Media responsibility versus ratings

August 17, 2013

By Haroon Baloch

The Islamabad standoff on the eve of August 15th was not only a criminal confrontation but at the same time it also exposed Pakistan media when it comes to journalism of ethics in Pakistan.

Life of electronic media, particularly news channels in Pakistan, spins around good rating and in the pursuit of these ratings; I’ve seen anchors like Maya Khan chasing dates in public parks, fiercely harming the public morality.

Stories of such TV shows are countless where anchors and/or reporters breach the redline of ethical journalism.

While covering contemporary issues as a TV reporter, I experienced instances on routine basis where race of breaking the news leaves a journalist far behind and drags him or her to be a runner in any arena.

Interestingly, the time of Islamabad standoff on 15th August marked the silver jubilee of the darkest day of the German press. Exact twenty-five years back on 16th August in the wee hour, two burglars Hans-Jürgen Rösner and Dieter Degowski robbed a bank in a Deutsche town Gladbeck and escaped with two bank tellers taking them under hostage.

In the run later on, the hostage-takers also rode on a public transit bus and took 30 passengers more into their hostage. During the negotiation with the police in the whole drama, hostage-takers killed three hostages. The whole episode lasted for three days and on 18th August in the midnight, one of the police vehicles crashed into the getaway car resulting into gunfire, and finally the arrest of Rösner and Degowski’s arrest.

Other than the timing of Islamabad standoff with Gladbeck episode, the focal commonality between the both crimes was the direct involvement of media because both the drams were broadcast live.

In Gladbeck episode, the media reporters interviewed the hostage-takers and the hostages live and took photographed burglars to their satisfaction in poses like placing guns under the throats of hostages.

In an interview with German International broadcaster DW, media psychologist Jo Groebel said, “Journalists who covered Gladbeck crime story not only satisfied hostage-takers’ desire for recognition and attention, but also incited the criminals to prove themselves in their brutal megalomania.”

In one instance, one of the reporters, later upgraded to Editor-in-Chief of most read German tabloid “Bild”, also managed to travel into getaway car so to direct the hostage-takers into the streets of Cologne.

German press was ruthlessly carped on its ethical infringements, even the reporter who guided criminals in their affairs had to face the allegations of complicity.

What Pakistani media did was not far different to that of German press except they could not guide Sikandar and his wife into their affairs of rusting the capital on the eve of 15th August. However, considering the supposition of many defense analysts commentating during the prime time on all national televisions post-standoff if Sikandar had been getting guidance on his cell phone throughout the episode by his terrorist aides, then media’s role could have become more supportive to the outfit in the drama.

Nevertheless, Pakistani media did the same in satisfying the desires of Sikandar and obsessed him with heroic emotions.

At the same time, self-attained role of Pakistani media as a arbitrator with Islamabad gunman during his live telephonic interviews was one of the major ethical infringements that could have been avoided through anticipatory vision of PEMRA during the five and half hours long drama.

Media interference also affected the police operation and in the case of Islamabad standoff similar to that of Gladbeck robbery, as authorities have seriously questioned it and bluntly declared media responsible for delaying the operation against the gunman because proximity maintained by the journalists with Sikandar refrained police to engage Sikandar in any exchange of bullets.

Following severe criticism for their handling of Gladbeck drama by German media, German Press Council, “Der Deutschen Presserats” barred for conducting any interview with hostage-takers during the hostage situation in future.

Can Pakistan do the same? Will it accept the responsibility of mishandling the Islamabad standoff? And what will be Pakistani media’s role during the coverage of such hostage related incidents in future or confrontation between terrorists and law enforcers are the important questions in developing Pakistani democracy.

Because at the end, it contributes to the name of a nation, and what Pakistan has earned after 16th August episode was a bad image.

Self responsible media is need of the hour after winning the battle against draconian press laws for the attainment of freedom of speech.

Commenting on the coverage of Pakistani media, leading journalist Syed Talat Hussain said, “the role was uncalled for, totally unprofessional in the sense that it created hype, inviting more and people to the venue and created sort of a fiction around it.”

However, he said, media cannot wholly be blamed of what happened on August 15th. He questioned why administration failed in cordoning off crime scene if it is capable enough for maintaining foolproof security inside the red zone.

“We ought to know every visual we show from the scene has consequences”, he said further stressing that journalists should do everything with reference to the fundamental principle of consequences.