Internal censorship has increased, which negatively affects the efficiency of the journalists and also placed their ability to tell the truth freely and objectively at risk.
South Asian Free Media Association (Safma) Secretary General Imtiaz Alam stated this at the launching ceremony of the 'Media Monitor' a report prepared by the association, here on Friday.
Imtiaz said that Safma Pakistan had proposed amendments in Freedom of Information Ordinance promulgated by the Musharraf government, to ensure citizen's right to know in Pakistan.
He mentioned that most of the newspapers have been taken over by the industrialists and they invest in the media industry, resultantly the editorial control have gone under advertisement manager and newspapers are no more independent.
He said that journalists of Nepal are struggling and taking out processions for the cause of democracy, hence Pakistani journalist unions and media industry should support the Nepalese Journalists. The journalists in Bangladesh had to face many difficulties in reporting.
Veteran Journalist and Editor of the 'Media Monitor' South Asia-2003 Hussain Naqi disclosed that the media monitor report has covered the state of media freedom, media laws and problems faced by the journalists in South Asia. He highlighted that at least seven newsmen and an author were killed in Pakistan, India and Nepal during 2003.
Two journalists survived murderous attacks by drug peddlers in Pakistan. Ethnic and communal hatred, corrupt politicians, inter state conflicts, have created obstructive environment for reporters to report freely, he added.
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