s ongoing labefaction.

Rukhsana Aslam, a journalist-turned-academic from Pakistan, wrote in her article titled 'Media, Politics, and the threats to journalists in Pakistan' about a cameraman named Bilal who outlined the elements lacking in the 'organisational support system' to provide health and safety for journalists. It included no background briefing, no formal training on survival techniques, no additional expenses and no transport. In the case of injury, there is no medical or life insurance and no disability allowance in terms of financial benefit.

A senior Pakistani photojournalist, Abdul Majeed Goraya, was also quoted in Aslam's feature and said that there is also no job security or reward for the journalists for risking their lives. "We are on our own when we travel on such assignments, we don’t get any money for travel fare, food, lodgings or transport. Sometimes we get reimbursed—for instance, if we get good stories and pictures—but not always."

Photojournalists face great threats and dangers and, hence, have a tougher job to do. A photojournalist needs to be on the spot where things happen so they can capture the 'visual evidence' to go along with a story. They also need a greater presence of mind and energy to make in-the-moment decisions and judgement calls. Sometimes having other people around hinders their creativity. "Photojournalists work best when they are on their own, however, they are exposed to greater risks to their life and equipment”, said Goraya.

It is important to look at another genre of journalism to properly analyse and assimilate the sensitivity and the state of journalism in Pakistan.

Maria Memon, a prominent current affairs anchor and broadcast journalist in Pakistan, believes that the lack of proper teams, and the disparity between the pay scale and the competence of the teams, are considered to be strong factors hindering the growth of the profession. The same issue applies to photojournalism as most of the time, photojournalists have to work alone due to financial restrictions and skill-level of other professionals.

She emphasised that even the ethical areas require strong legislation and implementation of rules, saying "There should be strong regulatory bodies which deal with ethical decision-making power.” Memon rightly pointed out that that there were many prominent personalities on television, who may have broken some false news, but because of weak legislation of ethical conduct, their credibility stays intact, and “no one takes them off-air, or gives them any warning.”

Apart from the need for regulatory authorities to take more action, the legal process in Pakistan demands serious improvements. Memon recalled how when a report points fingers towards a certain individual, and if he or she sends a legal notice, the legal process is so tedious and time-consuming, that by the time the case makes progress in court the issue gets swept under the carpet. "I don’t think in Pakistani court; anybody has to ever apologise or pay damages for maligning someone."

With regards to the training and skill development of journalists, there were small collaborations and schemes on both forums, investigative and photojournalism. Memon started working with GEO television, which brought in a team from abroad to train the journalists. The network also had collaboration with CNN where some people were sent to the United States to get trained for three to four weeks. "That was just my network and not everyone got to go there. On another level, the government does take journalists to tours with them for coverage when they go abroad, but the training that journalists get, they manage it on their own."

She did, however, shed light on the present government's intention to open a media school. "They probably might not do it but at least it’s something on their radar."

Immediate and effective action needs to be taken in order to ‘revamp’ the evolving and promising field of journalism. Khaula Jamil, a photojournalist and documentary photographer based in Karachi, Pakistan, believes that the first step the government has to take is the provision of basic education. "Photojournalism is just one of the several professions that exist and that need encouragement. The government needs to invest in education. It’s not possible to talk about photojournalism without talking about education as a whole."

For Pakistani photojournalist Goraya, the solution to the journalists’ problems lies in three words: Access, trust, and respect. He suggests to ‘give the journalist access to the story; trust the journalist enough not to kill him; and give the journalist respect enough not to kill his story.’

#Pakistan #Photojournalism #Government #MariaMemon #KhaulaJamil