Webinar on role of media during COVID-19 crisis

Islamabad : A webinar on ‘Press Freedom and Journalism During Crisis’ was held here in partnership with the European Union Delegation to Pakistan, Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Embassy of Sweden in Pakistan and Media Matters for Democracy.

It was attended by more than 50 participants from civil society, media professionals, academia, international organisations and diplomatic missions.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as other situations of crisis, it is critical for people to be informed with facts to make well-informed decisions, to avoid patterns of paranoia, fear, and negatively stigmatising others.

Noting this, the UN Secretary General António Guterres has called for ‘countering the scourge of misinformation - a poison putting more lives at risk.’ Taking stock of the situation the webinar explored the crucial role of media in providing credible information, addressing misinformation, and the subsequent emerging challenges faced by journalists in fulfilling their tasks.

Patricia McPhillips, UNESCO Representative Pakistan, emphasised, “A free and independent press is essential at all times, but is particularly important during a health and economic crisis such as the one we are currently experiencing.”

Ambassador of the European Union Delegation to Pakistan Androulla Kaminara said journalists were essential workers, especially during the COVID-19 crisis.

"They (journalists) provide the information that people need to act responsibly and appropriately to stay safe. They stimulate the public debate about the best way to address challenges and provide accountability that is crucial for any democratic society,” she said.

Asad Hashim of Al Jazeera discussed the factors impeding press freedom in Pakistan especially in light of the current health crisis.

He also stressed upon the need to provide safeguards to journalists facing multifarious threats due to the corona virus. While discussing the ‘misinfodemic’, Ramsha Jahangir highlighted the vital need for providing credible and fact based information by news media to counter misinformation. Tayyab Afridi representing ‘Tribal News Network’ analysed the coverage of COVID-19 related news in remote and far flung areas.

Shabbir Anwar (Pakistan Peace Collection, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting) described various initiatives launched to gauge the perception of citizens about corona virus and shared the lessons learnt.

Ambassador of Netherlands Wouter Plomp said in these times of COVID-19 crisis, journalists have the vital task of disseminating reliable information, keeping people informed and holding governments accountable.

"To recognise the importance of a free press, I would like to say to journalists that you are here to protect our freedoms. It’s our duty to protect yours," he said.