Changing Images

A National Study on
Monitoring and Sensitisation of the
Print Media on the Portrayal of Women
Conducted by:
Uks-A Research, Resource and Publication Centre on Women and Media
CONTENTS
Acknowledgements
v
Executive Summary
1
Introduction
Purpose and objectives of the study
Intended Audiences: research and media
Qualitative and quantitative research methodologies
3
2.
Women in Pakistan: an overview
7
3.
Women-related news coverage in the print media:
findings and analysis
Daily newspapers
Weekly magazines
Monthly magazines
19
3b.
57
Readers’ Survey
4.
Media workshops: journalists speak on the issues
65
5.
Pakistani women and the media: realities misrepresented,
facts distorted
93
6.
Coverage of whom?
105
7.
Emerging trends: policies, practices and ethics of the press
Recommendations from Uks
111
8.
Bibliography
117
Annexes
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Media Workshops: List of participants and press coverage.
Questionnaire for Readers’ survey.
Examples of supportive and non-supportive
press coverage of women
Media Policies on Women
Codes of Ethics, National and International
i
ii
iii
iv
v
vi
121
123
133
135
147
153
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Acknowledgements are due to all staff members of Uks for their dedication and
commitment to this project. Without their support and hard work, content analysis of the
data - the major and the most complicated part of this study - could not have been
completed.
We are grateful to media persons all over Pakistan for their involvement and support.
Their participation in the workshops helped the study to generate many
recommendations.
Thanks also go out to our team of young data analysts, especially Daniyal who developed
the special programme for data analysis. He worked closely with the Uks team and was
always available for any review or change in the computer programme.
We are extremely grateful to Shakeel Awan, our data entry person, for his support and
hard work.
We express our appreciation to the Royal Netherlands Embassy for supporting us in this
project, especially to Doris Voorbraak and Fatimah Ihsan of the Women and
Development section, for their understanding of the importance of this issue.
The research team for this study consisted of more than two-dozen people in all the five
cities of Pakistan where the surveys and workshops were conducted. They all worked
under the constant and continuous supervision and guidance of Ms. Tasneem Ahmar,
Director Uks. While every one carried out their assignments with utmost responsibility,
special mention must be made of the following for their hard work and commitment:
Islamabad
1.
Mr. Ahmed Afzaal
Identifying and Analysing Urdu weeklies and monthlies
and Reader’s survey
2.
Ms. Maryam Tanvir Identifying and Analysing English weeklies and monthlies
3.
Ms. Fazila Gulrez
4.
Ms. Ambareen Sehar Identifying and Analysing Urdu newspapers and Reader’s
survey
5.
Ms. Tasneem Ahmar Writing monthly reports based on the outcome of the study
6.
Ms. Aisha Afzaal
Translating and transcribing workshop proceedings
(Islamabad)
7.
Ms. Mehreen Qadri
Transcribing and translating workshop proceedings (Quetta
and Lahore)
Identifying and Analysing English newspapers
8.
Ms. Noor-us-Sehar
Transcribing and translating workshop proceedings
(Karachi and Peshawar)
9.
Mr. Kashif Rizvi
Co-ordinator
10.
Mr. Daniyal Khan
Computer Consultant, data analyst
11.
Mr. Shakeel Awan
Data entry
12.
Mr. Arsalan Bakhtiar Workshop organiser
13.
Mr. Kamran Nawab Cutting and pasting of all material
Peshawar
Ms. Mahwish Syed
Mr. Tariq Saeed
Incharge Surveys and workshop
Facilitator
Lahore
Mr. Zeeshan
Mr. Shahzad Raj
Workshop organiser
Survey
Quetta
Mr. Saleem Shahid
Survey
Karachi
Mr. Arsalan Bakhtiar
Incharge Survey and Workshop
Last, but not least, many thanks to Beena Sarwar for writing ‘Pakistani Women: an
Overview’ and ‘Women in the Pakistani Media’, two of the most important chapters of
this study.
Tasneem Ahmar
Director, Uks
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
“Monitoring and Sensitisation of the Print Media on the Portrayal of Women” was a
year- long research project, covering the period from September 2000 to August 2001. Its
primary purpose was to analyse, both quantitatively as well as qualitatively, the issues
inherent in the impact of newspaper reporting on women, as well as the extent of
coverage accorded to women.
The study also aimed at sensitising journalists in contemporary and acceptable ways of
writing about women-related issues, including gender equity and women’s rights as
human rights. The study further looked at readers’ perspectives on portrayals of women
in the print media. *
The methodological tools utilised included:
 Daily reading/scanning and marking of almost two dozen newspapers and periodicals.
 Maintaining a data bank of relevant press coverage through press clippings.
 Monthly analysis of the total press coverage of women’s issues.
 Conducting readers’ surveys on the coverage of women in the press.
 Holding advocacy and sensitisation workshops for journalists in all four provinces.
 Holding a national workshop at the end of the year to present the Report’s findings
and recommendations.
The study examined the following issues:
 The impact of reporting, as well as the extent of coverage, accorded to women-related
issues.
 The need for better and more positive understanding and coverage of women-related
issues by media persons.
 The need for attitudinal changes to facilitate the process of development, especially of
women.
 Lack of feedback to the media including owners/editors, editors, desk and field staff.
The following recommendations emerged:
1. That a Code of Ethics be formulated, and steps taken to ensure its implementation,
by representatives of the print media, especially senior editorial staff. All news
publications must be persuaded through individual efforts and influential bodies such
as the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), the All Pakistan Newspapers
Society (APNS) and the Council of Pakistan Newspapers Editors (CPNE) to abide by
this Code.
2. That a committee of journalists, concerned citizens and students be formed, to
regularly monitor publications that engage in derogatory and offensive language. The
committee will communicate its concerns to the editorial staff of the concerned
newspapers through letters to the editor.
* The results of the Readers’ survey are found in Chapter 3
1. That regular seminars and workshops be held on this issue, under the auspices of
PFUJ, APNS etc, and that newspersons be invited to actively participate.
2. That newspaper owners and editors be urged to give more coverage to women’s
issues, and that the coverage is positive.
3. That the Press Clubs and Unions of journalists be encouraged to actively participate
in this media-watch activity.
4. That discussions be held with the office-bearers of APNS on the possibility of
instituting an annual GENDER-SENSITIVITY AWARD for journalists (in the Urdu,
regional languages and English-language presses) on the pattern of the APNS yearly
awards for journalists/newspapers.
5. That there be on-desk training of news-desk persons, including editors and chief
editors, on issues relating to gender sensitivity.
6. That more women journalists, both field and desk, be included, and incorporated into
every level of writing and management, in order to bring about an improved and
gender-sensitive reflection of women-related issues in the print media.
There are three points to be stressed, in particular, about the study and this Report. The
first is that all of the coverage referred to is exclusively concerned with women. Thus,
every reference in the ‘Findings and Analysis’ chapter is to women-related items:
advertisements, editorials, columnists’ contributions, book reviews, editorials, etc. All
other references, to subject matter and analysis, are similarly concerned with the ways in
which women and women-related issues are covered in the press.
The second point is that this study was the first of its kind in Pakistan. It breaks new
ground in its effort to include everyone concerned with producing and reading the print
media, in a dialogue. It has attempted to be as comprehensive as possible, providing
overviews of media coverage, expressions of concern by those directly involved in
producing newspapers and magazines, and in-depth analysis of specific categories of
items. The findings represent the first effort in Pakistan to analyse gender issues in the
print media. It is hoped that further studies will be conducted, and that this Report, as
well as the enormous archive of clippings, will serve as a valuable resource for anyone
interested in pursuing further analysis.
The third point is that there are extensive lists of recommendations throughout the
Report. Perhaps the most important is the recommendation that a broad-based and
gender-sensitive Code of Ethics be adopted and implemented. Many of the remaining
recommendations would follow from this action. Uks is well aware that none of the
recommended actions will necessarily come about easily, but the essential argument of
the study – that women have the right to be represented objectively and seriously in the
print media – makes it imperative that the proposed transformation be attempted.
1. INTRODUCTION
Freedom of the Press in Pakistan is less than fifteen years old. This newly acquired
freedom has given rise to two things: (1) debate, discussion and exposure to various
issues and (2) a mushrooming growth of newspapers in the country.
If we accept that today there is more freedom and more newspapers, we must ask: how is
this free press dealing with women as the subjects of news coverage, and with issues
relevant to women’s situations? A careful reading of the wide range of print publications
in Pakistan tells a conflicting tale. Whereas one section of the press, primarily the English
language press, is sensitive to and supportive of women’s issues, another section, in a bid
to outsell its competitors, is engaged in sensationalising those stories that inculcate
negative images of women that undermine efforts to enhance their status in society.
In this scenario, the debate on the role and impact of the print media, as an agent of social
change vis a vis women’s issues, needs to be examined in terms of the quality and
quantity of coverage of women’s issues.
It is worth noting that the staff and researchers of Uks worked hard to define and identify
‘supportive’ and ‘non-supportive’ coverage as objectively as possible. The extremes were
simple enough to identify: the use of derogatory language, the inclusion of photographs
of women accompanying stories that have nothing to do with women-related issues,
advertising that reinforces stereotypical role models of women as ‘housewives’ and as
passive recipients of male attention – none of these can be called supportive. Nor can the
exclusion of women-related issues from editorials, and their being limited to superficial
subjects such as fashion and ‘beauty’ issues be considered supportive, in terms of this
study. It follows, then, that coverage that takes gender-specific issues seriously and
objectively as news items and that considers women’s multiple perspectives on issues,
and that does so using the language of analysis, can be identified as supportive.
The middle ground was much harder to define as supportive or non-supportive, and
sometimes required lengthy consultation and dialogue amongst staff members. Everyone
at Uks found the process compelling. The range of publications complicated matters in
interesting ways, as we tried to evaluate the coverage in daily and weekly English
language papers, in morning and evening Urdu publications that are rushed to the streets
in expectation of quick sales, and in monthly ‘fashion’ and ‘news’ magazines whose
readers expect in-depth coverage of issues. All of these have their own internal logic and
it was a challenge for the Uks staff to establish its own, objective criteria for these
categories. Chapter 3: Women-related news coverage in the print media: findings and
analysis, contains the results of the Uks team’s interpretations of the coverage.
Through Print Media Monitoring and Sensitisation, the study aimed to:
1. Analyse, both quantitatively and qualitatively, the impact and the content of
reporting and the extent of coverage accorded to women-related issues.
2. Raise awareness among, and solicit recommendations from, readers, that would
effectively persuade journalists, reporters and editors of the need for better and
more positive understanding and coverage of women-related issues.
3. Raise awareness about the need for attitudinal changes to facilitate the process of
development, especially of women.
4. Formulate a Code of Ethics and take steps to ensure its implementation by the
print media, specially the senior editorial staff. All news publications be
persuaded through individual efforts and influential bodies such as the Pakistan
Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS)
etc. to abide by it. (Annex 5 contains the Code of Ethics from a number of
countries.)
5. Form a monitoring committee of journalists, concerned citizens and students to
regularly monitor publications that engage in derogatory and offensive language
and communicate the committee’s concerns on the practice to the editorial staff
through letters to the editor.
6. Hold regular seminars and workshops on this issue under the auspices of PFUJ,
APNS etc, and invite newspersons to be active participants.
7. Urge newspaper and magazine owners and editors to give more and positive
coverage to women’s issues.
8. Motivate the Press Clubs and Unions of journalists to actively participate in this
media-watch activity.
9. Discuss with the office-bearers of APNS the possibility of instituting an annual
GENDER-SENSITIVITY AWARD
for journalists (in Urdu, regional languages and
English language publications) on the pattern of the APNS annual awards for
journalists/newspapers.
Audience (Research and Media): The intended audience for the study includes: readers
(male and female), journalists, editors, newspaper owners, policy planners and
implementers, women’s NGOs, and most importantly, the WOMEN of this country.
Locales of the Research: With Islamabad as the base, the cities of Karachi, Lahore,
Peshawar and Quetta were included in the study.
The following aspects of each item related to coverage of women were noted:

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
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Types of items
Format
Source i.e. news report, interview, press release, headline, letters to the editor,
advertisements
Placement within the newspaper
Nature
Size
Urban/Rural break-up
Treatment (i.e. Positive or negative bias, or neutral coverage)
The study combined both quantitative and qualitative aspects of analysis. The qualitative
aspects emphasise the format of coverage, the sources of information, and the placement
and treatment of printed matter. The study gives the number and types of reports on
women-related issues published in major national and regional English and Urdu dailies,
as well as the amount of space accorded to these issues, over a period of seven months.
The qualitative analysis considers the content of every aspect of the portrayal of women,
such as the kinds of language used to refer to women, the ways in which pictorial
representations are used; the kinds of portrayals found in news stories and in advertising,
(i.e. whether they are supportive of women or not), and the degree to which these
conform to stereotypes.
The study, the first of its kind ever conducted in Pakistan, shows the extent and the nature
of coverage of women-related issues in the national and the local press. In addition to the
findings and the analysis, as well as the recommendations from the workshops, the study
constitutes a baseline of data on which further research can be built.
T H AT TA : A w o m a n c a s t i n g h e r v o t e h e re o n T h u r s d a y. P h o t o b y
Yo u s u f N a g o r i
2. WOMEN IN PAKISTAN: AN OVERVIEW
Most Pakistani governments, elected and un-elected, have sought to impose a
homogenous culture through policies that favour one group or community over another.
This divisive practice has depended on the government in power and its leanings.
However, women constitute a segment of society that cuts across class, economic and
religious divides.
The basic socio-economic and political indicators relating to women indicate their
relative lack of access to education, health facilities, government jobs, and participation
in the political process. Additionally, there is disparity between urban and rural women,
upper middle class women and those belonging to poorer classes. Women from lower
income groups are less literate, have less access to health facilities, less participation in
public activities such as the electoral process, and their rights are far less protected.
Consequently much of their potential remains untapped and unrealised.
These class inequities need to be taken into account when using socio-economic and
political indicators to examine the status of women in Pakistan, since such indicators are
abstractions which do not fully reflect the reality of women’s lives here.
Even so, the overall status of women gives particular cause for concern, not least because
no country can progress while half of its population (in this case women) is treated below
par with the other half. The indicators that provide a basic picture include the malefemale ratio, health status, levels of literacy and education, economic conditions, public
participation of women, and the incidence of violence specifically directed at them.
Pakistan ranks abysmally low on the index on all these fronts, whether the situation is
evaluated on the basis of the UNDP’s Gender Development index (GDI) or the Human
Development Index. According to the GDI Pakistan ranked 117 out of 146 countries in
1999; the HDI placed Pakistan 127th out of 162 countries in the same year (HDR,
2001:213). GDI places Pakistan behind several Muslim countries including Indonesia,
Iran, Egypt, Jordan, and Turkey, and even in the South Asia region, behind India, Sri
Lanka and the Maldives; only Nepal and Bangladesh fall slightly behind Pakistan.
There are currently many contradictions within Pakistani society, which is experiencing
mixed trends as far as the status of women is concerned. The growing integration of
women into public realms is reflected by the increasing participation of women in the
political process and in market-oriented economic activity. On the other hand there is
increasing religious extremism, and violence against women seems to be on the rise.
However, there has never been as much opposition and resistance to this violence as there
is today.
It should be noted that while the violence itself may be rooted in the social tensions
generated by the process of urbanisation, it could also be a backlash arising from the
greater visibility of women in public. More significantly, it could arise as a reaction to the
increasingly unwillingness of women to put up with injustices and mistreatment, as well
as their increasing assertion of basic rights. More and more women are marrying men of
their own choice, insisting on their right to an education, or to take up a job for financial
or personal reasons. There is little upheaval when families or communities grudgingly or
open-heartedly allow these rights to be exercised, and accept them as part of a changing
world. The violence arises when there is resistance to such changes; then old traditions
like karo kari (so-called ‘honour killing’) that were on the decline are invoked and
revived.
To return to indicators as a basic touchstone of the condition of Pakistani women, it is
found that first of all, there are only 937 females for every 1000 males in Pakistan – as
compared to most countries where women constitute 50 to 52 per cent of the population.
Pakistan’s population growth rate of 2.5 per cent per year is one of the highest in the
world. In addition to the repercussions of this on the country’s development and
economy, it reflects women’s lack of autonomy over their own bodies. In addition, the
rapid population increase indicates the widespread lack of access to family planning
methods and to family planning education, and lack of education generally.
Pakistan’s maternal mortality rate of 340 per every 100,000 live births is one of the
highest in the world and plays a significant role in the distortion of the sex ratio (HDSA
2000, p. 120). It is estimated that female mortality rate during peak childbearing years
(ages 20-29) is twice as high as for men in the same age group.
According to UNICEF’s Progress of Nations report, 26 per cent of women -- just over
one quarter – between the ages of 15 and 49 are attended to by health personnel only
once during pregnancy. Pakistani women bear an average of about six children, exerting
a major strain on their health. A major cause of high maternal mortality is anaemia, most
often associated with pregnant women (HDSA 2001, p. 126). Furthermore, it is estimated
that 45 per cent of pregnant women in Pakistan suffer from iron deficiency. Women’s
lack of access to health facilities is another factor responsible for a high rate of maternal
deaths - only 18 per cent of births are attended by trained health personnel.
Anaemia retards physical and mental development and increases vulnerability to disease
and infection. Among Pakistani women aged 15-44 years, an estimated 47 per cent of
rural and 39 per cent of urban women suffer from iron deficiency. Chronic malnutrition
and iron deficiency, in turn, are the result of gender discrimination in feeding practices
that starts at infancy and continue into adulthood for girls and women (HDSA 2000, p.
125). The link between education and maternal and child mortality is well known. Again,
the figures speak for themselves: only 35 per cent of Pakistan’s female population is
literate, according to official sources; unofficial sources place it considerably lower, and
these rates vary according to urban or rural residence.
There are serious gender disparities in education in Pakistan, as indicated by the
difference in the school enrolment ratios for girls and boys as well as the difference in
male and female adult literacy rates. The primary school enrolment rate is 62 per cent for
girls and 71 per cent for boys. This gap widens considerably at the secondary school level
with the enrolment rate of 17 per cent for girls and 33 per cent for boys. Moreover, girls
have a higher dropout rate than boys: 56 per cent of girls compared to 46 per cent of boys
drop out from primary education. Girls attend schools for less time than boys: the average
is only 0.7 years compared to 2.9 years for boys. The base laid during the foundation
years is naturally reflected in the adult literacy figures and the huge gap in male and
female adult literacy ratios; 55 per cent of adult males, compared to 25 per cent of adult
women are literate (HDSA 2000, p. 104-5).
These figures and statistics leave out the human stories, dreams and aspirations. An
increasing number of parents want their children, particularly daughters, to be educated –
even if to a rudimentary level. A UNICEF study in Baluchistan found little girls in the
back rows of boys’ schools in Pakistan’s most backward province – going against the
strict tradition of segregation, and illustrating their parents’ desire for their daughters not
to be illiterate. Subsequently, various UN agencies along with the Government of
Pakistan put resources into financing a female primary education programme in
Baluchistan, which has contributed to a rising literacy rate among the girl children of that
province
These factors counter an overall social prejudice against female literacy. The traditional
view is that there is no need for girls to be more than functionally literate. Many people
subscribe to the belief that girls don’t go into the job market or need to earn their living,
so why do they need to know how to read and write? Women who can read are
considered a threat because they may pick up ideas subversive to the status quo.
However, this fear should not be allowed to keep women from their basic rights, which
include education.
Lawyers taking up the cases of poor, unlettered women relate how these women stand up
for themselves and fight back when judges or husbands threaten to take away their
children, for example. On the other hand, there are educated women who accept
submissively whatever treatment is meted out to them. Various studies have found that
mental and physical abuse is not related to socio-economic positions, but to issues of
power structures within families.
The traditional power structure in Pakistan and the South Asian region is male-centred,
although a few matriarch-headed families and communities do exist. In patriarchal
societies, however, women only achieve higher status after they bring a bahu into the
house, a daughter-in-law who is lower in the hierarchy. The mother-in-law assumes the
powers bestowed on her by a patriarchal system, essentially to ensure the preservation of
the status quo.
The tradition of dowry (jahez) that the bride’s family has to provide to the groom at the time of
marriages forms the basis of one of the most acute financial pressures faced by most people in this
society. Many go into debt for life in order to accumulate the required amount. For those with several
daughters, the pressure increases. Thus it is hardly surprising that girls are traditionally looked upon as
a burden. Girls are told that they are ‘guests’ in their parents’ homes, and that they will go to their ‘real
home’ after being married. But it is in the husband’s house that they are most at risk from
violence, even murder, often related to their dowry issues. In the tribal areas,
the groom’s family pays a bride price prior to marriage. Women are
traditionally revered in these areas, but for this, there is a price, since they face
even greater restrictions than their sisters in other areas. A woman’s honour
(considered precious in all sections of Pakistani society) is ferociously defended
here. Perhaps it would not be too far-fetched to relate it to the financial
compensation her parents will receive at the time of marriage, and the value
attached to virgins. The premium placed on honour is not restricted to the tribal
areas where bride price is common; even in dowry areas, the suspicion of illicit
sexual relations (i.e. outside of marriage) is sometimes enough to ‘justify’ a
woman being killed.
Another tradition that regulates women’s role and conduct in society is
segregation, which ensures that women do not enter the public sphere and limits
their choices and mobility. It prevents women from gaining control over
economic resources and political power. It also limits the access of women to
information. It is not uncommon in certain villages or in rural families who
have migrated to the cities, for males to place restrictions on women’s use of
radios or other forms of mass communication. Whatever information women
receive in any case is usually filtered through male relatives (Shaheed, 1991:
145-6, 148).
Although the traditions of segregation and purdah (veil) as an instrument of control have
weakened over the years, it has also experienced a sort of revival, as increasing numbers
of women are voluntarily choosing to enter this system even when they have a choice not
to. This trend is most prominent in the urban middle class, and rural upper class women.
Some rural women view it as a status symbol that frees them from manual labour. In
some villages of the NWFP, where the male populations have returned prosperous after
working as migrant labour in the Gulf, women who previously worked in the fields now
sit at home in purdah, and are apparently quite content to trade their previous freedom
with its accompanying backbreaking labour for their new financial security and its
accompanying restrictions.
Some analysts argue that the rise in the number of women taking to the hijab (headscarf,
sometimes accompanied by a long coat) in the cities has to do with the infiltration of
urban spaces by rural, feudal elements. It is true that more members of the feudal class
are entering the modern economic sector (Inayatullah, 1999: 53) and that migration from
rural areas to cities is occurring at an increasing pace.
However, the donning of the hijab has little to do with rural values and traditions,
considering that the very form itself (the hijab) is not indigenous to this region. It was
first seen in Pakistan among the families of the workers who went to the Middle East
looking for work. The Arabian peninsula is the original home of this garment, which has
become associated with the Islamic identity, despite its pre-Islamic origins. The rise in
the number of ‘hijabi’ women in the cities is also considered a part of the phenomenon of
be seen simplistically as a symbol of oppression: many women consciously choose it
because it affords more physical freedom than the traditional chaddar that needs constant
adjusting, or the burqa, which is more restricting.
The accelerated process of indoctrination under Zia-ul-Haq encouraged a narrow
mindset. The view was circulated and given official encouragement. That women should
stay within the chaddar and chardevari (veil and home). This view was promoted at all
levels, so that women who defied it began to be increasingly seen as renegades, ‘loose’,
‘westernised’ and even unpatriotic. General Zia’s present of chaddars to the female
members of his handpicked cabinet, and their acceptance of this gift, was widely
publicised. This was the role model that was persistently presented to Pakistani women in
the Zia years, and it was bound to eventually permeate public consciousness.
The process has been aided by the identity crisis faced by Pakistanis. The country was
conceived as a state for the Muslims of the Indian sub-continent. Mohammad Ali Jinnah,
the founder of the nation, was himself secular and announced right away that now that
Pakistan had come into being, religious identities would no longer be the defining factor
of Pakistani citizenship. The participation of women in the Pakistan movement had raised
expectations that Pakistan would emerge as a liberal democratic state in which women’s
rights would be protected. But the genie of religious identity that had been let out of the
bottle could not be so easily put back.
Between 1947 and 1977 some positive changes pertaining to women’s rights did take
place. They included a constitutional guarantee of equal rights, the right to vote,
reservation of women’s seats in legislative bodies, introduction of the Family Laws
ordinance, and women’s quotas in administrative services. But a major reversal took
place after the military coup of 1977 carried out by Z.A. Bhutto’s Chief of Army Staff
Gen Zia-ul-Haq. By the time he died in 1988, his so-called Islamisation process had in
many ways been internalised by society, and still informs the media perception of women
in Pakistan today.
The religious parties began gaining when Z.A. Bhutto in his attempt to hang on to power,
pandered to them with cosmetic measures like banning alcohol and horse-racing, and
making Friday the weekly holiday. The most damaging blow to the fabric of tolerance in
society was dealt by the parliamentary declaration of Ahmedis as non-Muslims. As a
result, the narrow-minded view prevailed in the Zia years, so it is not surprising that
sections of society considering themselves weak (i.e. women), would begin to subscribe
to their world view.
Gen. Zia targeted women as symbols and persons, as a means of political control, using
media and laws to reinforce his views, many of which have become part of the social
consciousness over the years. During his Martial Law years (1977 to 1985) he reinterpreted the institution of purdah in the light of Shariah laws as interpreted by
orthodox ulema. Many of these interpretations have less to do with Islam the religion, as
they are related to traditional prejudices. For example, the perception that rape is a sex
crime rather than the crime of violence and power that it is, was reinforced by the
Hudood Ordinances that Zia pushed through in 1979. This law blurs the distinction
between zina (adultery) and zina bil jabr (rape); its enforcement makes rape a personal
crime, with the onus of proof on the victim, and adultery a crime against the state. The
Diyat and Qisas Ordinance further diminished women’s legal status and subverted the
constitutional guarantees of equality of women, by making the testimony of a female
equal to half that of a male witness. The simultaneous media campaign was biased
against working women and at the same time portrayed those women who remained
within the confines of the chaddar and chardivari and the domestic sphere in positive
terms.
The existing social prejudices against women entering the public sphere were reinforced
by these measures, which diminished women’s legal status and reduced women’s sense
of security and their confidence in working in the public sphere. Gen. Zia’s policies and
the laws he introduced were a serious setback for women in Pakistan, negating the role of
those women who participated in the movement for the creation of Pakistan with street
demonstrations, rallies, fund-raising activities etc. The right of the adult Pakistani woman
to vote had been granted at the same time as to adult males, but the legal equality thus
secured in the Constitution was now being eroded.
Gen. Zia had only a small constituency of support for the measures he introduced, and his
time in power strengthened these forces of obscurantism immeasurably. There was
support, or at least a lack of opposition, from women who were socialised in the
traditional institution of purdah and men who were insecure with the increasing
integration of women in public from the seventies onwards, when urban women were
attaining education and entering the ranks of working professionals.
However, the politicised women’s movement in Pakistan that took root at this time was
galvanised by the blatant injustice of the new laws, which were used most often against
the poor (an overwhelming majority of the women jailed under the Hudood laws were
and are poor and unlettered). Outrage at the sentence of stoning to death awarded to a
couple accused of adultery led to the founding of the Women’s Action Forum1. In taking
up this cause, the educated women who led this movement were fighting not just for their
rights as relatively privileged members of society, but also for their less fortunate sisters
who bore the brunt of Zia’s policies.
Oppressive as they were, General Zia’s anti-women laws and policies did not and
probably could not stop urban women from pursuing education and seeking employment
outside of their homes. This phenomenon has contributed to changes in gender relations
in the family and public spheres as an increasing number of urban women received
education, entered public institutions, and enjoyed a level of freedom of movement. In
urban areas, the weakening of the extended family, economic globalisation, and impact of
the global telecommunication revolution is leading to a re-negotiation of power relations
within the family (Weiss, 2001, 66-86).
1
The first major case taken up by WAF was in 1981, for Shahida Jabeen, whose divorce from her
first husband had not been duly registered with the Union Council. He was able to file a case
under the Zina Ordinance when she married again.
Such changes are undermining the subservient norms of behaviour for women and
creating a space for developing new roles for them. Over the years, as more women enter
the public sphere, social restrictions on women’s education and employment, and
participation in the political and electoral processes are decreasing. Even women
confined to the private realm, the home, have greater knowledge about outside world
through electronic and other media which, despite the limited access discussed later (see
Chapter 5), enables them to have a broader and different social outlook and vision of
reality from which they were hitherto excluded through segregation and seclusion.
In the cities, increasing numbers of Pakistani women work in factories, offices and
laboratories; they work as commercial airline pilots (there are enough female flight
officers to form a Women Pilots Association), dentists, doctors, journalists, engineers and
scientists, apart from the more popular career choices of educators and nurses.
Female earned income is estimated at 26 per cent of male earned income and female
economic activity rate in Pakistan is estimated at 40 per cent of the adult male economic
activity rate (HDSA, 2001, 195-196). However, these figures do not take into
consideration the fact that most women work full time, whether it is at home or outside,
and that the work carried out at home and often in the fields is unpaid labour. This labour
is sometimes compensated for in kind by the male provider, who also protects and looks
after the women of the household. But in those cases where women work outside the
home, whether out of economic necessity or for personal satisfaction, most also have to
fulfil their domestic duties, which include running the house, and looking after the
kitchen and the children. Furthermore, women are under-remunerated for their labour in
the private/domestic sphere as well as in the workplace. This discrimination may stem
from several constraints e.g. lack of access to transport, restrictions on mobility, lack of
information, lack of skills, lack of access to credit and technology etc. that impede
women’s participation in the labour force and market.
Women officially constitute 29 per cent of the total labour force broken down into 66 per
cent working in agriculture, 11 per cent working in industry, and 23 per cent working in
services. Female participation could actually be considerably higher; however, national
account systems carry inappropriate definitions of economic activity, and data gathering
methods are inefficient. In addition, there are cultural inhibitions on the part of both
enumerators and respondents and the female labour force, and women who work as parttime workers or informal/casual workers in agriculture and industry remain unrecorded in
official statistics. Likewise women’s labour participation in agriculture and household as
unpaid family helpers remains unrecognised in national systems of accounts.
The change in gender relations described above seems to be occurring more in urban
centres and less in rural areas where 68 per cent of women live. Feudal values prevail,
with their emphasis on “honour” and “shame”. These norms lead to violence against
women when they are resisted, and often even when they are not resisted, a trend that is
visible not just through newspaper reports but also in the reports of non-government
organisations which monitor human rights abuses and advocate women’s empowerment.
This owes much to the traditional power structures, rising economic hardships on
families, lack of adequate legal protection for women who suffer violence, and the
growing visibility of women in public1. The practice of child marriage continues
unabated with cases of girl children being married off to old men. Hundreds of girls and
women die every year under the custom of “honour killings”. Other issues related to
women include domestic violence, acid throwing, stove killings, kidnapping, harassment
and molestation in public areas, violence in custody and suicide (HRCP 2000: 173-189).
The desperation of women seeking help for problems faced in various areas of life, can
be gauged from the fact that within six months after they were set up in 1999, 780 women
had approached the six Women’s Crisis Centres established in Islamabad, Vehari,
Lahore, Sahiwal, Karachi and Peshawar (HRCP report 2000).
Most women are ignorant even of their basic rights. According to a newspaper survey
(August 2000), over 80 per cent of women aged 18-24 in Lahore had no idea of the
clauses contained in the Nikahnama, the basic document used to register marriages.
Almost 90 per cent, including college graduates, did not realise that they had any rights at
all, including divorce.
The death of Gen. Zia in 1988 followed by general elections that brought Benazir Bhutto
to power restored some fundamental freedoms that enabled women to exercise their
political choice in elections and actively project their problems. However, in these
general elections and all those that have followed them, it has been observed that the
males of entire communities or villages often find themselves unable to vote except for
the political figure who exerts power over these communities. Similarly, they ensure that
‘their’ women also vote where they are told. And in some cases, the women are not
allowed to step out of their homes to vote in the first place.
In the 1997 national elections, almost ten per cent fewer women registered as voters than
men (Zia and Bari, 1999, 15). In the absence of desegregated data it is impossible to
arrive at a figure for the number of women voters who caste their vote. However
observations from independent studies indicate the women turnout was less than the men
(Inayatullah, 1999, 16). Participation of women in decision-making bodies also is an
indicator of their political status. In 1997, parliamentary representation of women was
only 2.9 per cent and there were only 4 per cent women in the four provincial assemblies
(Zia and Bari, 1999, 16). Participation of women in public institutions is low; female civil
servants constituted 5.4 per cent of the total civil services and female judges in 1999
constituted 1.5 per cent of the total judges with no representation of women in the
supreme court (HDSA , 2000, 199).
There have been some symbolic gains for women in the period since Benazir Bhutto
became the world’s first woman Muslim Prime Minister in 1988. Her re-election in 1993
could also be viewed as a triumph for women, except that it had more symbolic value
than any deep rooted or meaningful changes for women.
1
A woman was raped every two hours somewhere in the country in 1999, according to a report
compiled by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP 2000).
Although on paper several steps have been taken to improve the status of women, this is
not reflected in the country’s politics and society. There was a strong Pakistani contingent
at the 1995 UN Conference for Women at Beijing. In 1996, Pakistan finally ratified
CEDAW (Convention to Eliminate all Forms of Discrimination Against Women). Again,
the symbolism of both the event and the signature were more far reaching than any
changes on the ground. Benazir Bhutto also introduced separate police stations for
women – which some argue have actually been a step backwards, as instead of sensitising
the male police personnel it resulted in empowering female officers in the patriarchal
tradition.
Ms Bhutto made a visible effort to place women at senior policy making levels -- Rana
Sheikh as Managing Director of Pakistan Television, the well known feminist poet
Kishwar Naheed as the Director General of the Pakistan National Council of the Arts,
and Mehtab Rashidi, the defiant television announcer as Minister of Culture in Sindh.
They tried to pay special attention to the needs of women, and to introduce more and
more women-centred projects and programmes like the talk show Hawwa ke Naam
(Dedicated to Woman), but the overall power structures remained embedded in the
dominant patriarchal system. There was no move towards introducing a more
participatory and egalitarian system of government – traits attributed to women’s groups,
co-operatives and collectives by sociological studies.
It is argued that Benazir Bhutto was prevented by the pervasive patriarchal values within
Pakistani legislatures and society from addressing women’s issues or taking any
systematic steps to institutionalise women’s political and economic power. For example,
repealing the Hudood Ordinance would have gone a long way towards redressing the
harm done by Gen. Zia-ul-Haq. Many critics believe that, rather than being hindered by
social restrictions, what was lacking in her government (both times) was the political will
to make any real changes.
The military government that took over power on October 12 1999 after ousting
Nawaz Sharif, has also taken certain measures in favour of women. It has several women
in the federal cabinet; 33 per cent of seats in local bodies have been reserved for women.
Educated, progressive women have been inducted into senior positions in various
institutions, as in Benazir Bhutto’s time. However, once again, political expediency
appears to dictate policy, which appears framed around the need to not offend the
religious lobby, which successive governments have pandered to in order to continue the
self-destructive Kashmir and Afghanistan policies initiated in the Zia years – until the
cataclysmic events of September 11, 2001.
Over the years since Zia’s death, more political space has been created for women
reversing the policies of military ruler Zia-ul-Haq that attempted to push women into the
chaddar and chardivari. Under the influence of the conservative lobby, twice elected
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was not very supportive of women’s rights. His attempt to
push through the 15th Amendment (Shariat Bill) during his second tenure would possibly
have created a political climate in which women’s rights could have reduced even further
and more so damaged women’s legal status.
In 1998, Pakistani women married to foreign men were granted the right to confer their
Pakistani nationality on their children; however, this small legal change, that has been
demanded for years, is not without its downside: a Pakistani woman is still not allowed to
confer Pakistani nationality on her foreign spouse (1998 Sharifan v. Federation of
Pakistan).
Most importantly, yet to be repealed are the major laws that discriminate against women
such as the Hudood Ordinance and Qiyas and Diyat Ordinance, or restored seats in
provincial and national assemblies reserved for women under 1973 constitution. The only
major affirmative action taken so far has been the reservation of 30 per cent of seats for
women in the party-less local bodies elections.
A National Commission on the Status of Women was established through an Ordinance
on July 17, 2000, to examine government policies related to women. The Commission
declared in September that year that it would review the discriminatory laws and violence
against women. However, there has been no progress on any of these fronts. Any
government with a genuine interest in reviewing these laws would just need to see the
very comprehensive and detailed study of the previous Commission set up for the same
purpose, headed by Justice Nasir Aslam Zahid in 1994. This Commission made valuable
observations and recommendations, which, if implemented, could have gone a long way
towards improving the socio-economic and political status of women.
The visibility of women has certainly increased, following steps like the 33 per cent
quota reserved for women in all local bodies during the 2001 elections – although this
quota was a marked comedown from the 50 per cent originally promised. The reduction,
while ‘realistic’, also reflects the pressures exerted by the forces traditionally opposed to
women’s empowerment. As in Benazir’s time, such steps taken to increase the visibility
of women in the public sphere and their inclusion in policy-making institutions, even in
positions of power in these institutions, remains more superficial and symbolic than
symptomatic of any real change. It is also too early to tell whether this induction of
women in the local bodies hierarchy, will have any real effect on the situation of women
in Pakistani society.
Overall, the status of women in Pakistani society remains low and it is uncertain whether the positive
changes which have occurred or are occurring, will continue to take place on any steady level. A major
obstacle to this improvement is the prevalence of the traditional values that give males a higher social
status, as reflected in customs, cultural traditions and power structures. These are mirrored also in the steps
taken by the government that ostensibly have nothing to do with women. For example, the data collection
form that accompanies applications for the new identity cards being introduced by the present government
makes no provision for female-headed households. Single, divorced, widowed, or separated
women/mothers are required to enter the name of their nearest
male relative rather than their own, despite the increasing prevalence of such households
in the country. Women are still officially identified only through their kinship with men.
The increasing participation of women in the political process could prove to be a threat
to the old order, however. There are also challenges to this order from greater
privatisation and globalisation of the economy, and the impact of the global
telecommunications revolution. These changes will make it difficult for the state and
society to restrict women to the private realm.
f“We must ask: how is this free press dealing with women as the subjects of
news coverage, and with issues relevant to women's situations?”
3. WOMEN-RELATED NEWS COVERAGE IN THE PRINT MEDIA:
FINDINGS AND ANALYSIS
Introduction
This Chapter presents an in-depth analysis of coverage given to women and issues/matters related
to them. It sheds light on the types of sources that the print media draw on for information, the
nature of the coverage, the space allocated to it and the overall treatment that women-related
news coverage receives, both in English and Urdu press. It aims both to highlight the current state
of affairs and to indicate future possibilities.
The commitment to the cause of women and their just and equitable treatment in all spheres of
life forms the core of the endeavour. We have tried to present factual as well as analytical truths
and have sincerely tried to address every possible reader.
Objectives

To present facts about women-related news coverage in an objective and analytical
manner.

To present the current situation of reporting about women and especially the treatment
given to significant issues of their status and development in society.

To analyse the role that various professionals and agencies play in enhancing the cause of
women’s rights and freedom in the country.

To discuss the implications for the present as well as the future of such reporting.

To generate interest and awareness among people in general, and to motivate
professionals in particular, in whatsoever form they are associated with the movement of
women’s equality and uplift.
Features
1. The present report approaches the coverage provided to women-related news in a multidimensional manner, thereby assessing the situation in detail. All of the figures in the
following Tables relate to coverage of women.
2. Three kinds of publications have been taken into consideration: daily newspapers and
weekly and monthly magazines. The findings are reported separately for each type of
publication. The first section concerns news coverage in 14 daily newspapers; the second
in three weekly magazines and the third presents an analysis of five monthly magazines.
3. Both the English and Urdu press are covered in the analysis. The selection of specific
publications was based on circulation rates and availability in Islamabad.
2. Only in the case of daily newspapers has a comparison of the English and Urdu press
been carried out. For weekly and monthly publications, a cumulative approach has been
adopted, owing to the smaller number of publications included in the analysis.
3. The data is reported in the form of frequencies and percentages. Percentages have been
rounded off to one digit after the decimal.
4. Where necessary, various types of news items have been grouped together for
comprehension and parsimony. The details of these grouping appear before the
information tables in each case, to simplify references.
5. The main dimensions used for analysis are: the total women-related news coverage,
sources (the agency or individual giving information to the publication), format (the way
a particular piece of information is presented), nature (the type of subject referred to,
such as politics or social news), location (the distinction between national and
international news), page report (whether the information appears in the form of a fulllength page), national/international news and type of treatment (the attitude of the
publication toward a women-related item, i.e., whether it is balanced and unbiased).
1. Coverage of Women-related News in Daily newspapers
News coverage in daily publications has been based on data from 14 newspapers: five in English
and nine in Urdu. Analyses have been carried out regarding sources, format, nature, page reports
and treatment of women-related coverage. This part of the report takes into consideration the
differential treatment by the English and Urdu press and draws comparisons between them.
Table 1 Distribution of Women-related News Coverage in Daily Newspapers
Newspaper
Khabrain
Nawa-I-Waqt
Jang Karachi
Pakistan
Nation
Jang R’pindi
The News
Dawn
Ausaf
Din
Sahafat
Observer
Al-Akhbar
Frontier Post
Total
Frequency
3,151
2,336
2,312
2,229
2,167
2,038
1,892
1,872
1,829
1,667
1,437
1,397
1,192
784
26,303
5%
7%
7%
5%
7%
8%
6%
5%
3%
9%
8%
8%
9%
Al-Akhbar
Ausaf
Dawn
Din
Frontier Post
Jang – Rwp
Jang- Khi
Khabrain
Nation
Nawa-e-Waqat
Observer
Pakistan
Sahafat
The News
13%
Table 1 indicates that all the newspapers carry almost same amount of women-related coverage, although
Khabrain claims the highest percentage. The English daily Frontier Post has the lowest percentage.
Table 2 Distribution of Categories for Sources in Daily Newspapers
News Agencies
Category
News Agencies
Staff Report
Staff Photographer
Correspondent
Contributor
Advertising agency
Press releases
Columnist
Bureau Report
Reader
Editor
Writer
Cartoonist
Total
Frequency
8,502
8,234
2,570
2,132
1,325
1,055
636
627
419
393
183
141
86
26,303
2%
Staff Report
5%
Staff Photographer
2%
Correspondent
4%
Contributor
5%
33%
Advertising agency
Press releases
Columnist
Others
8%
Others include:
Bureau Report (1.5%)
Reader (1.5%)
Editor (0.7%)
Writer (0.6%)
Cartoonist (0.33%)
10%
31%
Table 2 shows that news agencies and staff reports form the major portion of the sources for women-related
coverage in daily newspapers.
Table 3 Distribution of Sources in English and Urdu Daily Newspapers
Category
News Agencies
Staff Report
Contributor
Staff Photographer
Advertising agency
Reader
Bureau Report
Editor
Press releases
Columnist
Correspondent
Cartoonist
Writer
Total
English press
3,689 (45.5)
2,206 (27.2)
670
(8.3)
593
(7.4)
258
(3.2)
173
(2.2)
141
(1.7)
98
(1.3)
98
(1.3)
65
(0.9)
47
(0.6)
38
(0.5)
36
(0.5)
8,112 (100)
Category
Staff Report
News Agencies
Correspondent
Staff Photographer
Advertising agency
Contributor
Columnist
Press releases
Bureau Report
Reader
Writer
Editor
Cartoonist
Total
Urdu press
6,028 (33.2)
4,813 (26.5)
2,085 (11.4)
1,977 (10.8)
797 (4.4)
655 (3.7)
562 (3.0)
538 (2.9)
278 (1.6)
220 (1.3)
105 (0.6)
85
(0.5)
48
(0.3)
18,191 (100)
Table 3 supports the findings given in Table 2. News agencies and staff reports are dominant
sources in both types of newspapers, totalling 72.7% in the English press and 59.7% in the Urdu
press. Great importance is therefore attached to the way women are projected through these
sources.
Table 4 Distribution of Sources across English Newspapers
Category
The News
Ad. Agency
Bureau Report
Cartoonist
Columnist
Contributor
Correspondent
Editor
News Agency
Press releases
Reader
Staff Photo
Staff Report
Writer
f
105
6
8
13
213
24
17
815
26
30
86
517
32
%
40.6
4.3
21.0
20
31.8
51.0
17.4
22.0
26.6
17.4
14.5
23.5
88.9
Observer
f
15
126
3
9
61
%
6
89.4
7.9
13.8
9.1
17
831
18
45
271
1
17.4
22.5
18.4
26.0
45.7
0.04
Nation
f
24
%
9.4
10
17
166
2
23
1126
48
34
135
582
26.4
26.2
24.7
4.3
23.5
30.5
48.9
19.7
22.8
26.4
Frontier
Post
f
%
10
3.9
6
4.3
3
7.9
8
12.3
49
7.4
13
391
3
17
29
255
13.3
10.6
3.0
9.8
4.9
11.0
Dawn
f
104
3
14
18
181
21
28
526
3
47
72
851
4
%
40.3
2.0
36.8
27.0
27.0
44.7
28.6
14.3
3.0
27.2
12.2
38.6
11.0
Total
258
141
38
65
670
47
98
3689
98
173
593
2206
36
Table 4 shows that advertising agencies are dominant in The News and Dawn, although there is a
substantial percentage (36.8) of cartoons in the latter case. Contributors are very active in The
News. The Nation carries a high percentage of press releases. There is a significant amount of
staff reporting in Dawn, whereas bureau reports are dominant in Observer. Writers also make
prominent contributions (88.9%) in The News although The News and Dawn have this Category.
Overall, The News has the maximum number of categories of women-related sources.
Table 5 Distribution of Sources in Urdu Newspapers
Category
Ad.Agency
Bureau Report
Cartoonist
Columnist
Contributor
Correspondent
Editor
News Agencies
Press releases
Reader
Staff
Photographer
Staff Report
Writer
Sahafat
f
%
f
%
f
%
f
%
f
%
f
%
f
%
f
%
f
%
f
%
f
%
f
%
f
%
42
5.3
8
2.9
18
3.2
18
2.8
89
4.3
3
3.5
542
11.3
4
0.8
1
0.04
177
8.9
535
8.8
Nawa-IWaqt
151
18.9
12
4.3
4
8.4
78
13
149
22
393
18.8
11
12.9
515
10.7
77
14.4
50
22.7
248
12.6
636
10.6
12
11.5
Pakistan
Khabrain
38
4.8
112
40.3
2
4.2
59
10
115
17
287
13.8
12
13.0
837
17.4
12
2.3
8
3.7
252
12.8
476
7.9
19
18.0
86
10.7
30
10.7
12
25
99
17.6
84
12.8
260
12.5
16
19
776
16.2
41
7.7
6
2.8
346
17.5
1388
23.0
7
6.7
Jang
Karachi
211
26.5
1
0.4
4
8.4
81
14.5
100
15.3
259
12.5
9
9.5
325
6.7
98
18.3
92
41.0
334
16.8
781
12.9
17
16.2
Jang
R’pindi
188
23.5
4
1.5
6
12
89
15
108
16.4
187
8.9
10
11.7
337
7.0
72
13
6
2.8
216
10.9
802
13.4
13
12.4
Table 5 compares the frequencies of the various sources of information across the Urdu dailies.
Jang Karachi and Jang Rawalpindi have the highest percentage of advertisements as sources.
Cartoons are significant in Khabrain and Ausaf. Ausaf also has a high percentage of press releases
whereas readers are most active in case of Nawa-I-Waqat. Bureau reports are dominant in
Pakistan and Ausaf.
Din
Al Akhbar
Ausaf
Total Items
16
2.0
48
17.3
14
1.8
51
6.4
63
22.7
12
25
71
12.7
60
9.1
404
19.4
18
21.2
244
5.0
171
31.8
56
25.5
67
3.4
584
9.7
28
26.7
797
45
8.0
114
5.5
711
14.8
32
5.9
199
10.0
498
8.3
4
3.9
8
16
22
3.9
21
3.2
92
4.5
6
7.0
526
10.9
31
5.8
1
0.04
138
6.9
328
5.5
5
4.0
278
48
562
655
2085
85
4813
538
220
1977
6028
105
Table 6 Distribution of Sources within English Newspapers
Category
Ad. Agency
Bureau Report
Cartoonist
Columnist
Contributor
Correspondent
Editor
News Agency
Press releases
Reader
Staff Photo
Staff Report
Writer
Total per Newspaper
The News
f
%
105
5.5
6
0.31
8
0.5
13
0.7
213
1.13
24
1.3
17
0.8
815
43.0
26
1.3
30
1.6
86
4.6
517
0.3
32
1.7
1,892
Observer
f
%
15
1.0
126
9.01
3
0.07
9
0.6
61
4.4
17
831
18
45
271
1
1,397
0.8
59.5
0.8
3.3
19.4
0.04
Nation
f
%
24
1.1
10
17
166
2
23
1,126
48
34
135
582
2,167
0.5
0.8
7.7
0.09
1.0
51.9
2.3
1.6
6.3
26.9
Frontier Post
f
%
10
1.3
6
0.8
3
0.4
8
1.02
49
6.2
13
391
3
17
29
255
784
1.7
49.8
0.4
2.2
3.7
32.2
Dawn
f
%
104
5.6
3
0.2
14
0.8
18
0.05
181
9.7
21
1.3
28
1.5
526
28.0
3
0.2
47
2.6
72
3.8
851
45.5
4
0.2
1,872
Table 6 shows consistency with the previous findings. News agencies and staff reports are
prominent sources in all of the English newspapers. Clearly, a lot would depend on the types of
portrayals news agencies give to women and the way staff reporters handle sensitive womenrelated issues.
Table 7 Distribution of Sources in Urdu Newspapers
Category
Ad.Agency
Bureau Report
Cartoonist
Columnist
Contributor
Correspondent
Editor
News Agency
Press releases
Reader
Staff Report
Staff Photographer
Writer
Total
Sahafat
f
%
f
%
f
%
f
%
f
%
f
%
f
%
f
%
f
%
f
%
f
%
f
%
f
%
42
2.9
8
0.6
18
1.3
18
1.3
89
6.2
3
0.3
542
37.8
4
0.4
1
0.02
535
37.3
177
12.3
1437
Nawa-IWaqt
151
6.5
12
0.6
4
0.2
78
3.4
149
6.4
393
16
11
0.5
515
22
77
3.3
50
2.2
636
27
248
10
12
0.6
2336
86
2.8
30
0.9
12
0.4
99
3.2
84
2.7
260
8.3
16
0.5
776
24
41
1.3
6
0.2
1388
Jang
Karachi
211
9.2
1
0.04
4
0.2
8
0.4
1
0.04
259
11
9
0.4
325
14
98
4.3
92
3.9
781
Jang
R’pindi
188
9.3
4
0.2
6
0.3
89
4.4
108
5.3
187
9.2
10
0.5
337
16
72
3.6
6
0.3
802
44
346
10
7
0.2
3151
33
334
14
17
0.8
2312
39
216
10
13
0.7
2038
Pakistan
Khabrain
38
1.7
112
5.0
2
0.08
59
2.7
115
5.2
287
12
12
0.5
837
37
12
0.5
8
0.6
476
21
252
11
19
0.8
2229
Din
16
0.9
48
2.9
Al
Akhbar
14
1.2
Ausaf
498
8
0.7
22
1.9
21
1.8
92
7.8
6
0.5
526
44
31
2.6
1
0.08
328
51
2.8
63
3.5
12
0.7
71
3.9
60
3.3
404
22
18
0.9
244
13
171
9.4
56
3.8
584
28
199
11
4
0.3
1667
27
138
11
5
0.4
1192
31
67
3.7
28
1.6
1829
45
2.7
114
6.8
711
42
32
1.9
Table 7 shows the significance of news agencies and staff reports in almost all of the Urdu
dailies.
These two categories of coverage have emerged as salient in the case of sources,
whether one compares across the newspapers or within them.
Table 8 Distribution of Format Categories in Daily Newspapers
Category
News items
Photos
News/photo
Advertisement
Photo feature
Columns
Letters
Articles
Reports
Press releases
Editorials
Features
Cartoons
Stories
Book Reviews
Total
Frequency
12,743
5,637
3,425
1,066
1,005
626
393
378
337
218
182
153
78
33
29
26,303
News items
2%
7%
Photos
4%
News/photo
Advertisement
4%
Photo feature
Columns
Others
Others include:
13%
49%
Letters 1.5 %
Articles 1.5 %
Reports 1,3 %
Press releases 0.8 %
Editorials 0.7 %
Features 0.6 %
Cartoons 0.3 %
Stories 0.2 %
Book review 0.2 %
21%
Table 8 shows that news items, news with photographs and photographs in general make up the
maximum proportion (83.1%) regarding format of news coverage. The implication for using a
woman’s image to attract readership is clear. Coverage of women in editorials and stories is
almost non-existent. In fact, formats including editorials or stories are almost non-existent. The
commercial and sensational aspects of coverage takes precedence over serious writing and
reporting in the case of the majority of daily publications, both English and Urdu
Table 9 Distribution of Format Categories in English and Urdu Daily Newspapers
Category
News items
Photos
News/photo
Photo feature
Reports
Articles
Advertisement
Letters
Editorials
Features
Columns
Cartoons
Book Reviews
Press releases
Stories
Total
English Press
3,462 (42.7)
22,62 (27.9)
662 (8.2)
404 (4.9)
276 (3.4)
266 (3.3)
258 (3.2)
173 (2.2)
98 (1.2)
95 (1.2)
65 (0.8)
38 (0.5)
26 (0.4)
21 (0.25)
6 (0.07)
8,112
Category
News items
Photos
News/photo
Advertisement
Photo feature
Columns
Letters
Press releases
Articles
Editorials
Reports
Features
Cartoons
Stories
Book Reviews
Total
Urdu Press
9,281 (51.0)
3,375 (18.6)
2,763 (15.2)
808 (4.5)
601 (3.3)
561 (3.0)
221 (1.2)
197 (1.1)
112 (0.6)
84 (0.5)
61 (0.4)
58 (0.3)
40 (0.2)
27 (0.2)
3 (0.01)
1,8191
Table 9 compares the two types of newspapers. The findings of Table8 have been repeated. In the
English press the combined frequency of news items, news with photographs and photographs is
78.8%. In the Urdu press the figure is 84.8% for these three categories. Women-related issues
have been given coverage using almost similar categories by both the English and Urdu
publications
Table 10 Distribution of Format Categories across English Newspapers
Category
Advertisement
Articles
Book Reviews
Cartoons
Columns
Editorials
Features
Letters
News items
News/photo
Photos
Photo feature
Press releases
Reports
Stories
The News
f
105
69
6
8
13
17
29
30
843
192
350
139
7
82
2
%
40.7
25.9
23.0
21.0
20.0
17.4
30.5
17.4
24.4
29.0
15.5
34.4
33.4
29.7
33.4
Observer
f
15
36
%
5.8
13.5
3
9
17
1
45
554
134
506
26
7.9
13.9
17.4
1.0
26.0
16.0
20.3
22.4
6.5
51
18.5
Nation
f
24
58
9
10
17
23
24
34
777
190
807
136
11
46
1
%
9.3
21.8
34.6
26.3
26.2
23.5
25.3
19.7
22.5
28.7
35.7
33.7
52.4
16.7
16.7
Frontier
Post
f
%
10
3.9
28
10.5
1
3.8
3
7.9
8
12.3
13
13.3
9
9.5
17
9.8
356
10.3
63
9.5
220
9.7
24
5.9
2
9.5
30
10.9
Dawn
f
104
75
10
14
18
28
32
47
932
83
379
79
1
67
3
%
40.3
28.2
38.5
36.8
27.7
28.6
33.7
27.2
26.9
12.5
16.6
19.6
4.8
24.3
50.0
Total
258
266
26
38
65
98
95
173
3462
662
2262
404
21
276
6
As Table 10 shows, advertisements and features dominate the picture in case of The News and
Dawn. There is a high percentage (35.7) of photographs in The Nation. The News also carries a
high proportion of photo features and press releases.
Table 11 Page-wise distribution in Daily Newspapers
Category
National
City
Back page
Front page
Showbiz
International
Sports
Miscellaneous
Special Education Features
Editorial
Sunday Magazine
Opinion
Economy/Business
Health/education
Women’s page
Advertisement
Mid Week Magazine
Kashmir
Life
Review
Style
Total
Frequency
5,860
5,322
3,243
5%
2,548
2,128 5%
1,423
1,309
5%
1,266
754
735
8%
577
552
233
155
65
60
57
12
2
1
1
26,303
Nat ional
2%
3%
2%
City
2%
Back page
3%
Front page
23%
Showbiz
Int ernational
Sport s
M iscellaneous.
Special Educat ion Feat ures
Editorial
Sunday M agazine
Opinion
Ot hers
20%
10%
12%
Others include:
Eco./Business
0.9 %
Health/education 0.6%
Women’s page
Advertisement
Mid Week
Magazine
Kashmir
Life
Review
Style
0.3%
0.3%
0.2%
0.04%
0.01%
0.01%
0.01%
Table 11 makes it clear that city news and national news dominate other categories for page-wise
distribution regarding coverage of women-related news. Back page coverage has a slightly lower
percentage. Importantly, the women’s page does not carry any significance, which directly
reflects the situation regarding women-related coverage.
Table 12 Page-wise distribution across English and Urdu Newspapers
Category
National
City
International
Sports
Back page
Special education
Front
Opinion
Editorial
Economy/Business
Sunday magazine
Miscellaneous.
Style
Show business
Kashmir
Mid-Week Magazine
Life
Health/education.
Review
Advertisement
Women’s page
Total
English
2,034 (25.7)
2,001 (24.7)
1,182 (14.5)
566 (6.9)
501 (6.1)
387 (4.8)
379 (4.7)
290 (3.6)
169 (2.0)
147 (1.9)
139 (1.8)
135 (1.7)
89 (1.0)
66 (0.8)
12 (0.2)
10 (0.1)
2 (0.02)
2 (0.01)
1 (0.02)
8,112
Category
National
City
Back page
Front
Showbiz
Miscellaneous
Editorial
Sports
Special education
Sunday magazine
Opinion
International
Health/education.
Economy/Business
Review
Advertisement
Women’s page
Mid-Week Magazine
Style
Kashmir
Life
Total
Urdu
3,826 (21.0)
3,321 (18.3)
2,742 (15.0)
2,169 (11.9)
2,142 (11.8)
1,131 (6.3)
566 (3.2)
542 (2.9)
426 (2.4)
337 (1.9)
262 (1.5)
241 (1.4)
153 (0.8)
86 (0.5)
62 0.4)
60 (0.4)
56 (0.3)
47 (0.3)
22 (0.2)
18,191
City and national pages are significant in both the English and Urdu press, according to Table 12.
English newspapers give more importance than Urdu newspapers to international stories. In the
Urdu press, women-related stories on front and back pages are prominent along with news of
show business activities.
Table 13 Page-wise distribution across English Newspapers
Category
The News
Observer
Nation
Frontier
Post
f
%
Dawn
f
%
f
%
f
%
f
Advertisement
Back page
97
19.4
96
19.4 140 27.9
73
14.5
95
City
383
19.2
642 32.0 444 22.1 163
8.2
369
Economy/Business
38
25.8
25
17.0
34
23.2
7
4.8
43
Editorial
10
5.9
38
22.5
47
27.9
36
21.3
38
Front
108
28.5
78
20.5
88
23.2
32
8.5
73
Health/education
1
50.0
1
International
200
16.9
170 14.4 497 42.0
81
6.9
234
Kashmir
12
100
Life
2
100
Midweek Magazine
10
100
Miscellaneous
7
5.2
40
29.6
84
62.3
4
National
610
29.9
129
6.4
455 22.3 184
9.0
656
Opinion
86
29.6
56
19.4
52
17.9
37
12.7
59
Review
1
100
Showbiz
1
1.6
65
Special ed.
152
39.3
2
0.6
79
20.4
16
4.2
138
Sports
147
25.9
120 21.2 163 28.7 136
24.0
Style
1
1.6
88
Sunday magazine
54
38.9
1
0.8
57
41.0
18
12.9
9
Women’s page
Total**
1894
1397
2165
784
1874
*
The horizontal total is the cumulative total across all 5 newspapers for each category
** The vertical total is per newspaper
Total*
%
18.9
18.5
29.3
22.5
19.3
50.0
19.8
2.9
32.3
22.6
98.5
35.7
98.5
6.5
501
2001
147
169
379
2
1182
12
2
10
135
2034
290
1
66
387
566
89
139
8114
Table 13 indicates that City pages figure prominently in The Observer. The Nation carries the
highest percentage of page reports about international women-related events, thereby giving
considerable importance to relevant women-oriented news. National pages, special education and
style pages are statistically significant in Dawn. Sunday magazines appear dominant in The News
and The Nation.
Table 14 Page-wise distribution across Urdu Newspapers
Category
Sahafat
Advertisement
Back page
City
Economy/Business
Editorial
Front
International
Kashmir
Life
Midweek Magazine
Miscellaneous
National
Opinion
Review
Show business
f
%
f
%
f
%
f
%
f
%
f
%
f
%
f
%
f
%
f
%
f
%
f
%
f
%
f
%
f
%
2
3.4
175
6.4
284
8.5
19
3.4
198
9.2
33
13
58
5.2
282
7.4
370
17
Table 14 Cont’d…..
Nawa-IWaqt
Pakistan
Khabrain
Jang Karachi
332
12
394
12
13
15
64
11.3
255
11
7
2.9
428
15
346
10
4
4.6
67
11
247
11
90
37
6
10
480
17
601
18
35
40
121
21
328
15
16
6.7
25
41
228
8.4
422
12
9
10
85
15
284
13
15
6.3
12
25.6
125
11
748
19
73
27
25
53
461
40
14
0.4
140
12
620
16
13
4.9
10
21.2
68
6
437
11
82
31
97
4.6
355
16
567
26
139
6.5
Jang
R’pindi
19
31
335
12
562
17
14
16
81
14
236
10
2
.8
Din
Al-Akhbar
Ausaf
2
3.4
282
10
99
2.9
1
1.2
28
4.9
200
9
51
21
3
5
151
5.5
109
3.2
2
2.4
25
4.5
170
7.8
5
2
3
5
331
12
504
15
8
9.3
76
13
251
11
22
9.2
Total
60
2742
3321
86
566
2169
241
47
165
14
362
9
27
10
26
1.3
57
5
603
15
1
0.4
294
13
23
2
446
11
12
4.5
217
10
34
3
314
8
54
20
62
100
77
3.6
1131
3826
262
62
2142
Category
Special ed.
Sports
Style
Sunday magazine
Health/education
Women’s page
Sahafat
f
%
f
%
f
%
f
%
f
%
f
%
1
0.3
12
2.2
Nawa-IWaqt
99
23
72
13
Pakistan
Khabrain
Jang Karachi
71
16
49
9.0
24
5.7
126
23
87
20
166
30.62
Jang
R’pindi
73
17
58
10
Din
Al-Akhbar
Ausaf
Total
2
0.5
39
7.2
6
1.4
20
3.7
63
14
426
542
22
100
3
0.9
44
13
1
1.8
59
17
11
7.2
2
3.6
74
21
79
23
133
87
43
76
67
19
1
0.7
10
17
As Table 14 shows, a comparison of the Urdu newspapers shows that Khabrain has the highest
frequency (40.0%) of economic/business page reports concerning women, which is quite
encouraging for an Urdu newspaper. International page reports and mid week magazines are
prominent in the case of Pakistan (37.0%, 53.0%) while Jang Karachi has a 76% frequency of
women’s page coverage. Jang Karachi also has the highest frequencies of sports and
health/education page coverage
8
2.4
3
0.9
22
337
8
5.3
153
56
Table 15 Distribution of Women-related Treatment in all Newspapers
Newspaper
Khabrain
Nawa-I-Waqt
Jang- Karachi
Pakistan
Nation
Dawn
Jang – R’pindi
The News
Ausaf
Din
Observer
Sahafat
Al-Akhbar
Frontier Post
Total
Supportive
2430
1929
1846
1801
1795
1618
1589
1565
1536
1375
1133
1032
1017
729
21395
Newspaper
Khabrain
Jang- Karachi
Jang – R’pindi
Pakistan
Nawa-I-Waqt
Sahafat
Nation
The News
Ausaf
Din
Observer
Dawn
Al-Akhbar
Frontier Post
Total
Non-supportive
721
466
449
428
407
405
372
327
293
292
264
254
175
55
4908
5%
3%
Khabrain
Nawa-I-Waqt
Jang- Karachi
Pakistan
Nation
Dawn
Jang – R’pindi
The News
Ausaf
Din
Observer
Sahafat
Al-Akhbar
Frontier Post
12%
5%
5%
10%
6%
9%
7%
8%
7%
8%
7%
Supportive
8%
6%
The News
7%
4%
Sahafat
8%
5%
Observer
Nawa-e-Waqat
5%
6%
Pakistan
Nation
1%
Khabrain
8%
Jang- Khi
Jang – Rwp
9%
Frontier Post
Din
9%
Dawn
Al-Akhbar
9%
Ausaf
8%
15%
Non - Supportive
“Supportive” treatment (21,395 items) refers to balanced, unbiased and factual coverage of
women-related news. “Non-supportive” treatment (4908 items) indicates biased reporting and
analysis, the use of stereotypical images, analysis in which women are not portrayed as equal
citizens and their genuine issues are misreported or ignored.
Table 15 shows that daily publications have given more supportive coverage to women-related
issues. This is quite encouraging owing to the fact that more advertisements are used in
newspapers, and in general there is more reliance on features and photographs. Five Urdu
newspapers, however, have higher non-supportive frequencies. On the whole the two types of
treatments are similar, making it more appropriate to talk in terms of the total frequencies.
Annex 3 provides examples of supportive and non-supportive press coverage in daily newspapers
and weekly and monthly magazines
Table 16 Comparison of Women-related Treatment across Daily Newspapers
Newspapers
Al-Akhbar
Ausaf
Dawn
Din
Frontier Post
Jang – Rwp
Jang- Khi
Khabrain
Nation
Nawa-I-Waqt
Observer
Pakistan
Sahafat
The News
Supportive
1017 (85.3)
1536 (84.0)
1618 (86.5)
1375 (82.5)
729 (92.9)
1589 (77.9)
1846 (79.8)
2430 (77.2)
1795 (82.8)
1929 (82.6)
1133 (81.1)
1801 (80.7)
1032 (71.8)
1565 (82.7)
Non-supportive
175
(14.7)
293
(16.0)
254
(13.6)
292
(17.5)
55
(7.0)
449
(22.1)
466
(20.2)
721
(22.9)
372
(17.2)
407
(17.3)
264
(18.9)
428
(19.2)
405
(28.2)
327
(17.3)
Total
1192
1829
1872
1667
784
2038
2312
3151
2167
2336
1397
2229
1437
1892
Table 16 shows that there is high percentage in all the newspapers of supportive treatment of
women-related coverage. This is encouraging for all concerned and there is hope that the situation
will improve even further over time
Description of Categories used for Nature of News Coverage
Categories
Details
Advertisements
This includes all types of advertisements such as fashion, industrial
products, etc.
Children News
Crime
Development news
Social News
Sensitive Issues
Media
Political
Miscellaneous
Child abuse, Child International Day, child labour, children rights, special children
Crime, bomb blast, assault, burn cases, drugs, harassment,
kidnapping, rape, robbery, suicide, theft, trafficking
Business and economy, education, health, NGOs, population, poverty,
UN reports, status & uplift, women’s week, women development, mothers’ day.
Social news, art and culture, religious, fashion, religious news.
Honour killings, human rights, Karo Kari, mishaps, law & legal status, legal,
violence, women & labour, International Women’s Day, women rights, women &
war, call girls, Bazaar Hussan.
Media, showbiz
Political news, political parties, leaders etc.
Reports, sports, literature, stories.
Table 17 Distribution of Categories used for “Nature of News Coverage” in Daily
Newspapers
4% 0%
6%
Category
Media
Political news
Development news
Crime
Women issues
Social news
Misc.
Advertisements
Children’s News
Total
Frequency
5228
5009
3972
3667
2978
2555
1679
1117
101
26303
Media
21%
Political news
Development news
10%
Crime
Women issues
Social news
Misc.
Advertisements
11%
Children News
19%
14%
15%
Table 17 shows the distribution of categories used for ‘nature of news’ coverage. Media and
political news take the lead with frequencies of 21% and 19% respectively. Women-related
development news follows closely with 15.1% frequency. It is encouraging to see the importance
being given to political news and development news while some media coverage still highlights
the commercial aspects of the issue.
Table 18 Distribution of Categories used for “Nature of News Coverage” in English and
Urdu Daily Newspapers
Category
Development news
Political news
Media
Social news
Women issues
Crime
Miscellaneous
Advertisements
Children’s News
Total
English Press
1653
20.4%
1491
18.4%
1079
13.3%
1006
12.4%
891
10.9%
833
10.3%
825
10.2%
260
3.2%%
74
0.9%
8112
Category
Media
Political news
Crime
Development news
Women issues
Social news
Advertisements
Miscellaneous
Children’s News
Total
Urdu Press
4149
22.8%
3518
19.4%
2834
15.6%
2319
12.7%
2087
11.5%
1549
8.6%
857
4.7%
854
4.7%
27
0.2%
18191
The English press has acknowledged the importance of development, media and political news,
as Table 18 demonstrates. The Urdu press, besides giving space to these three categories, has also
given importance to crime news. The majority of readers rely exclusively on Urdu newspapers
and it is this press which needs to be most sensitive about nature and type of coverage given to
women-related news.
Table 19 Distribution of Categories used for “Nature of News Coverage” in English
Newspapers
Category
The News
Observer
Nation
Frontier Post
Dawn
f
%
f
%
f
%
f
%
f
%
Advertisements
99
5.3
22
1.6
35
1.6
7
0.9
97
5.2
Children News
12
0.7
5
0.4
14
0.7
29
3.7
12
0.7
Crime
193
10.0
77
5.5
158
7.3
41
5.3
366 19.6
Development news
374
21.8 338
24.2
411
18.9
180
22.9
312 16.7
Media
366
11.9 259
18.6
383
17.7
53
6.8
159
8.5
Miscellaneous
105
9.0
137
9.8
209
9.07
144
26.7
164
8.8
Political news
149
19.6 231
16.6
454
20.9
168
21.5
267 14.3
Social news
225
11.6 193
13.81 296
13.7
81
10.4
217 11.6
Women’s issues
371
10.0 135
9.7
205
9.5
81
10.4
280 14.9
Total**
1894
1397
2165
784
1874
* The horizontal total is the cumulative total across all 5 newspapers for each category
** The vertical total is per newspaper
Total*
260
74
833
1653
1079
825
1491
1006
891
8114
The data in Table 19 makes it clear that development news is salient in The News, Observer and
Frontier Post. In the case of Dawn, crime news achieves the highest single frequency. The Nation
has a 20.9% frequency of political news out of the total news coverage. For The Frontier Post
miscellaneous news items are statistically significant.
Table 20 Distribution of Categories used for “Nature of News Coverage” in Urdu
Newspapers
Category
Advertisements
Children News
Crime
Development
News
Media
Miscellaneous
Political news
Social news
Women’s issues
Total
Sahafat
f
%
f
%
f
%
f
%
f
%
f
%
f
%
f
%
f
%
54
3.8
1
0.06
225
15.7
108
7.5
597
41.6
27
1.9
274
19.0
69
4.8
82
5.8
1437
Nawa-IWaqt
148
6.4
3
0.2
276
11.8
429
18.4
437
18.7
112
4.8
477
20.4
216
9.3
228
9.8
2336
Pakistan
Khabrain
36
1.6
7
0.3
341
15.3
296
13.3
611
27.4
99
4.5
375
16.8
209
9.4
262
11.8
2229
86
2.7
2
0.02
528
16.8
320
10
855
27
163
5
525
16
264
8.4
408
12
3151
Jang
Karachi
239
10.4
4
0.2
257
11.2
347
15.0
317
13.7
173
7.5
436
18.9
239
10.4
300
13.0
2312
Jang
R’pindi
198
9.07
7
0.4
333
16.4
291
14.3
283
13.9
90
4.4
412
20.2
176
8.7
248
12.2
2038
Din
Al Akhbar
Ausaf
55
3.3
6
0.5
280
16.8
121
7.3
542
32.5
82
4.9
315
18.9
110
6.6
163
9.8
1667
239
20
116
9.8
325
27
34
2.8
267
22
99
8.3
106
8.9
1192
35
1.9
3
0.2
355
19
291
15
179
9.8
85
4.6
437
23
167
9.2
290
15
1829
Table 20 shows that women-related media and political news are dominant in almost all of the
Urdu newspapers. Compared to the English press, crime news has also been given substantial
importance.
Table 21 Distribution of Categories used for “Nature of News Coverage” across English
Newspapers
Category
Advertisements
Children News
Crime
Development News
Media
Miscellaneous
Political news
Social news
Women’s issues
Total**
The News
f
99
14
191
412
225
171
371
219
190
1892
%
38.0
18.9
22.9
24.9
20.8
20.7
24.8
21.8
21.4
Observer
f
22
5
77
338
259
137
231
193
135
1397
%
8.5
6.8
9.3
20.5
24.0
16.7
15.5
19.2
15.2
Nation
f
35
14
158
411
383
209
454
296
205
2167
%
13.5
18.9
18.9
24.8
35.5
25.4
30.5
29.5
23.0
Frontier
Post
f
%
7
2.7
29
39.2
41
4.9
180 10.8
53
4.9
144 17.5
168 11.3
81
8.0
81
9.0
784
Dawn
f
97
12
366
312
159
164
267
217
280
1872
%
37.3
16.2
43.9
18.8
14.8
19.8
17.9
21.6
31.5
Total*
260
74
833
1653
1079
825
1491
1006
891
8112
* The horizontal total is the cumulative total across all 5 newspapers for each category
**The vertical total is per newspaper
Table 21 shows that advertisements, development news and political news, respectively are most
significant in The News. Children’s news is salient in The Frontier Post. Dawn has a high
percentage of women related crime news. It has also given importance to ‘women’s issues’. The
Nation has substantial frequencies of women-related media, political and social news.
Table 22 Distribution of Categories used for “Nature of News Coverage” across Urdu
Newspapers
Category
Advertisements
Children News
Crime
Dev’t News
Media
Miscellaneous
Political news
Social news
Women’s issues
Sahafat
f
54
1
225
108
597
27
274
69
82
%
6.3
3.7
7.9
4.7
14.4
3.2
7.8
4.5
3.9
Nawa-IWaqt
f
%
148
17.3
3
11.2
276
9.7
429
18.5
437
10.6
112
13.2
477
13.6
216
13.9
228
10.9
Pakistan
f
36
7
341
296
611
99
375
209
262
%
4.2
25.9
12.0
12.8
14.8
11.6
10.7
13.5
12.6
Khabrain
f
86
2
528
320
855
163
525
264
408
%
10.0
7.4
18.6
13.8
20.6
9.0
14.9
17.0
9.6
Jang
Karachi
f
%
239
27.9
4
14.8
257
9.0
347
14.9
317
7.6
173
19.0
436
12.4
239
15.5
300
14.4
Jang R’pindi
f
198
7
333
291
283
90
412
176
248
In the case of the Urdu newspapers the frequencies are close and no particular category has
emerged as dominant, according to Table 22. Urdu newspapers rely on many kinds of subjects
and equal importance is given to the variety of topics.
%
23.2
25.9
11.7
12.6
6.8
20.3
11.7
11.4
11.9
Din
Al Akhbar
f
55
%
6.5
f
6
%
0.7
280
121
542
82
315
110
163
9.9
5.3
13
10
8.9
7.2
7.8
239
116
325
34
267
99
106
8.5
5.0
7.8
9.6
7.6
6.4
5.0
Ausaf
f
35
3
355
291
179
854
437
167
290
%
4.0
11.2
12.6
12.6
4.3
3.9
12.5
10.8
13.9
Total
857
27
2834
2319
4146
1634
3518
1549
2087
2. Coverage of Women-related News in Weekly Magazines
Three weekly publications were included in the analysis. Takbeer and Akhbar-e-Jehan represent
the Urdu press and The Friday Times was selected to represent the English press. The deductions
have been drawn on the basis of the three magazines in their individual capacity, rather than
representing either the English or the Urdu weekly press.
Table 23 Distribution of Women-related News Coverage in the Weekly Magazines
Takbeer
9%
Magazine
Akhbar-e-Jehan
The Friday Times
Takbeer
Total
The Friday Times
21%
Frequency
1461
436
183
2080
Akhbar-e-Jehan
70%
Table 23 shows that Akhbar-e-Jehan has the highest percentage of news coverage pertaining to
women. The other two weekly magazines, The Friday Times and Takbeer together claim just
thirty percent of the total coverage. This reflects the immense popularity enjoyed by Akhbar-eJehan as a national weekly
Table 24 Categories and Distribution of Sources
Category
Contributors
Advertisement
Writers
Staff report
Staff photo
Readers
Correspondence
Columns
News agencies
Cartoons
Editorials
Press releases
Total
Frequency
615
537
311
253
141
124
36
28
26
9
0
0
2080
5%
Cont ribut or s
6%
Adver t isement
7%
29%
Writ er s
St af f repor t
St af f phot o
Reader s
Ot hers
12%
Others Include:
Correspondence
1.7%
Columns
News agencies
1.4%
1.3%
Cartoons
Editorials
0.5%
0%
Press releases
0%
15%
26%
Contributors, advertisers and writers as sources of information for particular weekly publications
have acquired the highest percentages, as Table 24 indicates. Contributors account for 29.5% of
the total frequencies, highlighting the significance of this category as a source. Advertisements
have maintained their dominant position while writers have appeared as another significant
source. Keeping in mind the reasonably high percentage for supportive treatment (56%, Table 30)
we can assume that these writers are making genuine attempts to portray women and womenrelated issues in a serious manner.
At the same time the negligible performance by editors or news agencies presents a problematic
situation. The people or the institutions that can play a very influential role in this cause have not
realised or fulfilled their responsibilities, giving way to sources like advertisements to gain
maximum exposure and profit.
Table 25 Distribution of Sources of News Items in Weekly Magazines
Category
The Friday Times
f
%
117
1.8
9
100
19
67.9
114
18.6
Takbeer
f
%
36
6.7
Akhbar-e-Jehan
f
%
384
71.5
Total*
Advertisement
537
Cartoons
9
Columns
9
32.2
28
Contributors
79
12.8
422
68.7
615
Correspondence
1
2.8
35
97.3
36
Editorials
News agencies
6
23.0
7
26.9
13
50
26
Press releases
Readers
30
24.1
16
12.9
78
62.9
124
Staff Photographer
2
1.4
15
10.6
124
88.0
141
Staff report
134
53.2
29
11.5
89
35.3
252
Writers
3
0.9
1
0.3
307
98.7
311
Total**
434
183
1461
2078
* The horizontal total is the cumulative total across all 3 magazines for each category
** The vertical total is per magazine
Comparing the three magazines, it can be seen from Table 25 that columns and staff reports
appear most frequently as sources for news items. In the case of Takbeer, no single category
claims high frequencies although the news agencies account for 26.9%. It is interesting that
advertisements have a very low percentage indicating (1) that a magazine can be popular without
relying on advertisements and (2) that Takbeer is different from the other two magazines in
projecting women through advertisements. In the case of Akhbar-e-Jehan, advertisements,
readers and writers dominate the picture although news agencies, staff photographers and
correspondences are frequent in number.
Table 26 Distribution of News Sources in Weekly Magazines
Category
Advertisement
Cartoons
Columns
Contributors
Correspondence
News agencies
Press releases
Readers
Staff photographer
Staff report
Writers
Total
The Friday Times
f
%
117
26.8
9
2.0
19
4.4
114
26.2
6
1.4
30
2
134
3
434
6.9
0.5
30.8
0.7
Takbeer
f
%
36
19.7
79
1
7
43.2
0.5
3.8
16
15
28
1
183
8.5
8.2
15.3
0.5
Akhbar-e-Jehan
f
%
384
26.3
9
422
35
13
0.6
28.9
2.4
0.9
78
124
89
307
1461
5.4
8.5
6.0
21.0
Table 26 shows that advertisements, staff reports and contributors’ items occur most frequently as
sources for women-related news items. Staff reporters may not be fully cognisant of the sensitive
nature of various issues and therefore there is a need to make them aware of the many ongoing
social debates relating to women’s status and uplift.
Contributors claim the maximum percentage of advertisements and staff reports are also
significant to some extent. Takbeer stands out in this respect with 43.2%. When Takbeer is
compared with the other two weekly publications, the role of advertisements is less significant.
Similar to The Friday Times, advertisements, contributors and writers have shown high
frequencies compared to the remaining categories.
Table 27 Weekly Magazine Categories by Format
Category
Advertisement
Photo feature
Letters
Stories
Photos
Misc.
Reports
News items
Features
News/photo
Articles
Columns
Contributor
Cartoons
Book Reviews
Editorials
Press releases
Total
Frequency
522
507
236
217
185
70
68
62
58
49
47
35
16
10
6
5
2
2079
2%
4%
2%
3%
Advert isement
3%
26%
3%
Phot o f eat ure
Let t ers
Stories
3%
Phot os
M isc.
Report s
9%
News it ems
Features
News/ photo
Articles
10%
24%
11%
Others
Others include:
Columns
Contributor
Cartoons
Book Reviews
Editorials
Press releases
1.7 %
0.8 %
0.5 %
0.3 %
0.05 %
0.09 %
Table 27 indicates format categories and their relative frequencies as well as percentages of
frequencies. Advertisements have acquired the highest percentage (26%) closely followed by
photo features with 24.4%. The findings indicate the monopoly of advertisements in the total
space given to women related news items. One can safely assume that images of women are
being marketed for increasing sales and enhancing profits, at the expense of serious treatment.
Similarly, photo features also centre around social functions and comparatively little importance
is given to sensitive issues. Letters to the editors and stories, although claiming a less significant
position, do indicate the interest taken by viewers in women and activities or issues linked to
them. If more attention is paid in this direction, the interest of the readers as well as writers can be
positively enhanced.
Table 28 Distribution of Format Categories in Weekly Magazines
Category
Advertisement
Articles
Book Reviews
Cartoons
Columns
Editorials
Features
Letters
Misc.
News items
News/photo
Photo feature
Photos
Press releases
Reports
Stories
Total
The Friday
Times
f
%
119
22.7
4
8.6
6
100
9
90
26
74.3
29
31
30
54
39
80
4
2
2
435
50
13.2
42.9
87.0
79.6
15.8
2.2
100
3.0
Takbeer
f
36
16
%
6.9
34.0
1
1
5
7
16
10
2.9
100
12.0
6.8
5
8.0
23
20
4.6
10.8
49
4
183
72.0
1.9
Akhbar-eJehan
f
%
367
70.4
27
57.5
8
22.9
22
189
40
3
10
404
161
38.0
80.0
57.2
4.8
20.4
79.7
87.0
17
213
1461
25.0
98.2
Total
522
47
6
10
35
5
58
236
70
62
49
507
185
2
68
217
2080
Table 28 indicates frequencies and percentages of the different categories used for format across
the three magazines. In line with data given Table 25, the categories of advertisement, letters,
photos, photo features and stories have claimed a significant amount. Interestingly, all these
categories are equally dominant in the case of Akhbar-e-Jehan, a widely read Urdu weekly that
focuses mostly on social and show business news. In the case of The Friday Times, news items,
columns and book reviews are significant. Of the three weeklies, only The Friday Times carried
women-related book reviews in the period covered by the survey.
Articles and reports dominate in Takbeer, whereas these categories received less importance in
the two other weeklies. This throws light on the policy of a specific magazine. While Akhbar-eJehan carried the maximum number of news items related to women, some categories
overshadowed the rest of the picture by acquiring high percentages with reference to this
magazine. If advertisements and features are the most frequently used format, this needs serious
consideration because the largest number of female readers rely on this type of magazine for
information. Therefore the portrayal of women and their issues becomes crucial in the overall
situation. Later analysis will throw more light on the sources of information and the specific
nature of these items.
Table 29 Distribution of Format Categories within Magazines
Category
Advertisement
Articles
Book Reviews
Cartoons
Columns
Editorials
Features
Letters
Misc.
News items
News/photo
Photo feature
Photos
Press releases
Reports
Stories
Total
The Friday Times
f
%
119
27.4
4
0.9
6
1.4
9
2.0
26
5.9
29
31
30
54
39
80
4
2
2
6.7
7.2
6.8
12.4
8.9
18.4
0.9
0.5
0.5
435
Takbeer
f
%
36
19.7
16
8.8
1
1
5
7
16
0.5
0.5
2.7
3.8
8.7
5
2.7
23
20
12.6
10.9
49
4
183
26.7
2.2
Akhbar-e-Jehan
f
%
367
25
27
2
0
0
8
1
0
22
1
189
13
40
3
39
3
10
1
404
27
161
11
0
17
1
213
14
1497
As far as format for different news items concerning women, Table 29 shows that three categories
appear most frequently. These are advertisements, news items and features. Advertising agencies
maintain a strong hold over the total market of the print media, whether it is daily publications or
weekly magazines. Ironically, it is through this format that women continue to receive the
maximum exposure. The effects of such a market-oriented exposure can never benefit women in
the long run. By presenting stereotypical/traditional portrayals of women, their serious and grave
issues resulting from changing times can never be addressed forcefully.
Reports, advertisements and photo features are the most frequent in case of Takbeer. If used
constructively these categories of reports and features can counter the effects of advertisements to
some extent. As the data in Table 29 shows, letters, photo features and stories appear strong
beside advertisements in all three publications. This is a healthy sign as they have a wide scope
and together they can be quite effective.
Table 30 Distribution of Treatment in Weekly Magazines
Treatment
Supportive
Non-supportive
Total
The Friday Times
f
%
175
40
261
60
436
Takbeer
f
%
159
87
24
13
183
Akhbar-e-Jehan
f
%
818
56
642
44.6
1461
The comparison between supportive and non-supportive news items in Table 30 indicates that
The Friday Times has the highest percentage of non-supportive news coverage with reference to
women whereas Takbeer bears the maximum percentage for adopting a supportive attitude in this
regard. In case of Akhbar-e-Jehan, there is a less clear divide with both types of treatment
claiming close to fifty percent of the total news items. Overall, there is a higher percentage of
supportive treatment. However, a figure of 44.6% for non-supportive news coverage cannot be
easily overlooked as it presents a threat to the fair portrayal of women
Table 31 Distribution of Treatment across Weekly Magazines
Treatment
Supportive
Non-supportive
The Friday Times
f
%
175
40.2
261
59.9
Takbeer
f
%
159
86.9
24
13.2
Akhbar-e-Jehan
f
%
818
56.0
642
44.0
Total
1152
927
In Table 31 “supportive” treatment (1152 items) refers to balanced, unbiased and factual coverage
of women-related news. “Non-supportive” treatment (927 items) indicates biased reporting and
analysis, the use of stereotypical images, analysis in which women are not portrayed as equal
citizens and their genuine issues are misreported or ignored.
As the information in Table 31 indicates, in The Friday Times (59.9%) the percentage of nonsupportive news items is higher. However in both Takbeer (86.9%) and Akhbar-e-Jehan (56.0%),
supportive news items are more frequent. Takbeer has a very high percentage of supportive
treatment of women related news. In the case of the third weekly, the two types of treatment are
closer to being equal.
Annex 3 shows examples of the supportive and non-supportive treatment of womenrelated issues in the weekly magazines
3. Coverage of Women-related news in monthly magazines
Five publications have been included in the analysis: Women’s Own, She, Pakiza Digest, Herald
and News Line. With the exception of Pakiza Digest, the magazines are in English. The first two
magazines are mostly concerned with fashion, show business and social news. Herald and News
Line centre on political and social affairs whereas Pakiza Digest caters to the interest of women
through traditional short story writing..
Table 32 Distribution of Women-related News Coverage in Monthly Magazines
Magazine
Frequency
Percentage
Women’s Own
495
26.2
She
672
35.5
Pakiza Digest
280
14.8
News Line
225
11.8
Herald
223
11.7
Total
1895
100
Herald
12%
News Line
12%
She
35%
Pakiza Digest
15%
Women’s Own
26%
Table 32 indicates that the fashion magazines, Women’s Own and She have the highest
percentage of women related news. Pakiza Digest follows these two with 15%. It is clear that
fashion magazines carry the maximum women-oriented material and later analysis will throw
light on the specific nature of these items.
Table 33 Comparison of Sources of News Items
Advertising
0%
Category
Advertising
Contributor
Staff Report
Staff photo
News Agency
Reader
Writer
Cartoonist
Editor
Total
4%
Frequency
857
530
152
127
79
76
68
4
2
1895
Contributor
4%
Staff Report
4%
Staff photo
News Agency
7%
Reader
Writer
45%
8%
Others
Others include:
Cartoonist
0.2%
Editor
0.1%
28%
The data in Table 33 indicate that advertising as a source of items pertaining to women claims the
highest percentage. This highlights the market-oriented perspective of magazine owners who, in
order to sell their magazines, make use of women models even for products not directly related to
women. Advertising has a close to 50% share of the total sources, which is bound to have wide
implications in terms of women being portrayed as objects and genuine women-related issues
being overshadowed.
The next major source of news is the contributors. These are news articles and analysis and 28%
is an encouraging figure, as it reflects the importance given to women related news by the people
concerned. The contribution of editors is very disappointing, amounting to only 0.1% of the total
sources. The understanding emerges that none of the editors of important national magazines give
priority to women and their issues in this society. The other sources of news are therefore
definitely going to be affected by the approach of the editors.
The remaining categories account for lower percentages, making it imperative for sources such as
readers and writers to play their role more concretely and actively. The space is mostly occupied
by advertising, making the treatment more commercial and less development or progress
oriented.
Table 34 Distribution of Sources in the Magazines
Category
Advertising
Cartoonist
Contributor
Editor
News Agency
Reader
Staff photo
Staff Report
Writer
Total
Women’s Own
f
%
235
47.5
1
0.2
174
35.2
11
13
28
27
6
495
2.3
2.6
5.7
5.5
1.2
She
f
278
%
41.4
173
1
50
17
54
91
8
672
25.8
0.2
7.5
2.5
8.1
13.6
1.2
Pakiza Digest
f
%
164
58.6
20
1
7.2
0.4
26
14
1
54
280
9.3
5.0
0.4
19.3
News Line
f
%
86
38.3
3
1.4
89
40.0
Herald
f
%
94
42.3
74
33.2
12
6
14
15
6
14
17
18
2.7
6.3
7.8
8.07
225
5.4
2.7
6.3
6.7
223
Table 34 clearly establishes advertising agencies and contributors as the main sources of coverage
pertaining to women or referring to women in some form in Women’s Own, She and News Line.
Editors have been found to contribute nothing in this regard and the situation is lamentable.
Similarly, writers or cartoonist who can reflect on a number of sensitive issues are almost non-
existent in the total picture. Staff photographers and reporters could also make a far more
substantial contribution.
Similarly in the case of Pakiza Digest, the major number of sources is claimed by advertisements
followed by writers although to a much lower degree (19.3%). The implications for the
commercial aspect taking precedence over other significant or meaningful sources of information
are clear. News contributors write about a variety of issues and it is hoped that their role might
improve over time.
The Table also shows that similar patterns have been repeated in the case of Herald, with
advertisements and contributors dominating the total picture. Readers or news agencies are of
little importance. Editors, cartoonists and writers have made no contribution. The deduction in
terms of apathy on the part of these crucial sources of information is clear.
Table 35 Distribution of Format Categories of News Coverage
Category
Advertising
Photo Feature
News/Photo
Photo
Story
Letter
Article
News Item
Book Review
Feature
Editorial
Report
Cartoon
Total
Frequency
857
357
167
167
92
76
70
43
33
17
6
6
4
1895
A dvertising
2%
4%
P ho to Feature
3%
News/P ho to
4%
P ho to
Sto ry
5%
Letter
A rticle
News Item
45%
Others
Others include:
Book Review
Feature
Editorial
Report
Cartoon
9%
9%
1.8 %
0.9 %
0.3 %
0.3 %
0.2 %
19%
The predominance of advertisements in women-related news coverage is evident from the high
percentage (45.3%) compared to other categories, shown in Table 35. Photo features also stand
out as a significant format. Most of the time social and cultural activities are covered through
photo features. Together the advertisements and photo features imply the importance of
marketing of news containing or pertaining to women on a commercial basis, leaving little scope
for serious and attention-deserving issues.
Table 36 Distribution of Format Categories across the Magazines
Women’s
Pakiza
She
News Line
Herald
Own
Digest
f
%
f
%
f
%
f
%
f
%
Advertising
235
27.5
278
32.5
164
19.2
86
10.1
94
11.0
Article
32
45.7
24
34.3
5
7.2
6
8.6
3
4.3
Book Review
8
24.3
12
36.4
5
15.2
8
24.3
Cartoon
1
25.0
3
75.0
Editorial
2
33.4
1
16.7
1
16.7
1
16.7
1
16.7
Feature
8
47.0
6
35.3
2
11.8
1
5.9
Letter
13
17.0
17
22.4
26
34.2
6
7.9
14
18.5
News Item
6
14.0
37
86.0
News/Photo
44
26.4
84
50.2
22
13.1
17
10.2
Photographer
45
27.0
67
40.2
15
9.0
17
10.2
23
13.8
Photo Feature
90
25.2
136
38.0
69
19.4
62
17.4
Report
1
16.7
1
16.7
1
16.7
2
33.4
1
16.7
Story
10
10.9
9
9.8
66
71.8
7
7.6
Total**
495
672
280
225
223
* The horizontal total is the cumulative total across all 5 magazines for each category
**The vertical total is per magazine
Format
Total*
857
70
33
4
6
17
76
43
167
167
357
6
92
1895
Table 36 indicates the dominance of advertising across the two fashion magazines. This finding is
in line with the earlier findings regarding sources of coverage. Letters to the magazine dominate
in case of Pakiza Digest, showing the involvement of women readers with this particular
magazine. Stories form a salient part of this publication, reflecting the interest of female writers.
Items such as photo features and photographs have the upper hand in the case of She; they are
also prominent in Women’s Own.
Table 37 Distribution of Format Categories within Magazines
Category
Advertising
Article
Book Rev.
Cartoon
Editorial
Feature
Letter
News Item
News/Photo
Photo
Photo Feature
Report
Story
Total
Women’s
Own
f
%
235
47.8
32
6.5
8
1.7
1
0.2
2
0.4
8
1.7
13
2.7
6
1.3
44
8.9
45
9.0
90
18.2
1
0.2
10
2.0
495
She
f
278
24
12
%
41.4
3.5
1.8
1
6
17
37
84
67
136
1
9
672
0.2
0.9
2.6
5.5
12.5
10.0
20.2
0.2
1.4
Pakiza
Digest
f
%
164
58.5
5
1.79
1
2
26
0.3
0.7
9.3
15
5.4
1
66
280
0.3
23.6
News Line
Herald
f
86
6
5
3
1
1
6
%
38.3
2.7
2.3
1.4
0.4
0.4
2.7
f
94
3
8
%
42.2
1.4
3.6
1
0.4
14
6.7
22
17
69
2
7
225
9.8
7.6
30.7
0.8
3.2
17
23
62
1
7.7
10.3
27.9
0.4
223
Table 37 shows that advertising and photo features predominate as far as format concerning
women related items. The overwhelming importance of advertisements can be clearly judged
from these results. The commercial benefits involved further enhance the role of advertisements.
Serious material such as editorials or stories is given negligible coverage. The pattern is almost
the same in both the fashion magazines with advertisements, photo features and news with photos
gaining the highest percentages.
Since Pakiza Digest is an Urdu publication the representation of women becomes even more
pertinent. Unfortunately, Pakiza Digest does not present a very promising picture as far as content
placement of women’s news is concerned. The only consolation comes from stories being
published having women-related substance. Advertisements are a substantial item as Table 37
shows.
News Line, as the Table indicates, presents a more or less similar picture to that of the Herald.
38.3% of the format magnitude is taken up by advertisements, while photo features claim another
30.7%. The latter is usually focused on social occasions and little attention is paid to projecting
serious issues through its use. Together these two categories dominate the format in News Line.
Description of the Categories used for ‘Nature of News Coverage’
Category
Advertisement
Development news
Fashion
Sensitive issues
Literary news
Show biz
Social news
Miscellaneous
Detail
This includes all types of advertisements such as fashion, industrial
products, etc.
Health, education, political, status and uplift, women’s development
Fashion news such as clothing, cosmetics, hair are, etc.
“Honour killing”, human rights, legal issues, crime, violence, women’s
rights, women’s day
Literature, fiction, psychological story, stories in general, poetry.
All news relating to show business activities
The arts and culture, religious news, social activities and personalities
Comment, media, praise of magazine, recipes, travel guide, NGOs,
sports, miscellaneous, etc.
Table 38 Distribution of Categories used for ‘Nature of News Coverage’
2%
Category
Advertisement
Social news
Showbiz
Development news
Fashion
Miscellaneous
Sensitive issues
Literary news
Total
Frequency
857
304
260
182
161
75
44
12
1895
1%
4%
8%
Advertisement
Social news
Showbiz
10%
45%
Development news
Fashion
Miscellaneous
Sensitive issues
Literary news
14%
16%
Table 38 shows that advertisements are the dominant category as far as the nature of news
coverage is concerned. A 45.3% frequency indicates that out of the total news coverage included
in the analysis, advertisements are most frequent, putting a stamp on the commercial basis on
which most of the magazines are being run. Literary news and various news items about sensitive
issues, 17.7% all together, also make some contribution in the total coverage. It can be deduced
that such items are being used by newspapers to throw light on issues related to women and their
status in society.
Table 39 Distribution of Categories used for ‘Nature of News Coverage’ across the
Magazines
Category
Advertisement
Development News
Fashion
Literary news
Misc.
Sensitive issues
Showbiz
Social news
Women’s Own
f
%
235
24.6
27
14.8
68
42.3
4
33.4
16
21.4
6
13.6
62
23.9
74
24.4
She
f
278
60
68
1
28
31
113
93
%
32.5
33.1
42.3
8.4
37.4
70.5
43.5
30.6
Pakiza Digest
f
%
164
19.2
9
5.0
10
6.3
6
50.0
14
18.7
1
2.3
2
0.8
77
25.4
News line
f
%
86 10.0
43 23.7
8
5.0
6
5
46
31
8.0
11.4
17.7
10.2
Herald
f
%
94 10.9
43 23.7
7
3.9
1
8.4
11 14.7
1
2.3
37 14.3
29
9.6
Total
857
182
161
12
75
44
260
304
Table 39 shows that advertisements, fashion news, show biz news, and social news appear in
substantial amounts. As one would expect, fashion news and social news dominate the coverage
in fashion magazines. She has a higher percentage (70%) of coverage about sensitive issues than
all other magazines. Women can be expected to benefit from such coverage as this type of
fashion magazine is widely read by women from the upper and middle strata of society.
Pakiza Digest has the highest percentage of literary content and therefore one can hope that this
category for news items can be put to much better use. News Line and Herald have both given
some importance to development news, which one would expect from news magazines. More
surprising is the fact that She devotes more space to development news than either of the news
magazines.
Table 40 Distribution of Categories used for ‘Nature of News Coverage’ Within Magazines
Category
Advertisement
Development news
Fashion
Literary news
Misc.
Sensitive issues
Showbiz
Social news
Total
Women’s
Own
f
%
235
47.5
27
5.5
68
13.7
4
0.9
16
3.3
6
1.2
62
12.5
74
15.0
492
She
f
278
60
68
1
28
31
113
93
672
%
41.4
8.9
10.2
0.2
4.2
4.6
16.8
13.8
Pakiza
Digest
f
%
164
58.6
9
3.3
10
3.6
6
2.2
14
5.0
1
0.4
2
0.8
77
27.5
283
News Line
f
86
43
8
%
38.3
19.2
3.6
6
5
46
31
225
2.7
2.3
20.5
13.8
Herald
f
94
43
7
1
11
1
37
29
223
%
42.2
19.3
3.2
0.5
5.0
0.5
16.6
13.0
It is clear from the data in Table 40 that advertisements have maintained their primacy as the
most frequently employed category of women-related items. Show business and social news are
also significant in case of the monthly publications. Overall they produce a perception of
commercial and market-oriented attitudes when it comes to portraying women in advertisements
or portraying them as commodities.
Clearly, advertisements, fashion and social news continue their hold on magazines and therefore
one can expect little in terms of solid representation of women and pressing social issues relating
to women. Of course, such items have their own significance, but at a time when serious and
consistent efforts are needed for objective portrayals of women in the print media, such statistics
indicate a lack of concern towards them.
Similarly, in the case of Pakiza Digest, almost 60% of all coverage consists of advertisements.
Social and show business news, which are quite varied and mostly reflect superficial information,
claim 30 % of the total coverage, leaving a rather meagre 10.5% for serious news. However,
19.25% of women-related development news in the case of News Line and Herald is encouraging.
Table 41 Rural/Urban Distribution of News Coverage across the Magazines
Location
Rural
Urban
International
f
%
f
%
f
%
Women’s
Own
0
478
27.4
17
11.40
0
Pakiza
Digest
0
573
32.8
99
66.2
280
16.0
0
0
She
News Line
Herald
Total
0
1
100
200
11.5
22
14.8
1
214
12.3
11
7.4
1745
149
Table 41 shows that rural areas have been completely ignored, in favour of national and
international coverage. This is a serious issue in itself as the maximum number of women reside
in rural areas and face all kinds of discriminatory attitudes there. Rural women receive negligible
coverage in all of the magazines included in the study, no matter what type of news item we
consider.
Comparing national and international news coverage across all the monthly magazines included
in the study, it can be seen that urban news clearly dominates the picture, especially in case of She
and Women’s Own. However, She also maintains a very high percentage of international news.
This finding is significant in itself and is especially surprisingly when compared to the news
magazines Herald and News Line
Table 42 Distribution of National/International News Coverage within Magazines
Magazine
Women’s Own
She
Pakiza Digest
News Line
Herald
Total
National
478 (96.6)
573 (85.3)
280 (100)
214 (95.2)
201 (90.2)
1,746 (92.2)
International
17 (3.5)
99 (14.7)
0
11 (4.9)
22 9.9)
149 (7.9)
Her ald
Total
495
672
280
225
223
1,895
News Line
12%
7%
She
News Line
33%
12%
Women’s Own
Pakiza Digest
0%
11%
Her ald
15%
Pakiza Digest
16%
She
67%
Women’s Own
27%
As Table 42 makes clear, within each of the magazines national items claim the overwhelming
majority of coverage. Pakiza Digest does not report a single international item. She is the only
magazine where there is any coverage given to international women-related news coverage in
substantial percentages. Again, She has higher coverage than the two news magazines.
Description of Page Report Categories
Category
Details
Advertisement
This includes all types of advertisements such as fashion, industrial
products, etc.
Column, cover story, story, editorial, front page.
Comment, happenings, survey, letters, people, profile
Fashion
Feature
Page, problems page
Show business activities, personalities, etc.
Women’s participation in various events and systems.
Politics, sports, books, behavior, literature, national,
international
Columns, etc
Comment, etc
Fashion
Feature
Page
Showbiz
Women’s news
Miscellaneous
Table 43 Distribution of Page Report Categories
Category
Advertisement
Feature
Showbiz
Page
Comment, etc
Columns, etc
Fashion
Miscellaneous
Women’s news
Total
1%
Advertisement
3%
Frequency
868
301
206
175
122
82
63
60
18
1895
Feature
3%
Showbiz
4%
Page
6%
Comment, etc
Columns, etc
Fashion
47%
9%
Miscellaneous
Women’s news
11%
16%
Table 43 shows that advertisements continue their hold with 47% of space. Features and show-biz
pages follow although with much lower percentages.
Table 44 Distribution of Page Report Categories across the Magazines
Category
Advertisement
Columns, etc
Comment, etc
Fashion
Feature
Miscellaneous
Page
Showbiz
Women’s news
Women’s
Own
F
%
240
27.6
16
19.5
34
27.8
19
30.2
84
27.9
20
33.4
29
16.6
48
23.3
5
27.8
She
f
284
16
50
33
139
21
37
85
7
%
32.7
19.5
40.9
52.4
46.2
34.0
21.2
41.3
38.9
Pakiza
Digest
f
%
164
18.8
33
40.2
10
8.19
5
7.9
1
64
0
3
1.7
36.6
16.7
News line
f
86
14
7
3
40
8
25
39
3
%
9.9
17.0
5.8
4.8
13.3
13.4
14.3
18.9
16.7
Herald
f
94
3
21
3
38
10
20
34
Total
%
10.8
3.6
17.2
4.8
12.6
16.7
11.4
16.5
868
82
122
63
301
60
175
206
18
Table 44 shows the distribution of page reports across the five monthly magazines. The majority
of page reports appear in Women’s Own, She and Pakiza Digest. Advertisements, comment,
fashion, features and various kinds of women-related news have the highest percentages.
Table 45 Distribution of Page Report Categories within Magazines
Category
Advertisement
Columns, etc
Comment, etc
Fashion
Feature
Miscellaneous
Page
Showbiz
Women’s news
Total
Women’s
Own
F
%
240
48.5
16
3.3
34
6.9
19
3.9
84
17.0
20
4.0
29
5.9
48
9.7
5
1.0
495
She
f
284
16
50
33
139
21
37
85
7
672
%
42.3
2.4
7.5
4.9
20.7
3.2
5.5
12.6
1.0
Pakiza
Digest
f
%
164
58.6
33
11.8
10
0.6
5
1.8
1
64
0
3
280
0.4
22.9
1.0
News Line
f
86
14
7
3
40
8
25
39
3
225
%
38.3
6.3
3.2
1.4
17.8
3.6
11.2
17.4
1.4
Herald
f
94
3
21
3
38
10
20
34
223
%
42.2
1.4
9.5
1.4
17.0
4.5
9.0
15.3
Table 45 demonstrates that advertisements are the most dominant page report in Women’s Own.
Almost half of the amount of coverage is claimed by advertisements. Features also have some
significance in this regard. Features are also mostly about social news and support the
commercial focus in general. Similarly, in the case of She, advertisements stand out as the most
dominant type of page report. Almost half of the amount is claimed by advertisements. Features
at 20.7% are also significant.
Overall, advertisements, features and show business news are the leading types in page reporting
in case of all the magazines. This is in line with previous findings putting more emphasis on
raising awareness about giving serious issues their due share in news coverage.
Table 46 Treatment of Women-related Coverage across Monthly Magazines
Treatment
Supportive
Non-Supportive
Women’s
Own
f
%
180 23.7
315 27.7
She
f
269
403
%
35.5
35.5
Pakiza
Digest
f
%
88
11.6
192 16.9
News Line
f
118
107
%
15.6
9.4
Herald
f
104
119
%
13.7
10.5
Total
759
1136
In Table 46 “supportive” treatment (759 items) refers to balanced, unbiased and factual coverage
of women-related news. “Non-supportive” treatment (1,136 items) indicates biased reporting and
analysis, the use of stereotypical images, analysis in which women are not portrayed as equal
citizens and their genuine issues are misreported or ignored.
From Table 46 it can be seen that supportive news about women makes up only 40% of the total
women-related news in the selected monthly magazines. Non-supportive coverage clearly
dominates, something that all concerned need to look at very carefully. A closer look shows that
of the supportive news, Women’s Own and She carry the maximum percentage whereas Pakiza
Digest has the smallest proportion, with News Line and Herald only slightly better. For nonsupportive news items She leads the list with 35.5%, followed by Women’s Own. News Line has
the least amount of non-supportive news items.
Table 47 Treatment of Women-related News Coverage in the Monthly Magazines
Magazine
Herald
NewsLine
Pakiza Digest
She
Women’s Own
Supportive
f
%
104
46.7
118
52.5
88
31.0
269
40.0
180
36.4
Non-Supportive
f
%
119
53.4
107
47.6
192
68.6
403
60.0
315
63.6
Total
223
225
280
672
495
Table 47 compares the supportive and non-supportive treatment of women-related news within
the specific magazines. Only News Line has a higher percentage of supportive treatment than
non-supportive coverage, compared to the other magazines. The appearance of non-supportive
treatment dominates the over-all picture of the monthly magazine data.
The widest discrepancy appears in Pakiza Digest, which although a purely “women oriented”
digest, shows a high percentage of non-supportive treatment. This is especially worrisome as it is
an Urdu magazine and widely read among the middle and lower classes. It is these classes we
need to especially focus on regarding awareness of women’s rights and their standing in the
society because of their limited access to education and exposure. For examples of supportive and
non-supportive coverage in monthly magazines, refer to Annex 3.
One possible reason for the non-supportive treatment might be that of presenting women as
commodities, and featuring women in ways that promote them as sex objects. The context in
which a woman is referred to is very important while an analysis is done: therefore it is necessary
to judge the actual presentation and one must be on guard against just reading the numbers.
Eradicating or at least narrowing the gap between supportive and non-supportive treatment should
be the aim for any movement working for the just cause of women in our country.
Conclusion
This section of the Report on women in the print media has assessed women-related news
coverage in depth across daily, weekly and monthly publications. The findings clearly show that
the print media is reliant on advertisements, contributors and staff reports as the main sources of
coverage about women. Twenty-two points, plus triple-word-score, plus fifty points for using all
my letters. Game's over. I'm outta here. Regarding format, advertisements dominate the picture,
along with news items, features and photo features. In the case of weekly and monthly magazines,
social news and advertisements occur most frequently. Daily newspapers have significant
percentages of women-specific political and development news as well.
Treatment of women-related news coverage has been found to be predominantly supportive in the
case of both daily newspapers and weekly magazines, but less supportive in monthly magazines,
which emphasise show business and social news in their women-related coverage.
The findings also clearly demonstrate where efforts to change the ways in which women are
portrayed in the print media need to be focussed, and where gender-sensitisation efforts should be
made a priority.
3b. READERS’ SURVEY
In order to obtain information and readers’ responses to the quality and quantity of
coverage, a sample survey was conducted involving 60 people (30 women and 30
men). To get a complete and perhaps more realistic picture of readers’ preferences, the
respondents were then divided into three broad categories of upper, middle and lower
socio-economic strata in urban areas. Thus respondents from each income group were
selected at random from Karachi, Lahore, Quetta, Peshawar and Islamabad. Each
respondent was interviewed in depth in order to understand his/her newspaper reading
habits, preferences, and views.
The Table below provides a detailed comparison of readership preferences in the five
cities.
Question 1: City-wise comparison of readership preferences
City
First preference
Second preference
Least read
Karachi
Dawn
Jung
Khabrain
Lahore
Jung
The News
Nation
Islamabad
Jung
The News
Nation
Peshawar
The News
Mashriq
Nation
Quetta
Jung
The News
Nation
The Table indicates that the majority of readers prefer Jung and The News, both of
which belong to the Jung Group of Newspapers. Dawn has been indicated as the choice
of the majority of readers, i.e., 62% of the respondents in Karachi, followed by Jung
with 49%. This might reflect the comparatively better educational standard of the
people of the city and their inclination to read English papers. Another exception has
been found in the case of Peshawar where Mashriq has been cited as the second
preference. The policy and style of reporting of this particular newspaper are clearly
appreciated by residents of Peshawar. Further investigation can throw light on the exact
causes of this appreciation.
The similarity in results is reflected in the choices indicated by respondents in Lahore,
Islamabad and Quetta: this is a clear demonstration of the immense popularity of Jung
and The News. Such findings have significant implications as far as improvement in the
treatment of socially sensitive issues is concerned. Using larger samples and refined
analyses can further substantiate the trends.
Respondents in all cities except Karachi cited The Nation as the least preferred paper.
Khabrain is the least liked by Karachi readers. There is both a clear language
preference and a tilt towards more liberal news indicated here. It is probably the case
that the respondents in Karachi favour English language papers, whereas in the other
four cities the Urdu papers have a clear dominance. This is a reflection on the culture
and general attitude of people residing in these cities.
Question 2: Respondents’ areas of primary interest
City
First Preference
Last
Preference
Karachi
Headlines
Religion
Lahore
Headlines
Religion
Islamabad
Headlines
Religion
Peshawar
Headlines
Show business,
Religion
Quetta
Headlines
Show business,
Religion
The Table clearly indicates headlines as the unanimous first choice of all the
respondents. This finding carries enormous implications for people concerned with
improvement of news coverage with reference to issues relating to women. Headlines
are an area on which to focus the maximum of efforts. As far as the least read area is
concerned, consensus is found among the readers of all cities indicating religious news
and show business news. This is an interesting finding, as the two different kinds of
news item have been considered equally uninteresting. This indicates a direction for
policy makers as well as people interested in improving the quality of work on socially
sensitive issues.
At the same time, it would not be unwise to suggest that the public all over the country
need to be made aware of the significance of other type of news items. Headlines,
owing to their prominence and eye-catching slogans, get the maximum attention,
thereby leaving relatively less space for other news items. News about the economy, for
example, does not attract such a large amount of attention. The trend has been observed
in all five cities surveyed, throwing light on the style of readership in our country and
what possibly can be done to improve the situation.
Question 3: Opinion regarding portrayal and coverage of women
City
Positive
Negative
Neutral
Karachi
67%
20%
13%
Lahore
50%
35%
15%
Islamabad
34%
12%
54%
Peshawar
54%
27%
19%
Quetta
64%
15%
21%
The Table shows that a large majority of respondents from Karachi considered the
portrayal and coverage of women to be positive. The finding is linked with others in
indicating a clear preference for English language newspapers. The English press has a
better performance concerning the coverage given to women and women-related issues.
Readers from Quetta also considered the coverage positive with almost the same
percentage.
A strikingly high percentage of Islamabad respondents remained indifferent to the
question, indicating a neutral position with respect to preferences on coverage. Clearly,
this is a point to ponder for both the print media and for organisations concerned with
issues relating to women. In a city with high educational standards and at the centre of
all policy making, the neutrality of people toward an issue of great magnitude is
thought provoking. Cities having a high percentage of negative perception such as
Lahore, reflect on the type of newspaper most frequently read – the Urdu dailies. Many
of these report responsibly on women-related issues, but some of them sensationalise
these issues in ways that contribute to harmful representations of women.
The policies of individual newspapers are significant. The more liberal and outspoken a
paper is, the more objective its coverage of women will be in terms of content and
context. Karachi and Quetta have shown appreciation for English papers, which are
generally more open and critical than Urdu papers and use less sensationalist coverage
and sub-standard language. (This issue and recommendations for improving the
situation are discussed fully in the Chapter on workshops.) Quite a number of people in
the other cities surveyed expressed dissatisfaction with the coverage given to women
and news about women’s activities and issues.
Question 4: Opinion regarding the use of language by newspapers on women
related issues
City
Satisfactory
Unsatisfactory
Karachi
67%
33%
Lahore
45%
55%
Islamabad
72%
28%
Peshawar
45%
55%
Quetta
22%
78%
The responses in this Table replicate those in the earlier Tables to a great extent. Most
respondents from Karachi and Islamabad thought that the language used by newspapers
regarding women-related issues was satisfactory. This is closely tied in with the type of
newspaper read. As mentioned earlier, the coverage by the English-language press is
generally better (i.e. more supportive of women) than that of the Urdu press. The
perception that appropriate language is used correlates with this finding.
Respondents from Lahore and Peshawar were divided equally about the question of
language. Both cities show moderate satisfaction (45%). Readers in Quetta turned out
to be the least satisfied, with a high percentage dissatisfied with the use of language for
coverage about women’s issues. This reflects a heightened sensitivity about the issue
and an underlying desire to improve the quality of the content. The readership, who
indicated strong preferences for Jung and Dawn, are still not satisfied with the way
women-related issues are portrayed.
Question 5: Impact of derogatory language in newspapers on women’s status and
development
City
Harmful
Harmless
Karachi
60%
40%
Lahore
91%
9%
Islamabad
96%
4%
Peshawar
88%
12%
Quetta
96%
4%
A very high percentage of respondents in Lahore, Islamabad and Quetta indicated that
they thought derogatory language in newspaper coverage had a harmful effect on
women’s status and development. Peshawar respondents indicated a lower but still
significant percentage regarding the perceived impact of derogatory language. Amongst
the Karachi respondents the smallest percentage found the impact of language to be
harmful. Once again the role of English press can be mentioned here. Opinion seems to
have been coloured by their use of English press and there can be clear differences
regarding the exact parameters of derogatory language.
Rapid economic development and urbanisation, coupled with an influx of people from
other cities, have made Karachi a mega-city with a chemistry quite different from the
other main cities. The city has evolved a culture of its own. The culture of cities like
Lahore or Peshawar is still largely traditional and reflects local values and traditions.
Therefore the exact contours of various concepts and terms can be widely different or
opposing.
Overall it is quite satisfactory, even encouraging, to see that a high number of
respondents from all cities have shown concern about the impact of derogatory
language on women’s status and their development. Such findings have multi-faceted
implications. A researcher can be sure that people from almost all major cities of the
country are unanimous about some adverse effect and recommendations for policy
making can be documented with confidence. At the same time, this should be an eyeopener for newspaper owners and associated staff. The responses reflect the feeling of
the readers, and feelings are of immense importance for the bond of trust between the
paper and its readers. Also, sometimes people are of the view that one city is more or
less advanced and therefore, discrimination in policy making may result. However,
such consistent findings assure us that co-ordinated and well-integrated efforts are
needed instead.
Question 6: Does derogatory language about women have a negative impact on
children and youth?
City
Yes
No
Karachi
75%
25%
Lahore
98%
2%
Islamabad
95%
5%
Peshawar
96%
4%
Quetta
98%
2%
The Table shows a clear consensus among readers in four cities, regarding the sensitive question of
impact of derogatory language on children and youth. Respondents in Lahore, Islamabad, Peshawar and
Quetta were of the view that such language is extremely harmful to children and youth. Karachi is once
again different as a smaller (but nevertheless significant) percentage of the sample considered the impact
harmful. The explanation that has been attempted earlier can be applied here as well. The implication for
newspapers is to consider ways and means of improving the standard of
reporting and to seriously investigate whether the perceptions are reflective of a
particular culture or whether another explanation is legitimate.
We are confident in stating that members of all socio-economic classes of readers are
conscious of the impact of the derogatory news coverage and its adverse effects. As in
the case of the previous question, unanimity of opinion has emerged, cutting across all
geographical, economic and cultural differences.
In summary, the results indicate that Jung and The News are the most popular
newspapers; headlines are the most frequently read section, and the majority of
respondents consider the coverage given to women-related issues to be positive.
Similarly, a high percentage considered the use of language by newspapers on womenrelated issues to be satisfactory. A consensus exists among readers regarding the impact
of derogatory language on women’s status and development. However, despite the fact
that people from all five cities are satisfied with the use of language, its potentially
adverse effects are acknowledged by respondents to be detrimental. This has far
reaching implications.
Regarding the socio-economic aspects of the research, no single pattern is evident.
People from all three socio-economic strata have indicated their opinion but no
consistent pattern can be given. A much larger sample is probably required to tap
differences from this perspective. However, it is heartening to see that respondents
from lower socio-economic status are also conscious of the impact of derogatory
language and that if an effort is carried out in this regard, we can expect co-operation
from readers of all levels. People from Karachi and Quetta have indicated a preference
for more liberal papers whereas people from the other cities indicate more conservative
preferences.
These findings can serve as guidelines for joint efforts by newspaper owners, policy
makers and organisations involved in efforts to improve the quality of reporting about
women-related issues.
“Any reader's protest must be addressed promptly and respectfully. This will
contribute to the creation of a responsible press”
4. MEDIA WORKSHOPS: JOURNALISTS SPEAK ON THE
ISSUES
In all, five workshops were held, one each in Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar, Quetta and
Islamabad. Titled Consultative Workshops for Media Persons: Monitoring and
Sensitising the Print Media on the Portrayal of Women in the Press, the workshops
were a forum in which to discuss the role of the print media in covering women’s
issues. The workshops were attended by media persons including editors, bureau chiefs,
reporters, desk persons, staff and, in Quetta, by students of the Mass Communication
Department of Baluchistan University.
In each workshop, the gender of the participants was reflective of the gender
representation of media persons in that city. In Peshawar, for example, only two women
reporters were present (and 29 male reporters). In Quetta there was only one female
reporter present; in Lahore, there were only two. In Karachi, nine women and NGO
representatives participated, and in Islamabad women and men participated in equal
numbers. Many of the people invited by Uks did not attend the workshops. Uks
therefore plans to approach them directly and conduct training sessions at newspaper
and magazine offices.
Many of the problems identified in the workshops are common to all newspapers across
the country, although some regional situations are unique. This combination of
commonality and uniqueness is reflected in the discussions. This section of the report
summarises the discussions in all the workshops, with references to specific places and
issues where relevant.
Each workshop began with an introduction by Ms. Ahmar, and was followed by a
discussion about the portrayal of women in the English and Urdu language presses.
Participants then explored either the Urdu or the English medium press, in small
groups. Issues pertaining to the national and regional press were also discussed. The
findings of each group discussion were shared with all participants. Recommendations
following from the discussions are included in this section of the report.
Annex 1 contains details of the media workshops, including the names and designations
of participants, and press coverage of each event.
The debates and the discussions were based on the following questions:

How effectively has the print media been able to educate people and to elicit the
attitudinal changes necessary to facilitate the process of development, especially of
women?

How often does the press try to raise public awareness and generate debate on
women’s issues and is this effort part of a deliberate policy?

Has the press helped to create awareness among its readers that women’s rights are
human rights?

What has been the role of the press in trying to eliminate discrimination against
women?
Introduction to the Workshops
Each workshop began with an introductory session by Ms. Tasneem Ahmar, Director of
Uks. She explained that the purpose of the workshops was to facilitate interaction and
discussion between Uks and media persons, in particular reporters and editors. Ms.
Ahmar especially thanked the Information Secretary Mr. Anwar Mehmood for his kind
presence at the Islamabad workshop.
Ms. Ahmar noted that the study was funded by the Government of the Netherlands.
She pointed out that the workshops had been arranged to consider many aspects of the
portrayal of women in the print media. These included the representation of violence
against women in the press, and the effects of this portrayal on newspaper readers.
Noting that some media presentations of women are outrageous and abusive, she also
referred to research, which found that the language used in reporting (i.e. terminology,
implicit assumptions, etc.) has in recent years been allowed to become derogatory. The
insensitivity expressed in many newspapers while reporting on issues of rape and
assault was also of great concern. It might be asked: what is the news value in a case of
assault? It is disastrous for the family to lodge a formal complaint about an assault with
the police. Newspaper reports of assault are even more damaging. Some newspapers
have taken up this issue of sensationalising rape and assault cases and are struggling to
abide by a self-defined code of ethics, but the majority have no ethical or moral
commitment to neutral reporting.
In this regard, there is a pressing need to address the prevailing relationship between
the press and other institutions, especially the judiciary and the police. Police stations
are a major source of crime reports and play a major role in providing information to
reporters.
In light of these issues, another objective of the workshops was to sensitise members of
the media on how to report and write more seriously and objectively on gender issues,
with special focus on violence against women.
Ms. Ahmar was careful to emphasise that the aim of the research, and of the
workshops, was not to target any particular newspapers, or the English or Urdu press,
but rather to analyse the treatment of women-related issues. The approach adopted was
intended to bring out the commendable aspects of both English and Urdu papers.
However, she acknowledged that Uks would be accused of targeting the Urdu press in
particular. She regretted that the Urdu newspapers were not well represented at the
workshop in Lahore. It was also made clear that the research was not intended to censor
newspaper coverage, but rather to try to ensure fair and unbiased reporting concerning
women.
It was hoped that a consensus of opinion amongst responsible newspersons might be
reached in the workshops, and that a Code of Ethics might be developed regarding the
issues under discussion. When its content has been determined, the Code of Ethics must
be formulated so that its meaning is clear to all concerned. Similarly, all concerned
must ratify it.
Portrayals of women in the English-language press
In focussing on how the English-language press portrays women, Ms. Ahmar spoke
about the role played by the English press in supporting women’s development. She
noted that the study found that by and large the English press in Pakistan has portrayed
women and their achievements and other issues objectively. Reading examples from
the thousands of clippings Uks has collected from newspapers and magazines to
support her point, she noted that Dawn was exceptional in its support, as was evident in
its extensive and positive coverage. Dawn publishes at least one editorial or editorial
note every second or third day on an important gender issue. Letters to the editor
favouring women appear regularly, as do articles and features.
Some other newspapers were also quite supportive, although less consistent in their
coverage. However, she maintained that this supportive attitude does not hold true for
the entire English-language press. There are many examples of English-language
papers being irresponsible or derogatory in their coverage of women’s issues. This has
proven damaging.
Most of the damage comes from the evening newspapers that highlight trivial issues
that can best be ignored. These newspapers indulge in maligning people and in scandals
that make an immediate impact and sell papers. Evening newspapers also glorify
stereotypical roles and perceptions of women as “showpieces” by publishing
photographs of nameless “pretty” women.
Ms. Ahmar showed examples of the centre-folds of Sunday magazines and said that it
was most upsetting to see women being reduced to commodities. These centre-folds
portray women who are not at all representative of the majority of the population. In
fact, she emphasised, such women only exist in these pages, and yet millions of Rupees
are spent on these shoots. Ms. Ahmar then turned her attention to the glossy magazines
that present women as glamorous objects; thereby reinforcing the social mindset that a
woman’s best friend is her looks. This has also been pushing young girls into focusing
more and more on their looks and has blinded them to more serious issues.
She noted that portrayals of ordinary women, irrespective of whether they act in
conformity with our social values, will condition the reaction when women are part of a
crime story, in both the English and Urdu papers. Inevitably, they will be presented in a
humiliating manner. For example, Ms. Ahmar compared the reporting of the murders of
a young girl and a man, both living alone. The girl’s murder was linked to an ‘immoral’
way of living and she was described in derogatory terms, while the character of the
murdered man was not connected in any way to his being a victim of murder. Both
cases received extensive coverage in Urdu publications as well as in the English press.
Similarly, when the objectionable term ‘butterfly’ is used, we see that a woman is
reduced to being an object, someone who is not a complete person. Reducing women to
a single aspect of their being is an insult and a form of abuse. When a man is called a
bahanwara (bumble bee) for example, it is not considered an insult - in fact it is
something to be proud of. We may condemn the behaviour implied by the term, but
may enjoy it nevertheless. This is only one example of the double standard that
prevails.
Participants were urged to consider the exploitation of women to sell newspapers and
ways and means of checking these exploitative tendencies. In response, some
participants proposed the names of men who are also used for this purpose, such as
Imran Khan. Others argued that only the most superior things sell, and that it is a
misconception to believe that a paper will sell if there is a lot of vulgarity in it.
Participants with this point of view were of the opinion that a lot of anti-women attitude
has vanished and that things are generally improving.
Although acknowledging that newspapers reflect societal attitudes, some media
representatives thought that an overtly ‘anti-woman’ newspaper would not likely be
successful. Some newspapers, such as Khabrain and Pakistan have separate sections
for women-related news, paradoxically highlighting both the marginality and the
glamour involved. Comparing Jang and Nawa-I-Waqt, the Director of Uks said the
former is considered to be liberal while the latter is termed conservative on the basis of
attention given to news about show business and women.
When the issue of the standard of language in newspapers was raised, some participants
felt that TV anchorpersons (Naeem Bukhari, for instance) are responsible for initiating
the use of very casual Urdu, which has since been taken up by the print media as well.
Throughout Punjab, one finds the use of derogatory and gender-biased language in the
print media.
One participant pointed out that discrimination is also a product of the reader’s mind, in
that we read from specific perspectives. For example, newspapers use the word jahaz
(addict) for a drug addict, irrespective of the gender of the addict. The problem in this
case is not discrimination against women; it is the use of vulgar terminology. If you
examine the terminology used for men you will see that it is just as derogatory. The
title of the film Maula Jatt, for example, is as demeaning as any term used for women,
but it attracts an audience and no one complains. The newspaper situation is the same,
but the research Uks describes does not consider this.
Ms. Ahmar noted that 80% of people working in the press are highly educated. They
were not exposed to words like butterfly or bhanwara during their education. If they
are using it now, we must consider where it comes from and why it has become
acceptable, she said. Terms such as Mukk Mukka (deal, compromise) are used in
vernacular speech, but should not be the language of the paper. When it became the
language of the common person the papers started to use it as well. You cannot isolate
journalists and the language they use from prevalent social trends. Their language will
change with other social changes. The issue, then, is how to maintain high standards for
newspaper reporting.
Portrayals of women in the Urdu press
Ms. Ahmar initiated the discussion by reading out several headlines, both negative and
positive, from the Urdu press. This began a lively debate as participants discussed
whether the role of the Urdu press has been supportive or non-supportive with respect
to women. Arguments supporting the Urdu press were based on a number of related
points, all essentially arguing that the Urdu press caters to the needs of the masses, and
thus gives people what they want. From this perspective, the Urdu press has to use any
and all tactics that enable it to remain commercially viable: sensationalism sells
newspapers.
It was argued by one participant that the lack of economic reward for members of the
Urdu press leads them to adopt unethical means of acquiring money, including
blackmail and scandal-mongering. Also, the professional qualifications of members of
the Urdu press are often below those of members of the English-language press. This
can also lead to a lack of professionalism. These factors can lead writers and editors to
use gender-biased and derogatory language in their remarks about women.
Some participants argued that sometimes the Urdu press goes out of its way to support
women in the fight against discrimination. Cases of violence against women are
reported frequently and sympathetically. However, this support is counteracted by the
use of offensive and derogatory language in reporting on fashion, show business and
crime-related stories.
Participants who thought that the Urdu press had been non-supportive and/or
derogatory countered these arguments by saying that the Urdu press exploits readers,
and has ‘slow-poisoned’ them into accepting this kind of voyeuristic coverage. It is the
owners who need to be sensitised and made accountable for the negative treatment of
women’s issues. Journalist would not indulge in sensationalism if warned by their
seniors that it was unacceptable. Reporters and desk persons, they said, can be
sensitised through training and some are eager to learn. Others argued, however, that
the Urdu press cannot justify this negativity or lack of support to women’s issues on
any grounds. Members of the Urdu press must acknowledge that it is unethical and
unacceptable to sell their publications through vulgar portrayals of women.
The discussion then moved to the issue of whether the press gives readers what they
want. In other words, does the coverage reflect readers’ desire for this kind of coverage
or has the press led readers to accept sub-standard and biased reporting?
One participant was of the opinion that, in most newspapers, only 10 percent of the
coverage of women-related issues is positive while 90 percent is negative. Perhaps once
a week there is good/professional reporting while the rest of the week the coverage is
negative. Other participants responded that, on the contrary, coverage in the Englishlanguage press is 90 percent positive and 10 percent negative. However, the positive
aspects of the English press coverage is over-shadowed by the coverage of glamorous
‘fashion shoots’ which are alien to the average Pakistani.
Participants were keen to form a pressure group that could mobilise public opinion
against the “rag press” (i.e. the sensationalist elements of the Urdu press.). Referring to
coverage of Samia Imran’s murder, a female participant remarked that sometimes
newspapers over-emphasise an insignificant aspect of an event to the detriment of
overall coverage. She remarked that co-operation is needed from all quarters and the
entire society must come forward in responding to the attitude of the press wherever
and whenever necessary.
Those present argued that there should be professional standards for anyone wanting to
become a reporter or editor. A standard entry test should be devised, to judge people’s
ability to write and report sensibly and sensitively, especially on gender issues.
University departments of Mass Communication, Journalism and English should be
encouraged to teach courses in Gender Sensitivity. Some participants felt that, although
workshops are useful in debating public opinion, they have little or no impact on
journalist themselves.
Social acceptance of the way the press portrays women is another important factor in
deciding how to address the issue. Most newspaper owners are only interested in
making money, and their priority is the number and profitability of advertisements.
They do not worry about “trivial” issues such as the portrayal of women, especially if it
earns revenue.
Some participants argued that offending headlines and stories are also the result of
individual mindsets, i.e. that the reporter/desk person is responsible for the positive or
negative treatment meted out to women. Since ours is a patriarchal society, it is no
surprise that the majority of male journalists are insensitive to offending headlines or
text. They argue that their readers like this kind of material. While there may be some
truth in this, there are many readers (female and male) who consider the reportage to be
offensive. We need to bring this silent majority out front. Why does society accept
those attitudes that are damaging to women and their rights? Readers of the Urdu press
must give this some thought and consider their reasons for accepting this “spicy” stuff.
Two women reporters shared their experiences of working in the Urdu press. They both
thought that women were discriminated against and were held back from active
reporting. “It needs a lot of confidence and courage to be able to convince your family,
employers and the readers that we are no less able than the male reporters” remarked
one. Both women did not want to be confined to women’s or social pages and wanted
to be involved in mainstream reporting.
After the general discussion, participants were divided into two groups, focussed on
issues relevant to either the National or the Regional press. The observations and
recommendations from the discussions are presented below.
Portrayals of Women in the National Press
Beginning with the Urdu Press, Ms. Ahmar gave the example of a Jang feature with the
title Is there someone who can save the girls from dying every day? She related other
examples of columns and editorials worthy of praise. It was clear that generally the
coverage of women-related issues was more positive than negative. However, if the
contents of negative reporting are analysed, even the daily appearance of two or three
news items conveys a derogatory message that should be countered.
Headlines are crafted to attract readers’ attention, and the image of women conveyed in
headlines is a serious concern for the educated reader. One headline made the point
succinctly: The mason was busy working while a loafer plastered (raped) his wife,
noting that this wording indicates the efforts on the part of the sub-editor and is the
result of a very creative mind. To support the argument, Ms. Ahmar read other
examples of offensive headlines from Urdu newspapers it was apparent that the
language used was not only abusive and sexist but also extremely judgmental, lacking
any investigative or analytical value.
Asked whether reporters had ever protested against the incongruous headlines given to
their reports, participants said that whenever they tried to raise the issue, editors assert
they have to make sure the paper sells and the competition cannot be disregarded. For
these reasons journalists often do not protest.
Participants noted that it is necessary to record and counter the adverse effects of
negative representations. Almost every Urdu-language paper, whether morning or
evening, uses derogatory language. The types of terms and words that are being used
now were much less likely to have been used ten years ago, when there was a Code of
Ethics for newspapers.
Coverage of women in show business in the Urdu press is also derogatory and offends
decency. In this respect the fault mostly lies with the evening newspapers, especially
Karachi papers such as the English-language Star and the Daily News. Their attitude is
similar to that of the Urdu press, and their headlines, photographs and coverage are as
sensationalist as those in the Urdu press.
The national dailies spend huge amounts on fashion pages, although the clothes and
products they advertise are far beyond the means of all but a very few. These products
are sometimes outrageous and incompatible with cultural norms. The newspapers earn
revenue from these pages but what the public is given in return is worth careful
consideration.
Another detrimental form of reporting stems from the so-called “raids” conducted on
hotels, in which reporters “discover” people in illicit relationships. All sorts of stories
are then churned out for publication. In one such incident a married couple appeared for
four consecutive days: when pursued, they tried to escape through the window of their
hotel room and sustained serious injuries. Although an apology was published the
damage had been done. Apologies or clarification escapes many readers’ attention,
while the vulgar and sensational news items are remembered. Such reporting implies
that women are worthy of insult and deserve the demeaning attitude meted out to them
by the press. It is important to note that this matter has been taken up with the Federal
Executive Council of Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists, which passed a resolution
strongly condemning such activities, noting that they are entirely incompatible with the
core values of the profession.
Over time, discrimination against women has risen to the extent that even senior
reporters and editors do not distinguish between the promotion of human values and the
assumption that women are inferior beings. In the headline as well as the main content,
any kind of humiliating reporting is considered justifiable. If a paper reports that a
woman is having sexual relations with someone other than her husband, readers take it
for granted that she is guilty and that she deserves to be labelled in this way.
The representative from Jang acknowledged that the Urdu press has crossed all limits
of decency while portraying women and incidents involving them. Exposing and
punishing women is considered a matter of pride. He narrated the incident of a friend
who is a local judge, and used to decide cases involving women on the basis of
people’s opinions about their character. On being confronted by the journalist friend, he
confessed that he did not consider character when he dealt with men’s cases. It must be
acknowledged that many men lack the necessary sensitivity and social consciousness
that is required when dealing with women. By the same token, prejudice against
women is prevalent and this puts women in a disadvantaged position most of the time.
The Jang representative went on to say that many reporters have a pronounced antiwomen attitude, judging and presenting women from all walks of life from the point of
view of supposed ‘purity of character’. Sub-editors, helping to create an attitude of
hatred against women, further reinforce such attitudes.
It was observed that societal attitudes towards women correspond to trends in the
media. Photographs of women are published for publicity purposes but women who
excel in many fields are not significantly highlighted. The opinion of women is not
sought on serious national and international issues, nor is their involvement
highlighted. However, women are focussed on in cases of rape or other deeds,
reinforcing the idea that women should only be discussed in terms of and in relation to
sexual activity.
However, some participants were of the view that women’s achievements have been
highlighted; stressing that women should be represented beyond their roles as a child
bearer and housekeeper. From this perspective, even appearing in advertisements is
positive when it reinforces the point that many women earn a living. Some products are
meant for homes and children, again supporting her other roles in life. The problem is
that there are not many women excelling in different areas of life. Therefore there is
less coverage and the impression is created that women do not participate actively in
the economy, or in any useful aspect of public life.
While making her presentation Urdu press portrayals of women, Ms. Ahmar said that,
unfortunately, in some Urdu newspapers, the use of offensive and derogatory language
predominates, allowing negative connotations to be made. This is especially so where
crime reporting is involved. These newspapers try to outsell each other in emphasising
voyeuristic reporting of sexual scandals. The element of sensationalism has taken over
the requirement that newspapers should provide objective and correct coverage of
incidents. With newspaper publishing becoming an industry rather than public service,
the focus now is on creating cheap thrills for readers and offering pornography in the
guise of news items. It is ironic that women are bearing the brunt of all this. They are
the victims of this new trend that is establishing negative image of women in an already
stifling atmosphere.
This generated a lively discussion. Some of the significant points emerging from the
discussion are listed below. The use of derogatory/sexist/offensive language generated
the most discussion. Such language is used by Urdu morning and evening papers and
English evening newspapers. In most cases this is done intentionally, to sensationalise
the stories since such tactics, invariably lead to increased circulation.
It was felt that male reporters and writers are responsible for the use of this offensive
and derogatory language. However, there is a need to sensitise both male and female
readers as well as writers, reporters, media persons etc. on the negative implications,
and the far-reaching social consequences of offensive language. Participants
recommended that the issue be raised with the editors of publications resorting to this
kind of language. Similarly, reporters, sub-editors, and editors should meet to debate
the subject.
Other issues of concern included:
 Staging “sting” operations and raids on citizens (mainly women) in collaboration
with the local police in an endeavour to flush out supposedly criminal or anti-social
elements.
 Newspapers failing to give due importance to the coverage of issues relating to and
affecting women such as health, social status and education. Editors should
encourage the publication of material relevant to women's legal rights as well as
educational opportunities, health facilities etc.
The lack of women reporters working in the field, especially in the Urdu Press,
adversely affects the positive representation of women. It was recommended that
concerned journalists, laypersons and students should regularly monitor publications
that indulge in derogatory and offensive language and communicate criticism of the
practice to the editorial staff through letters to the Editor. Letters to
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the Editor must be recognised as an effective medium for communicating the
apprehensions of concerned readers to the relevant editors and publications.
Female editorial staff should be consulted before news stories/articles relating to
women go into print.
Concerned individuals must consider the option of taking legal action in the case of
inaccurate and sensationalised reporting. Public interest litigation should also be
given due consideration.
A Code of Ethics should be formulated and all news publications must be
persuaded through individual efforts and influential bodies such as the PFUJ and
APNS to abide by it.
Structural, cultural and attitudinal factors contribute to making offensive
writing/language acceptable. Alternative concepts, approaches and language can
and should be used when reporting on women. Gender-neutral language should be
used wherever possible.
There is an over-emphasis on crime stories in the Urdu press. Participants felt that
there is more negative coverage in Urdu newspapers because there is more
competition and fewer professional staff. As a result, the serious and professional
Urdu newspapers have been forced to follow this trend. There is also a difference in
staff hiring. The English press assigns reporters to different beats, while in the Urdu
press one person covers many areas. Many of these reporters are part-timers,
working to increase their income.
It is critically important to establish a database for the evaluation and monitoring of
Press policies.
The national press has, at times, taken up social issues effectively. Hudood cases and
violence against women are reported frequently, although at times the reporting is
unbalanced. The English language press was found to cover more international stories,
and to focus less on women in the negative ways under discussion here.
All participants agreed that there was more negative coverage in weekly and monthly
magazines than in the daily press. These do not depict real people or society, but
unfortunately readers seems to have accepted this trend, as there has been no agitation
against it in the press. Here, too, there is often a marked difference in the way a reporter
files a story and how it is presented in the newspaper. It was felt that there is a greater
need to train news-desk staff.
Everyone present thought that advertisements were derogatory and negative towards
women. The bigger newspapers such as The News and Dawn depend heavily on glossy
advertisements, especially on Sunday. These invariably portray women as
commodities, and imply that the women in the advertisements can be ‘bought’, like the
product being advertised.
The issue of whether the Government should become involved in the issue of press
coverage of women was discussed at length. A small number of participants thought
that the Government should become involved, since it has the power to affect the
actions of newspaper owners and editors. In the past, inconsistent government policies
have deterred the media from developing in directions that would enable the
independent and logical shaping and presentation of ideas.
The Government is also in a position to act on its own policies regarding treatment of
women in the media. (These are spelled out in the Constitution and are addressed in
every iteration of the National Plan of Action (NPA) for Women. See Annex 4.)
However, most participants disagreed with the suggestion, pointing out that the press is
a vital part of civil society, and therefore must retain its autonomy. There is clearly a
potential for interference if the Government becomes involved in the subject.
Participants were more comfortable in recommending that Government policies
regarding women and the media should be made and enforced in a consistent manner;
that is, outside the realm of political considerations. As noted in the chapter on Women
and the Media in Pakistan, policies concerning women in the media (including the print
media) have varied in the past, according to the political agendas of elected officials.
Participants suggested that a useful move in the direction of improving the coverage of
women would be for the legal system to ensure that existing libel laws are enforced,
and violations strongly sanctioned, in the case of violations of the right of citizens to
privacy and the right to be free of harassment by the press. If these laws were acted
upon, it would potentially make those sections of the press that presently treat women
so badly far more careful in their actions regarding the portrayal of women.
Recommendations
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It is necessary to increase the number of female employees, who should also be
trained and sensitised on women-related issues. Their presence will also be
supportive to the lone female staffer in many offices.
In addition to Journalism departments, there should be institutions to train and
sensitise students and media persons. An Information Resource Centre should be
established for the media, to ensure that the press has full access to information.
Without complete access, mis-reporting is far more likely to occur.
Press clubs should be activated. They should have close liaison with newspaper
organisations and should facilitate gender-sensitivity training. The Peshawar Press
Club should initiate this in NWFP.
The electronic media should also be sensitised, with special attention to PTV.
Policies and advertisements must be analysed as these are often fantasy-oriented,
rather than based on social realities. There should be vigorous public debate on the
role of the electronic media in social issues and social reformation.
The Pakistan media can play an important role in efforts to lessen the negative,
gender-specific impacts of globalisation.
Systematic efforts must be made to improve institutional performance of the press,
the judiciary, and the educational system.
A self-regulatory and binding Code of Ethics should be formulated for better and
positive coverage of women.
Discussions of the Regional Press
Participants noted that access to information is limited, which often hinders accurate
reporting of events. It was suggested that Uks incorporate data on/from the regional
press in its research.
The role of editors and sub-editors, in gender-sensitive writing, was highlighted. It was
suggested that desk persons should be invited to participate in these workshops. Uks
had especially requested that desk representatives attend this workshop, but only
Mr. Ziauddin had done so. In this context Ms Ahmar narrated a news item appearing
some three years ago in which it was reported that a girl had slapped her lover to calm
him down. The reality was that the girl slapped a boy who was teasing her. There was
no mention in the reporter’s story of ‘lovers’, but the desk people added it to spice up
the story.
The role of correspondents, who are independent journalists, must also be considered.
Many correspondents are biased in their reporting on women-related stories, which
damages objectivity. There should also be representation from advertising agencies,
which also need to be sensitised on gender issues. The group expressed regret that
journalism was now an industry and not a mission.
Recommendations
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Efforts should be made to recruit more female journalists. In Peshawar, for
example, out of almost 250 journalists, only 3 or 4 are female. In the whole of
Baluchistan there are only one or two women journalists and coverage is primarily
urban-oriented. There should be more coverage of rural women and the issues they
face, but these have not been highlighted as yet. If there were more women
reporters, they would have access to areas and issues hidden from male reporters.
Having more women journalists on staff would likely mean a better and more
conducive atmosphere for them, although it is acknowledged that women also
subscribe to a variety of positions with respect to reporting on women.
Publication in newspapers and magazines of semi-nude pictures of women is
objectionable and should be discouraged.
Accountability should be a regular feature of professional journalism. (The
mechanics of accountability, including how to devise and enforce sanctions if a
problem occurs, should be raised in the ongoing discussion of the portrayal of
women in the media.)
Pressure groups should be formed to voice these concerns on a larger platform.
Participants deliberated on the suggestion that newspapers hire women as journalists,
reporters or desk-persons in an effort to reduce the number of negative headlines about
women. In Karachi, people said that the respective University Departments monitor
these issues, and the group will continuously write about this in letters to the editor.
Participants stressed that illiteracy and the lack of sensitive reporting were not limited
to women-related issues. However, these problems are reflected more in the afternoon
papers. For example, in an area called Khawaga Land many people were affected by an
ammonia gas leak, and a number of people died. The headline in the afternoon paper
read: The Khawaga of Khawaga land has been saved. This was a shameful headline,
with people dying and the dead and grieving treated in such a derogatory manner. In a
related issue, it was suggested that crime reporting should only be carried on the inside
pages of a newspaper, to reduce the sensationalistic coverage.
The group felt strongly about the judgements of reporter or sub-editors, which condemn
women with assumptions of all kinds of immoral intentions. Such value-laden
judgements are equivalent to a decision by the court and the emotional and mental
strain on the woman is almost beyond imagining. She is condemned and labelled for
the rest of her life, with no chance of being heard and treated fairly. One participant
said, “She dies before the court gives its verdict”.
Urdu newspapers compete with each other to attract readers/buyers with sensational
headlines. In this regard, Ms. Ahmar noted that a senior journalist from Balochistan had
observed that when we read a headline saying that an honourable husband has killed his
dishonourable wife, some male readers would want to emulate the “honourable” action,
even though most so-called honour killings do not occur because of an impeachment of
honour.
One participant, who had worked for Chattan for more than three years, said writers
and editors had been advised against writing judgmental headlines, but this concern
vanished when non-professional writers took over, whose only interest was ensuring
maximum readership and profit.
For many years discriminatory and biased stories have been published in popular
magazines such as Akhbar-e-Jehan and no one has been able to alter this trend.
Unfortunately, owing to cultural norms, women are primarily perceived negatively. If
one paper covers women in negative terms, the others are likely to follow, but the
reverse is not necessarily true. The formal policies of newspaper publishing are
overlooked in this race to earn more.
Observations from the small group discussions
Pressure Groups. The issue of forming of pressure groups was raised. Ms. Ahmar
noted that if newspaper-monitoring committees were formed in colleges, they could be
a powerful and important tool against biased coverage. Even a committee of two
articulate women college students would be adequate. These committees could meet
regularly and write letters to the Editor, as well as telephoning and using electronic
mail. The Journalism departments of the Karachi and Baluchistan Universities have
made a commitment in this regard. They were already monitoring newspapers but have
now formed a pressure group and will begin writing letters to the Editor.
It was recommended that senior journalists be included in these pressure groups and
that a protest about a news item must be launched as soon as the paper is published.
Although this may present some difficulties, the protest must be made while the story is
fresh in people’s minds, if it is to be effective. Ms. Ahmar noted that Uks has been
asked to exert pressure on the owners of small sensationalist papers. But NGOs as such
cannot pressure the owners, who mistrust the motives of NGOs and consider them
biased.
Participants felt strongly that sensitisation workshops for journalists could make a
positive difference. For instance, many NGO publications have a clear perception of
women-related issues and exposure to these views might change the attitudes of
reporters. It was suggested that concerned NGOs and individuals form a core group
with journalists, to consider the issues.
Akhbar-e-Kawateen and several women’s digests have a distinctive voice, but the
NGOs have not tried to involve their representatives in this issue. If they were involved
in efforts to improve the portrayal of women, they could contribute to changing
perceptions and raising awareness amongst their large readership, who are mostly
housewives.
It was noted that Uks had invited writers and editors from Pakeza Digest, Women’s
Own, Pakistan Digest and She, all of which were included in the study. These are
among the publications promoting stereotypical images of women as somehow
‘incomplete’ if they do not conform to stereotypes.
Pressure groups should be headed by people who are dynamic, articulate, aware of the
issues and credible. It was suggested that Ms. Farrukh be asked to convene or chair a
10-15 member pressure group for the media. Members should be male and female
journalists, non-journalists, NGO members and interested individuals. The membership
should be reviewed periodically.
It was suggested that pressure groups would compile complaints and contact the
concerned newspapers about the issues. Ms. Ahmar noted that the entire responsibility
should not be left to any one individual, as this could give the impression that the
initiative rests with her alone, and could result in professional problems for her.
Whatever the actual mechanism, the need is to create a system that ensures that
initiative is transformed into continuous activity, and is not dissipated by professional
responsibilities.
The group must meet regularly to review the collected press clippings and decide on
action. It will be possible to identify trends by examining clippings collected by
concerned NGOs such as the Aurat Foundation over a three-month period. These
clippings constitute a ready-made database. Individuals who find a news item
objectionable can also bring it to the group’s attention. Any action possible by the
group will be taken. Journalists can also help in monitoring local newspapers and
sending in items of concern.
Terminology. A potentially useful suggestion was the creation of a small dictionary of
objectionable words for use by the news desk. The correct meaning of words such as
discrimination, gender, etc should be explained to readers. Ms. Sheen observed that
during her association with Akhbar-e-Khawateen the word sex was replaced with
gender. A dictionary of gender related words and concepts would be useful. Mr. Abid
Rizvi is making some effort in this regard in Quetta. Also, OXFAM has translated some
of the terminology of feminism.
The issue of the potentially detrimental effects of the term lady reporter was raised.
Society does not discriminate against women to this extent in other professions, such as
engineering or medicine. All participants agreed that the term lady reporter was
problematic. However, some argued that every reporter has a credit line if he or she
wants to write a news item as a “special correspondent”. Similarly, reporters who are
women are limited to the credit line “lady reporter”. One participant observed that a lot
of women report on commerce and they are not called lady commerce reporters. She
reiterated her argument that when men cover women’s activities they are not called
‘gent reporters’. A woman reporter should also be identified simply as a reporter.
Participants were urged to consider whether abolishing the term ‘lady reporter’ might
be the first step in eliminating discrimination and in compartmentalising women and
women-related issues. Feature stories are not written by ‘lady feature writers’. This
issue only arises with reference to reporters, and it only occurs in the Urdu press.
Everyone agreed that the term “staff reporter” should be employed no matter what kind
of activity is being covered.
A request has been made to Mr. Iftikhar Arif of the National Urdu Board (who is
currently associated with the Academy of Letters), to look into the possibility of
determining an alternative, positive and non-sexist terminology that could replace the
terminology presently used by the Urdu press. He has promised to look into the matter.
Discussions of the questions posed in the research
Ms. Farrukh, the representative from Akhbar-e-Khawateen, began by answering
questions put forward by Uks. In 1997 the APNS publications totalled 260, of which 31
were weekly newspapers, 11 were fortnightly publications and 81 were monthly. The
statistics related to language-specific publications indicate the wide circulation of the
Urdu press. However, she was of the opinion that the amount of genuine information
conveyed to readers is pathetic when viewed from the perspective of women issues.
At present the total number of publications stands at 227, in which 158 are in Urdu, 55
in English, 12 in Sindhi and two in other languages. According to a recent estimate by
Green Press Pakistan, at least 50% of city dwellers read newspapers: of these, 95% read
Urdu newspapers.
How effectively has the print media been able to educate people? The situation is
not encouraging according to Ms. Farrukh. She shared with the participants the news
coverage of an incident (in Nawa-i-Waqt on 21st August) in which a female Councillor
was accused by her husband of not paying attention to her home and of being
constantly surrounded by strangers. The husband wondered whether her attitude would
result in their being divorced, leading one to wonder what type of empowerment these
elected women are achieving.
Ms. Farrukh was of the opinion that this kind of coverage reflects prevailing social
attitudes. The press is devoid of incentives for these women; rather, it is perpetuating
the same rigid attitudes as the public, while the overwhelming success of women in the
local bodies election has not been celebrated. These women’s family backgrounds, the
problems of their constituencies and solutions they propose should all be highlighted.
Nor has the English press done any commendable reporting in this regard. The role of
Urdu and regional newspapers becomes all the more significant here, since their
coverage of local and regional issues is of interest to local readers.
During the elections, some organisations such as the Aurat Foundation played an
important role in mobilising women to participate in the elections and to join
mainstream politics. The newspapers did cover these activities although they did not
elaborate on women’s participation. There were reports about symposia and other
activities but nothing about the women candidates or women voters.
Some time ago Interpress Communication arranged a meeting with newspaper owners
and editors. A hot issue was whether a weekly “women pages” was needed, i.e. whether
it would find an audience. Most of the workshop participants disagreed with the ideas
of a separate section, arguing that it pigeon holes women and the issues they face. Nor
do most readers take these pages seriously. Ms. Furrukh argued that “women’s issues”
should be covered in the City pages.
Concerns relating to ethical and objective ways and means of covering women-related
issues are not included in the courses of mass communication in universities. Most
journalists are not familiar with what happened at the UN Beijing conference in 1995,
or with the significance of CEDAW. Women in-charges of women’s pages don’t
usually receive the necessary guidance from editors regarding publication of these
issues. If the activities of NGOs are covered, women in-charges are challenged about
attaching importance to particular NGOs. In these ways women and their problems are
left far behind.
How many times has the press tried to raise public awareness and generate debate
on women-related issues? At the governmental level many policies and cells are
announced from time to time but little is actually done. In July of this year a
consultation was held in Islamabad and exercises carried out at the provincial level. The
result is that the Commission on the Status of Women has failed to become effective.
Many important issues must be sorted out in order to make the Commission’s existence
worthwhile: enabling it to act independently and having provincial offices and powers
to review discriminatory laws are yet to be resolved. The need for a clear policy on
enhancing women’s status in society is felt often. The Commission set up during Prime
Minister Benazir Bhutto’s time made recommendations that were later sent to Prime
Minister Nawaz Sharif but none has been effected so far. Nor has the present
government done anything concrete in this regard.
These debates could be effectively handled through the press, but the Urdu press does
not actively pursue any of these issues. However, Dawn regularly writes about such
issues. Social attitudes in Pakistan are far behind international norms. There is, for
instance, the suggestion by some of the ulema that it is shameful to observe
International Women’s Day or, if it has to be celebrated, it must be observed on a day
of significance to Islam. The context and importance of the issue is subservient to the
priorities of religious leaders at times.
Has the press created awareness among readers that women’s rights are human
rights? Women living in Sindh, Baluchistan and N.W.F.P under tribal systems are a
pathetic example of mass human-rights violations. Countless women have been killed
in the name of traditions like karo kari. Countless others face domestic violence, rape
and incest. These are human-rights as well as ‘women’s’ issues, and should be linked to
public awareness of human-rights violations. Some participants were concerned that
women’s issues could be lost in the ‘wider’ topic of human-rights violations.
What has been the role of the press in efforts to eliminate discrimination against
women? Most of the Urdu dailies have allocated space for covering women related
topics such as health and education. This is positive and beneficial. However, most of
the time press releases by organizations are printed, rather than the newspapers
covering issues analytically or in depth.
A women’s publication called Akhbar-e-Khawateen was ‘slow poisoned’ during Zia era
and later closed down, although it is presently publishing again. Other publications
about women rarely cover serious issues. On a related point, Ms Ahmar noted that there
is no feminist press in Pakistan. There had been an attempt in 1976 when some
courageous people took out Baidari (Awakening) but unfortunately its first issue turned
out to be its last, because of lack of funds. Pakistan does not have a journal like
Manushi, which exists in India. In fact there is no publication committed to the cause of
women’s rights. It is true that the newsletters of some organisations such as Aurat
Foundation and Shirkat Gah do tackle issues affecting women but their approach is
limited and they are not found in stalls outside the shops.
Immense damage has been done by the English press in its coverage of glamour and
fashion. Serious issues are limited to half a page or so and except for Dawn,
newspapers hardly ever raise these issues. Letters to the Editor have also not been
effectively utilised for awareness raising. Instead, controversial topics get maximum
space. For example advertisements regarding sanitary napkins received maximum
space and almost all of the angry letters were printed in the Urdu papers.
The other magazines monitored by Uks, She and Women’s Own, are printed on glossy
paper, and have perhaps only one or two serious write-ups. Young girls have a craze for
these magazines, not for their serious attempts at portrayal of women but for their
fashion coverage. Uks has also been following up on the advertisements and photo
captions, almost all of which convey a negative image of women.
Code of Ethics. The need for a Code of Ethics was raised, with participants calling for
the framing of a Code of Ethics so that newspapers know what constitutes acceptable
and unacceptable reporting, and what methods can be employed in covering women’s
issues. A Code of Ethics would serve as a guideline and a safeguard for reporters.
Ms Ahmar noted that a Code of Ethics had been formulated by the Pakistan Federal
Union of Journalists in 1973 in the form of a Constitution. (The Code is reproduced in
Annex 5.) It clearly states that a member should not do or say anything that would
bring discredit to himself, his union, or his newspaper. It is binding on the member to
study the rules of the union and he should not, by commission or omission, go against
the interests of the union.
It also clearly spells out that in order to secure news material or photographs, no
humiliation, bereavement or pain should be inflicted. News reports and pictures are to
be acquired through honest means. However, when rape is covered in newspapers,
names, addresses and photographs are provided, in clear violation of the Code of
Ethics. Some protests of this do appear but by and large, these practices continue
unchecked. Therefore, the Code of Ethics needs to be further developed and strongly
backed by all concerned.
The Code of Ethics of PFUJ should also be made binding for editors and owners. Nonjournalists associated with the profession also fall within the confines of the code.
Individual Contributions. Syed Anwar Mehmood, the Secretary of Information, made
some valuable contributions to the discussion in Islamabad. For example, he was asked
to ensure speedy work in the matter of a Code of Ethics. Although the government likes
to claim that freedom of the press exists, the press is used at times for political aims. In
a similar way we stress that newspapers owners and editors should be made to realise
the significance of responsible reporting when an issue pertaining to women is being
covered. There is need to develop a unified and consistent policy on this matter.
Mr. Mehmood thanked Uks for inviting him, and expressed his appreciation of the
information regarding newspapers in circulation. He said that the Audit Bureau of
Circulation (ABC) is a government department responsible for regularly reviewing
periodicals of all kinds and issuing certificates. Individual members of APNS admit
that the ABC figures are under-audited. However, collectively they state that the ABC
figures are exaggerated. In fact currently 900 publications are registered with the
government and ABC has issued some 1.7 to 1.8 million certificates so far. Even if five
or six people were reading one newspaper, the total number of people reached would
come to something like 10 to 12 million. This figure should be viewed against the total
number of literate adults. The utility of highlighting issues affecting women from the
platform of the print media must be weighed carefully.
The effectiveness of reaching the majority of Pakistani woman through print becomes
even more difficult if we bear in mind that many women are illiterate. The Secretary of
Information said in his view, the electronic media has more potential to make an
impact, given the current literacy and demographic statistics. However, these are state
owned and controlled, and their impact is limited to the confines of official policies.
He was also of the opinion that newspapers should highlight human rights issues,
including issues that affect women specifically. He said that by addressing human
rights in general, women’s concerns would be addressed automatically. Nor should the
less privileged or exploited sections of society face discrimination on the basis of
gender. However, in Pakistan, just as in many other Third World countries, women are
usually kept in the background and discriminated against, and receive fewer social
benefits.
Empowerment, in his view, is directly related to education. So if women are educated
and made aware of their rights, a lot of problems can be solved. He suggested that
women’s economic status needs to be improved rather than worrying about a news item
appearing in a newspaper. Instead of asking for one page to be devoted to women, such
platforms should be asked to write about people daily. A draft Code of Law has been
developed with the Pakistan Newspapers Council (PNC) and it is soon to be enacted. It
has a Code of Ethics attached, directing newspapers in the coverage of sensitive news.
It refers to gender issues, sensationalism and sexual offences against juveniles and
women. The proposed code of the CPNE (Council of Pakistan’s Newspaper Editors)
does take account of these issues and it will be promulgated into law within a short
time.
Its impact, however, remains to be seen. He was not sure whether there were
institutional impediments against writing on women-related issues. He thought that
perhaps a lack of women journalists and lack of interaction between advocacy groups
and print media personnel were partly responsible for the limited importance attached
to these topics.
The Secretary suggested holding a seminar inviting representatives from important
platforms and individuals to discuss a Code of Ethics. He also noted that portrayals of
rape and incest give the impression that the majority of people are involved in these
heinous acts.
Recommendations on Policy and Publishing Practices. In response to the preceding
discussion, one participant observed that despite all assurances by the government, the
press emphasises minor things such as women wearing the dupatta out of proportion
with its actual significance. However, there has been a change in the policy on the dress
code, movement and overall media policy, which indicates some relaxation. Everyone
has welcomed the change. Mr. Mehmood was of the views that since men are the
majority of readers; the papers should focus on changing male attitudes.
Another participant disagreed with the Secretary regarding the coverage of womenfocussed news and shared her experience of working in Mashriq, where she was told to
reduce her focus on women’s issues. The male editor said that women’s problems
would never end and they would, as he said, “continue to weep”. Similarly, she was
asked not to work on AIDs-related stories, or on stories about women going to shrines,
for fear of negative reader response. She lamented that as a nation we do not want to
acknowledge the realities of social life.
Newspapers are undoubtedly under pressure from owners who direct policies, she said,
adding that male journalists are well-paid, have good contacts and acquire news
relatively easily, whereas women lack the means to do this, and thus require more time
to report on activities. The problems faced by women reporters in doing their job are
not given due importance.
Some personal observations from the workshops
Ms. Ahmar asked Mr. Ulfat from Baluchistan to comment on the situation there. He
drew the audience’s attention to the Nasirabad Division, where hardly a week passes
without a report of rape. The evening newspapers use derogatory language in their
coverage of these rapes, while other newspapers are more objective. The evening
newspapers have been functioning for the last three years and freely use derogatory
words about women.
Commenting on the debate about the ruling on dramas by the Islamic Ideology Council,
on PTV, it was noted that the decision was final and not subject to appeal. Ms. Sheen
Farrukh thought that the Islamic Ideology Council had previously recommended that
women should wear burqas. Reporters and sub-editors are all involved in this
campaign. From the day it was announced that some jehadi outfits would be banned,
this discriminatory tone in news about women began to appear more forcefully.
Similarly, when the Ansari Report was published in 1983, it advocated that women be
turned out of their jobs and told to observe purdah. It also suggested that only women
over the age of 50 be allowed to stand for public office, and that they required their
husband’s permission to do so.
Magazines such as Akhbar-e-Khawateen have played a significant role in raising
awareness and conducting lengthy discussions on these issues. Anything that the
Islamic Ideology Council recommends can be discussed in the press, debating all
relevant aspects and involving the public in the debate.
According to a senior journalist from Jang, “in Baluchistan, there is a lack of education
and there are few professional journalists. The standards have fallen sharply over the
years. Previously, a journalist also had to be a good essay writer. It was not necessary
to have a degree, but now a degree is more valuable than experience. This has led to
this deterioration that we have been talking about. There is no distinction between
negative and positive coverage, nor is there the concept of abiding by a Code of
Ethics.”
Participants highlighted the difference between the Baluchistan press and that of other
parts of the country. The Baluchistan Union of Journalists is very particular about not
publishing negative or sensational pictures of women. When Mashriq highlighted a
gang rape of a four-year old, there were efforts to hide the case, but Mashriq insisted on
covering the incident
Mr. Shamsi (from Ausaf) expressed the view that at one time the profession of
journalism had been considered an institution for the betterment of people, highlighting
various human problems. Currently, however, newspapers have become an industry,
with profits as the driving force. The owners are responsible for this situation, while
previously the editor was responsible for policies and well aware of the impact news
was likely to make. Today the editor has become a paid servant in the interests of the
owner.
It was noted in the discussion that we do not have the right as citizens to file suit
against such practices and even if we did, many lack the knowledge necessary for this.
Rashid Khalil (from Ausaf) commented that allegations about taking money for
publishing stories are a serious matter. The issue of media-selectivity also needs
attention. If news about the Islamic Ideology Council can be covered, then things like
the work of Dr. Riffat Hasan, who is trying to interpret the Quran from a women’s
perspective, should also be highlighted. The Media portrays certain news in order to
sell itself. It does not liase with representatives of society and nor is society willing to
establish concrete and on-going dialogue. To be fruitful, the process must be bidirectional.
However, Ms. Ahmar said that many organisations were in close contact with the
media. The column by Hamid Mir (editor of Ausaf) on domestic violence under the title
Shameless deserves particular appreciation. We must acknowledge that fact that an
editor took out time to visit a patient. Ms. Ahmar said she had personally conveyed her
appreciation to the editor.
Ms. Ahmar also pointed out that Waheed Anjum, (then working for Ausaf but now
publishing his own newspaper), was criticised for some of his headlines, in a workshop.
In a second workshop he acknowledged becoming more cautious as a result of the
critical questions he had faced. Uks considered this change a big success.
She noted that Urdu press representatives are invited in large numbers but usually they
turn up on the basis of personally knowing her. NGOs cannot survive without support
from the media. Reciprocally, newspapers depend on organisations for news. The news
should not be sold on the basis of derogatory and sensational stories about women.
Many news people have acknowledged that they do not like their families to read some
of their reports.
A representative from the Ministry of Law, Justice and Human Rights offered his
personal opinion about the workshop, saying that messages and stories about women
should be made part of the overall debate about human rights. Separate treatment of
issues affecting women puts them at a disadvantage, as men usually do not read such
pages. He was also sceptical about the apprehensions surrounding the portrayal of
violence depicted in televised dramas. However he noted that such depictions are very
powerful and carry more impact that the printed word.
Ms. Ahmar was of the view that newspapers should not be judgmental in their
approach. Both sides of an argument should be presented objectively and conclusions
left to readers. She argued that a separate space for women-related issues constitutes
“positive discrimination” for the purpose of reaching a large number of female readers.
Some women may only read this section. However, in order to mainstream womenrelated news, both a separate space and mainstreaming should be encouraged. She also
expressed the view that showing violence directly on T.V. reinforces violent attitudes
and can lead to violent action.
Ms. Shahida Parveen (a reporter with the daily Mashriq) pointed out that in the Frontier
province, newspapers like Mashriq should have been given prominence in the
workshops. Ms Ahmar clarified that a lot of problems were faced in contacting people
from this province.
Ms. Fauzia Shahid (a senior reporter with the Urdu daily Pakistan and Secretary
General of the Pakistan Federation of Journalists) agreed that the government has not
paid adequate attention to the issue of improper language. She also argued that the
government interferes in many spheres of work. Mr. M. Ziauddin appreciated the role
of the Secretary and his support for freedom of the press, noting, however, that many
times polite letters are sent to newspapers to influence them in a particular direction.
Ms. Amina Sayyed of Serendip Productions considered the electronic media to be more
powerful than the print media for projecting these issues. She said that alternate
solutions in the form of role models could be devised for providing guidance. Ms.
Fatima Ihsan from the Netherlands Embassy said that the issue must stay alive and be
properly covered. Mr. Shahzad from the British High Commission related an incident
in which the granddaughter of Gandhiji visited Pakistan and attended a press
conference. The newspapers reported agitation during the speech by the High
Commissioner, although he had not in fact made a speech. The High Commissioner
contacted the editor of the newspaper and personally conveyed his dismay about the
fictitious reporting. The point is that at least in a personal capacity, we can initiate
action about mis-reporting and biased coverage.
Ms Shahida said that owing to cultural constraints in the Frontier, women-related issues
couldn’t be brought to the forefront. She had wanted to write about the tradition of
Soora but was refused permission. Women are discouraged from entering the
newspaper business, and when they do work, they are told to take up simple and
uncomplicated issues. However, she said that Mashriq has been dealing many diverse
and controversial topics such as Afghan women, drug users, bangle sellers and so on.
Shafquat Munir (a freelance writer) said that his organisation sensitises journalist in the
issues raised by Uks. His article about gender-biased portrayals of women has appeared
in The News. Usually, these portrayals are negative and inaccurate. Women are
described in terms of appearance rather than ability, and increased commercialism has
generated images of women as a means of selling products. This has happened despite
the presence of women in positions of authority. For the most part, there are very few
women in decision-making and media positions.
He further elaborated that women’s organisations can play an active role in effecting
change. This change can be brought about through education and positive role models.
There is, for example, a massive gender imbalance in high-ranking newspaper
positions. There is no female news editor in Pakistan at the news desk. The hidden
nature of the problem makes the exact incidence of violence and discrimination
difficult to ascertain. The print media is an ideal tool for raising awareness having the
power to reach out to millions. The public is both informed and influenced by it.
General Recommendations
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Women should be inducted into the profession on the same basis as men. Unless
women themselves speak up for their rights, the issue will never receive attention.
Knowing the issues first-hand, most women are committed to resolving the issues
and it should be up to them to decide what constitutes a positive representation.
Regular and intensive efforts must be made to convince newspaper owners and
editors of the importance of these issues. Regular meetings should be held for this
purpose. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting should be approached for
the same purpose. NGOs can join hands in this struggle. Newspapers should
establish verification cells for checking reports.
There should be refresher courses for editors and sub-editors, focussing on the
whole context of women-related coverage and on the importance of balanced and
responsible reporting.
The minimum level of education for the profession should be graduation.
The issue of photographs of women also needs urgent attention, as there is presently
no check on their use and misuse. Girls’ institutions have lodged complaints about
students being photographed by newspaper photographers, and there is no
guarantee about the further use of these pictures. A clear policy must be formulated
to check these practices.
Anti-defamation laws should be implemented. Citizens’ rights with respect to
newspaper coverage should be publicised. If someone is defamed maliciously, he or
she should be able to take the newspaper to court.
Recommendations on the role of the print media in influencing attitudes
Workshop participants felt strongly that a number of changes in policy, and in
publishing practices, were necessary. These are noted below, beginning with the role of
the media in changing attitudes and behaviours that perpetuate violence against women.
 The media can help create an environment of change. One way to do this is to
motivate different levels of government to change policies and laws in order to
prevent injustices towards women.
 It is necessary to strengthen the capacity of civil society organisations to effectively
advocate for and implement violence-prevention programs. Part 4 of the Beijing
Declaration called on media owners to develop and adopt codes or guidelines to
promote fair portrayals of women. There is growing recognition in the world that
the media is a crucial means of communication for women’s equality.
 Newspaper owners should be addressed on the issues under discussion. Many
owners are primarily interested in those reporters who have links with the
government and with agencies from where they can acquire advertisements. These
owners influence the editors. Governments on their part try to influence
newspapers by calling APNS and CPNE and identifying their priorities.
 It is necessary to increase the participation of women at significant levels of the
profession in order to achieve non-stereotypical portrayals. There should be an
appraisal regarding how far the objectives set by Beijing Declaration have been
achieved. The training of women journalists as well as men in such capacities as
anchors and script writing is necessary.
 The relationship between women and information technologies (ITs) needs to be
addressed to see how women are using new information technologies.
 Drastic changes in laws such as the Hudood Ordinance, and corresponding changes
in the attitudes of officials charged with implementing laws are required. Injustices
against women will continue unless all concerned realise their responsibility and
work to end the misrepresentation of Islamic injunctions.
 Representatives of civil society such as human rights groups, lawyers, and
progressive religious scholars should join forces in this struggle.
Recommendations on the Regional/Local Press
 Reporting on “traditions” such as karo kari must be singled out as requiring drastic
change. Reporters must report the real motives behind the killing of women. The
plight of women needs to be primary focus of such reporting. Reporting should be
cautious, supported by investigative findings, and the authentic facts of each case
must be brought out in the open through actions like visits to the area and
interviews with those involved.
 It would be useful to highlight women’s rights in terms of religion. Journalists can
create a positive environment towards the tenets of religion and should try to
suggest remedies for improving women’s situations, in the light of Islam. This
would help in speedy mobilisation and awakening among people.
Journalists should first initiate the process of positive change from women and then
direct their efforts towards men. They must start with mobilising women and then
gradually focus on men. This can be done through simple steps such as giving
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women the right to comment on issues and/or writing more often about issues
affecting women.
Regional media workshops should be held in all provinces.
NGOs should be encouraged to co-operate with the media, especially if regional
newspapers fail to provide positive coverage to women.
Owners, editors, news-desk persons and district correspondents – indeed, all
elements of the press - should be sensitised to the issue of portraying women in an
unbiased manner.
Aurat Foundation, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, the Baluchistan
Union of Journalists and all Press Clubs should make an effort to formulate a joint
policy on women’s issues, as well as a Code of Ethics.
Recommendations on the National Press
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Professional criteria for journalism should be ascertained properly and implemented
with full force. The concerned parties must decide whether the selection is to be
based on substantial professional expertise and/or on required levels of education.
The press must ensure regular and professional training of the journalists working
in all categories of reporting. The parameters for these categories must be clearly
established and stated.
Objective and responsible reporting must be encouraged and safeguarded at all
costs. A system of checks and balances for responsible reporting must be
formulated and implemented, in order to achieve the desired standards. These
standards must be made clear to all concerned, and must be binding on everyone. In
addition, a common Code of Ethics is of paramount importance. Similarly, those
reporters who comment judgementally on groups such as women, poor people or
children must cultivate objective and impartial reporting.
The Press must acknowledge its ideological position and related professional
activities.
The journalist’s own responsibility for accurate and non-discriminatory coverage
must be acknowledged and taken seriously. It is the journalist’s ethical duty to
check the use of words, to learn the meaning of terms and to be careful while
reporting sensitive issues.
Every citizen has the right to draw attention to issues of concern.
Any reader’s protest must be addressed promptly and respectfully. This will
contribute to the creation of a responsible press.
Special attention must be paid to reporters’ responsibilities in crime reporting. An
honest effort must be made to avoid superficial coverage of serious issues. For
instance, in reporting “honour killings” in Tribal areas, many closely related facts
such as personal rivalries and land disputes are overlooked by the press. Similarly,
reporting of alleged criminal activities should not focus on personalities, thereby
causing irreversible damage to people’s reputation.
Sometimes government is itself involved in promoting sensationalism and
exploitative journalism. Some SHOs, tehsildars, and government agencies
deliberately manipulate the press for their own purposes. This must be brought to
public attention and stopped.
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The assumption that a journalist is a kind of public servant with the right to issue
verdicts and sermons must be discouraged as strongly and systematically as
possible.
The discontent found among journalists, stemming from a weak financial structure,
must be addressed sincerely, and it must be ensured that they get paid (i) according
to their inputs and (ii) at par with other professions.
The National press has a limited network, which it could usefully broaden by
adding a new team of reporters and correspondents. This will lead to a wider
reporting network and will help in ensuring the veracity of reports, and will ensure
that facts and figures are correct.
“The
commercial and sensational aspects of coverage take precedence over serious
writing and reporting in the case of the majority of daily publications, both English
and Urdu.”
5.
PAKISTANI WOMEN AND THE MEDIA: REALITIES
MISREPRESENTED, FACTS DISTORTED
Background
The media have become increasingly integral to forming public opinion, in any society,
which has mass media: radio, television, newspapers and magazines, advertising, and
cinema. Since even the least attentive and most sceptical audiences internalise much of
what they see or hear in the media, the media’s role is critical to agenda-setting and
public discourse. In a world still largely dominated by patriarchal values, media
representations of women tend to reinforce these values, a tendency that takes on
dangerous connotations in a country like Pakistan where women are generally viewed
as lesser human beings anyway, and where gender-based violence is alarmingly high.
The responsibility for this does not lie with the media alone but persistently negative or
stereotypical representations of women do pose a serious threat to national efforts to
improve the status of women. For example, despite the poor credibility of the statecontrolled Radio Pakistan and Pakistan Television, the media policy of General Zia-ulHaq’s era especially with regards to women, played a major role in conditioning the
population to internalize to some extent the view being propagated; a legacy that the
country has been unable to shake off in the years since. Various initiatives within the
media itself to counter this negative effect, such as appointing a women as the head of
PTV, and initiating public debate on women’s issues through programmes like Hawwa
key Naam are overshadowed in the overall media landscape that is dominated by
stereotypical or negative representations of women.
The traditional perceptions of women as property, as well as the repository of honour,
lead to great constraints on women’s freedom and rights in Pakistan, as in other maledominated, conservative societies. In addition, the mass media, including television and
print advertisements, and television dramas, tend to stress emotionalism in women’s
characters (as opposed to the rationalism of the male), dependence, traditionalism and
domestication. If a woman is shown as a working professional, she is not in the
workplace due to personal drive, ambition or ability, but out of economic necessity.
Thoughtfully presented television serials or talk shows remain exceptions, despite some
good attempts.
Over the years, the various ways in which women have been represented in the
Pakistani media, print as well as broadcast, have to a great extent reflected how the
establishment (government-bureaucracy-army) would like Pakistani women to be seen.
The portrayal of women, in particular on television (which has generally projected a
conservative world view regarding women) and in films (marked by increasing
vulgarisation and violence against women), has deteriorated markedly over the years.
These trends became most obvious after 1977, following General Zia-ul-Haq’s military
take over and his aggressive media policy framed along ideological lines, but continued
in one way or another after his death in 1988.
The media landscape in Pakistan
The media is developing rapidly in Pakistan, despite government controls on the
electronic media. Access to satellite channels is rapidly increasing, and the popularity
of the Hindi channels finally forced the Pakistan government to respond with the
launch of PTV World in 1998. Although even some remote villages have satellite
dishes and the trend is growing, the overall national average of three per cent of adults
with access to cable or satellite TV is relatively low -- only around 17 per cent even in
Karachi, Pakistan’s largest city. This city with an estimated 13 million population
(9.856 million according to the 1998 Census) also has the largest number of households
with one or another form of sources of information – 81 per cent. “72.94 per cent of the
households have indicated that TV is their main source of information – a very large
number. 36.64 also listen to the radio and 50.47 per cent read the newspapers,” note
Arif Hasan and Mansoor Raza in their analysis of Karachi based on the 1998 Census.
According to a recent survey, non-satellite television viewing audience in Pakistan is
estimated to be 39 million adults (18+) whereas 5 million adults form the satellite
viewer ship. There is an estimated count of 3,610,035 registered television sets in the
country, according to the Pakistan Economic Survey, 2000-2001 Media Report
produced by Gallup/BRB.
With new technological developments in the field of communications, and a stable (if
not slightly rising) literacy rate, more and more people are beginning to make use of at
least one of the mass media. Although 68 per cent of Pakistan’s population lives in
villages, most do have access to radio, and some also to television. Community viewing
is a common practice, but more men have access to this sort of viewing than women, as
such viewing often takes place in teashops or roadside khokas. Stereotypical images of
women thus permeate society at many levels.
Today, more people watch television than listen to the radio, a marked departure from a
decade ago when it was the other way round; however, radio access remains stable, at
about 40 per cent, in line with surveys of the 1990s. The weekly radio audience is
estimated at 37 per cent, compared to 50 per cent for TV. This is the average culled
from the urban television viewers -- 73 per cent -- and rural viewers, 43 per cent.
According to the Orient Blue Book 2000 – Pakistan Advertising Scene (Media Planning
and Research Division, Orient McCann-Erickson), over a third of Pakistani adults
(including almost half the female population) make no weekly use of any broadcast
media.
The impact of satellite television is reflected in the changes in women’s dress in South
Asia, as David Page and William Crawley note in their book ‘Satellites and South
Asia’. They found that the drama serials broadcast on satellite channels (mostly Indian)
influenced women not only in India, but also in Pakistan and Bangladesh. “According
to informants in Islamabad, local designers not only watch Zee’s fashion programme
Khoobsurat; they also record it for future reference. ... Indian channels may also be
aiding a comeback for the sari, which went into an officially enforced decline during
the days of General Zia-ul-Haq. Pakistani fashion magazines have been featuring saris
again and the wearing of saris and bindis has become more common on festivals and
social occasions, whereas in India the opposite has happened. Satellite TV has helped
to popularise the shalwar kameez at the expense of the sari. Even in smaller towns in
Nepal, these influences are acknowledged.”
The change in urban lifestyles over the years has been supported by the
communications revolution, as Arif Hasan notes. “The television is the main source of
information for the vast majority of Karachi households, more than 50 per cent of
whom have access to some form of cable. Thus, video shops and cable operators, all
too expensive in the formal sector for the lower and lower middle income population,
have become a necessity,” he writes (Hasan, 2000). “Santa Barbara, The Bold and the
Beautiful, MTV and all variety of news are now available to home in all the low
income settlements of Karachi and in the tea shops and eating places located in them.”
Hasan makes a significant point about the contribution of these developments to what
he calls a clash of values and cultural confusion. “It has also brought about a generation
gap which seems unbridgeable and is one of the major reasons for an increase in
honour killings of women in first generation urban families.”
The projection of women on Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation (PBC), the statecontrolled radio is far from accurate, despite the existence of several ‘women’s
programmes’. These are mostly restricted to topics considered ‘safe’ by the policy
makers. The response to these programmes is out of proportion to their time allocation.
The well known Lahore-based radio ‘voice’, Yasmeen Tahir (who has now left the
PBC) has received dozens of letters from young girls in remote villages, questioning
the injustices they are subjected to and the preferential treatment given to their brothers
(conversation with the writer, May 1999). These independent voices are drowned out in
the bulk of trivial and insensitive transmissions that are broadcast in the name of
entertainment. Gender issues tend to be overlooked as insignificant and are ignored in
main PBC transmissions. The importance of radio as the most important source of
information, particularly in the rural areas, has not been utilised positively by policy
makers.
A recent phenomenon is that of the commercially inclined FM stations, which enjoy a
greater degree of independence. Although their presenters, including the educated and
lively female presenters, might even be relatively non-traditional, this is no guarantee
of gender-sensitivity. Popular radio programmes now give regular beauty tips for
women and for those working in the beauty trade.3 In fact, their stress on the
commercial aspect may be a contributing factor in sensationalism regarding women’s
issues.
As far as television and films are concerned, portrayals of rural women, who form the
majority of Pakistan’s female population in this largely agricultural society, are
3
Hasan, Arif, 2000.
strength they need to keep going. Working an average of 16 hours a day in fields and
looking after hearth and home, these women have no time to fuss with purdah.
Although, like their counterparts elsewhere in the region they prefer to keep their faces
hidden from strangers, they would not be able to carry on their work in the voluminous
chaddors or burqas that the orthodoxy would like to see them in. However, as stated
earlier, many women themselves choose to don the veil, some because they feel it
empowers them, while others feel safer or more accepted because of it – a reality that is
ignored on television and radio as the current media bosses now try to project Pakistan
as a ‘liberal country’ in keeping with current political trends.
Compared to the access of Pakistanis to the electronic media, there are only about
30,531,000 newspaper readers, and some 9,024 magazine readers (Orient Blue Book
2002 – Pakistan Advertising Scene, Orient McCann-Erikson). It is safe to assume that
only a small percentage of these newspaper and magazine readers are female, given the
low literacy rate for women in Pakistan.
It is usually the main breadwinner – mostly male in this patriarchal society -- who
decides which newspaper the family will subscribe to. If a family can afford to
subscribe to more than one publication, there is some flexibility in allowing others to
choose which publication they’d like to read. When non-earning women, or those with
a lesser income than the male(s) of the family, do subscribe to women’s magazines and
digests, they often do so discreetly.
The issue of power and gender relations within the family structure raises the question
of how difficult it is for women to construct any leisure-time space for themselves
within the home – any space in which they are free of the ongoing demands of family
life. When they do find such time, it is often utilised in reading romantic fictions. With
the mushrooming of glamour, fashion and cooking weeklies and monthlies, the quality
of their reading material has deteriorated considerably. These magazines often provide
low grade material that reinforces the subordinate position of women in society and the
acceptance of male dominance. Women are preached and coaxed into playing the
traditional roles of sacrificial mother, dutiful daughter and obedient wife, sister and
daughter-in-law.
Media policies: impact on women
Gen. Zia used Islam as a political tool to justify and retain his hold on power. The
religious parties, already encouraged by Z.A. Bhutto's pandering to them because of his
own political weaknesses, were now further encouraged as a matter of policy in order
to create a constituency for Zia, counter the movement for democracy, and build a base
for the war in Afghanistan for which Pakistan was a frontline state. The media policy
that evolved was aggressively formulated along these lines, and marked a turning point
in the representation of women on television particularly, and in the media generally.
Pakistani citizens, especially women, underwent increasing curbs on freedom of speech
and movement, and an unprecedented emphasis was placed on women as symbols of
honour, nationhood and Islam.
Zia’s ‘Islamisation’ policy required female announcers on television to cover their
heads; those who did not, like Mehtab Rashidi, had to leave television. At one point, a
man and a woman in a television drama could not be shown alone on the screen; a third
person had to be present in the background. When leaving the room, the actor and
actress had to take different exits. The plays, talk shows and other programmes during
this time, with some exceptions, deliberately portrayed women as shy, retiring
wallflowers. Working women would invariably be ‘punished’ in some way, either by
society or the wrath of God. The strict dress code that was imposed led to ludicrous and
unnatural situations – actresses had to make sure their heads were covered even when
playing a distraught woman looking for her child, or a bride just waking up from sleep.
The brief and superficial respite of Benazir Bhutto's first tenure ended when Zia’s
political protege Nawaz Sharif was sworn in as prime minister. The process of
accelerated indoctrination was revived, one symptom being the reinforcement of the
`dupatta' policy. Television policy under the present military government has been
more relaxed in general, and regarding women in particular. However, there is no laid
down policy and things can change at any time under political compulsions, even
though religious extremists have lost considerable steam since the fall of the Taliban.
The docile and submissive picture of Pakistani women that gained currency during the
Zia years continues to remain the widely accepted image, although there are many
instances of this stereotype being broken, both in reality and in image. The contrast in
how women are represented on PTV 1 and PTV World symbolises the conflict within
Pakistani society. While PTV1 tends to still function along the lines delineated during
Zia’s time, PTV World attempts to project a more liberal image of Pakistan, in order to
compete with Indian satellite channels. Neither fully reflects the complex realities of
Pakistani women, who tend to be stereotyped and typecast on both channels. The range
includes the immaculately groomed, ultra-feminine, dutiful wife and mother, the healer,
the soother, the symbol of Mamta (motherhood).
The grit and courage of Pakistani women who struggle against all odds to feed their
families, or to achieve professional excellence in fields ranging from engineering,
medicine and science to the arts, teaching and commerce, is rarely reflected. The
‘professional’ woman most commonly represented is the dolled-up ‘secretarial’ type.
Rarely is the real, ordinary, hardworking Pakistani woman visible.
Cultural expressions: a revealing attitude
Pakistan has come a long way from the time of ‘Music ‘89’, the music programme
which nearly toppled the Benazir government by breaking out of the pattern of staid
female singers who moved just a demure hand to keep time with the music. Looking
back at those turbulent early years of the ‘restoration of democracy’, it is hard to
imagine (given the current broadcast fare) the uproar caused by a music programme.
Today, PTV broadcasts the western style video songs of Hadiqa Kayyani without
causing more than the expected token protest from the orthodoxy.
But when it was broadcast just a few months after Zia’s demise, ‘Music ‘89’ caused an
uproar. The programme, featuring the brother-sister duo Nazia and Zoheb Hasan, was
lambasted by the keepers of public morality who accused PTV of vulgarity and
obscenity, their standard slogan. They literally went on a rampage to protest this
departure from the ‘decent’ norm to which they had become accustomed. The wave of
popular music in Pakistan has had its own dynamics, including market compulsions,
but given the simultaneous rise of the militant religious right, it is not surprising that
few women have ventured into this field.
Meanwhile, the serious classical arts, especially when performed by women, are
discouraged, perhaps because they pose a greater threat to the established order and the
forces of the status quo -- a female classical performer, for example, is someone to be
taken seriously. She cannot be as easily dismissed as the stars of the pop world or the
cinema, who are looked down upon as ‘non-serious’ or ‘vulgar’. The celebrated Kathak
dancer Naheed Siddiqui was banned from television during Zia’s time – to allow her
programme ‘Payal’ to continue clashed with a government establishing its ‘Islamic’
credentials. There were no written directives, but no one challenged the verbal veto
issued by the then minister of information and culture.
After Benazir Bhutto became the world’s first Muslim woman prime minister in 1988,
many hoped that the bans and restrictions of Zia’s time would be lifted. But the second
Bhutto government found itself up against a society and a system in which the
orthodoxy had been considerably strengthened. Her government found itself unable or
unwilling to bring Naheed Siddiqui back on to television, despite recording her dance at
the PTV studios in Islamabad; her performance for the Ad Asia seminar in February
1989 was also never broadcast even though PTV had recorded it on the instructions of
the then Minister of Culture and Information, Javed Jabbar.
During Benazir Bhutto’s second tenure (1993-96), as the effects of the Zia times
appeared to be wearing off, Pakistan Television began quietly showing the occasional
dance programme – one was the broadcast of a show by Central Asian dancers who
performed at the Lok Virsa International Artisans Mela in Islamabad in 1994; another
was the broadcast of a classical ballet, ‘Homage to Freedom’, choreographed and
performed by Naheed Siddiqui, broadcast on August 14, 1996. Neither provoked an
adverse reaction from the religious right. Although a couple of other classical dance
items have been broadcast since then, unless there is a sustained and repeated
representation of this art form on the dominant media, the view that there is something
‘wrong’ with it, will continue to prevail. Dancers in Pakistan who have continued to
teach despite all odds often find they have more students they can handle -- but few of
these will take it up on a serious level due to a deep rooted and long existing social and
religious prejudice that has been reinforced by censoring dance from public view.
Fantasy on the big screen
The suppression of the classical form has coincided with the rise of a vulgarised
version, visible in the cinema and in private functions. The vulgarisation of the
Pakistani cinema has corresponded with the repression of normal cultural forms of
expression and political freedoms, and a rise in incidents of violence against women.
This is not to say that the violence and vulgarity of the Pakistani cinema are responsible
for societal violence, but they do contribute to a reinforcement of prejudices against
women, particularly in a segregated society where many men have no opportunity for a
normal interaction with the opposite sex. The vamp or saint image perpetuated by the
Pakistani film industry caters to a world of lurid male fantasy. Not only do the heroes
take the law in their own hands, films don’t even bother about the laws of the land. A
film based on the theme of a man taking a second wife, for example, does not even
refer to the law of the land according to which there are various pre-conditions to
contracting a second marriage, including the permission of the first wife.
Going by Pakistani films, you would see women as either virgins or vamps. The
cinematic view of a ‘modern’ woman is someone who is ‘fast’, westernised’, in
revealing clothes, cigarette between painted lips. The heroine might start out as a feisty
young girl, rebelling against social mores, a ‘modern’ woman who wears incredible
outfits and gyrates suggestively in fantasy dance sequences. But once the hero accepts
her as ‘his’, she subsides into the role traditionally approved of for a bride: demure,
shy, retiring, and traditional. The hero’s mother, emotional and self-sacrificial, often
spurs him on to take revenge for some injustice or dishonour to her or her family in the
past, even if this means attacking the daughter or wife of the enemy.
The press and women’s representation
‘We will not allow tawaifs (prostitutes) to dance on the Silk Route in the name of
culture’, thundered a headline in an Urdu daily newspaper, which speaks volumes for
the mentality that has been encouraged and developed over the years. The report was
based on the statement of a religious party about a function planned to inaugurate the
newly renovated Silk Route, with dances from the area; they referred to the dancers as
tawaifs – courtesans and prostitutes – and the newspaper reproduced their comments
unquestioningly. Such reporting further reinforces existing prejudices against women.
Discussions with journalists at a series of Uks workshops included a study of the
offensive language used in headlines of news stories culled from several newspapers
over a short period of time. “The quality used was not only abusive and sexist (antiwomen) but also extremely judgmental with no attempt made to investigate the actual
facts behind the news story.”
The press in Pakistan is divided between the English language papers, the mainstream
Urdu language press, and the ‘popular’ publications. The English language and
mainstream Urdu papers support women on various issues, especially domestic
violence, but the trend still is to portray the women as perpetual victims, battered and
killed for ‘honour’. The English language press is generally more sympathetic to
women and ‘women’s issues’ (perhaps because there are more women attuned to these
issues, in editorial positions). The lack of female representation, especially in the Urdu
press, where the work environment is also generally negative where women (or men
with a progressive outlook) are concerned, plays a role in this situation, concluded the
Uks discussion. “There was unanimous agreement that, for reasons that required
investigation and were not so easily understood, the work environment in the English
language publications was far more balanced, comfortable and healthy as against that
found in the Urdu press.” Women who had worked in the Urdu papers felt that their
male colleagues in these papers “seemed unable to accept women as equal in terms of
their being colleagues and deserving of respect and dignity that was the right of every
individual, whether male or female.”
There has been an increase in reporting on women-related issues, including hitherto
‘taboo’ subjects like incest, child abuse and prostitution. The damage is caused when
these newspapers succumb to sensationalism while covering crime stories. The Urdu
Press often solicits the opinion of religious leaders about such incidents, as the Silk
Route example shows. The view projected is a blinkered one. `Good' women are
traditional, self-sacrificing and pure. Women who assert themselves are portrayed
negatively, seen as ‘westernised’ and of suspicious character.
Press photographers are either instructed to ensure that there are women in the
photographs that they take of public events, or they do this on their own initiative
because of their experience that such photographs are more likely to be published.
Some go out of their way to take pictures of women who defy the norms, for example a
woman smoking at a seminar, in which case the caption would simply read: “Woman
participant of seminar smoking” – an observation that is never made of men who
indulge in the same behaviour. This observation is confirmed by the Uks discussions, in
which journalists agreed that newspapers tend “to publish photographs of women with
reference to any news item without any caption identifying the individual or the context
in which the photograph had been published (sadly, the only exceptions were when
photographs of rape victims were published). Strangely or not so strangely perhaps,
such omissions never took place when the photographs referred to men. ... Did such
omissions in the case of women only represent a tendency to dismiss the very idea of an
individualistic female identity?”
Stereotypical images of women are common in all publications, including various
digests and magazines -- the English press does this with a bit more panache, glitz and
glamour, while these stereotypes are portrayed in Urdu publications through short
stories and comments. As for the ‘popular’ press, there is not even a pretence of respect
for women on many issues, especially on crimes related to sex. The emphasis is often
on the looks and character of the victim, which shifts the emphasis from the crime and
reinforces existing negative attitudes about women.
Most reports ignore the fact that the violence against women is countered by process of
increasing education and awareness of women’s rights in all sections of society. More
and more women are stepping out of traditional roles and wittingly or unwittingly
challenging the status quo, exercising their right to a partner of their choice or to
employment of their choice. The response of the orthodoxy and the traditionalists is
often violent.
Educational textbooks are not usually included in the ‘print media’, but mention of the
role they play in conditioning young minds would not be out of place here. Textbooks
also typically marginalise the contribution of women in all spheres of society –
although the enrolment of girls in Karachi and Lahore’s universities is almost 50 per
cent (over 60 per cent in Karachi University) and their performance in the exams
usually far outstrips that of male students. However, most school textbooks show girls
only in domestic roles, never in outdoor games or in powerful positions, even though
the country has the distinction of bringing to power the world’s first Muslim woman
prime minister, and the current education minister is also a woman. On the positive
side, it should be noted that efforts have been underway for some years to change this
state of affairs, by various teachers acting on their own initiative; some have even
managed to introduce more positive images and role models of women and girls
textbooks.
Gender sensitivity: an impossible quest?
Women are increasingly joining the media in editorial and reporting positions.
However, when they are not themselves gender-sensitive and have internalised the
patriarchal values that are associated with men, their inclusion in the media may not be
of great service to the women’s cause. By the same token, men with an exposure to
‘women’s issues’ (and there is a fair number of these in Pakistan) can be gendersensitive in the most positive way. So portraying women in a negative or stereotypical
way is not a prerogative of male directors and writers. On the contrary,
More than any patriarchal values perhaps, it is the influence of “the market” which
leads to a tendency to use women as sex objects, more as part of the economics of
making money, than of making news. One very visible example is that of the
advertising world, as noted in the Women and Media chapter of the 1995 Pakistan
National Report for Beijing: “The aspect of TV commercials most in need of analysis
and challenges is the portrayal of gender roles, especially in the representation of
women. Numerous studies indicate that women are represented almost exclusively as
housewives/sex objects … the image puts up a mannequin, a shell. Conventional beauty
is her only attribute … Almost all women in TV commercials are expected to conform
to this norm. Women are constantly exhorted to emulate this ideal, to feel ashamed and
guilty if they fail to believe that their desirability and marriageability are contingent on
physical perfection. Although it has been proved that ads with human-interest touch are
much more popular as against those that have women as beautiful objects only … there
is a need to break the stereotype of showing women as the dish and clothes washers.
The role reversal could be effectively applied here.”
“There are other stereotypes of women constantly put up on television. Women are in
general shown as ‘belongings’, as ‘domestic adjuncts’, dependent, unintelligent
household functionaries.”
In an issue of the Media Watch newsletter Images, the Director General of PTV, Yusuf
Baig Mirza is quoted as saying, “Much as PTV would like to present better images of
women on the screen, there are certain constraints in dealing with Ad agencies.
Advertisements are there to ‘sell’ the product.” Outlining the limitations of such selling,
Mr Mirza suggested that advertising agencies could run test campaigns and present
them to audiences from different groups. “Perhaps Ad agencies could work out a
methodology that would sell the product and simultaneously cut down on the
stereotypical images of women as they are coming across currently.” The Natrep for
Beijing 1995 also recommends the adoption of a code of ethics by the advertising
industry. Sadly, neither this, nor any of the other suggestions and recommendations of
numerous reports on the issue, have been implemented.
It is not just television commercials that contribute to the existing stereotypes. Most
writers commissioned by PTV or the growing numbers of private production houses are
equally insensitive to gender issues, including violence against women. The few
exceptions (like Nurul Huda Shah, Asghar Nadeem Syed, Abdul Qadir Junejo) have
always found their work very well received, contradicting the concept that the ‘public’
is not interested in these issues. Most plays however, negate human values of dignity,
and women are often shown on the receiving end as victims of one kind or another,
including physical or verbal violence.
There is often a contradiction between the State’s avowed policies of improving the
status of women, and the projections of women in the media. No government has so far
been able to prevent the invitations to the well-known retrogressive, orthodox-affiliated
‘religious scholars’ who come to the studios to participate in PTV’s religious
programmes and pontificate on serious social issues, rather than the more progressive
scholars. “Statistics tell us that we are definitely a post feudal society, but state culture
promotes irrationality, obscurantism and dogmatism” as Hasan and Raza put it in their
analysis of the 1998 Census relating to Karachi (Feb 2001).
Women-friendly polices are occasionally introduced, but while well intentioned, they
tend to be superficial and do not go beyond the surface. Those responsible for
implementing them are forced to compromise, up against a wall of political expediency
and social prejudice reinforced by the media. However, any efforts to bring women’s
issues centre-stage, and to increase their visibility, contribute to a greater feeling of
freedom in society.
The way ahead
There is a need to formulate and implement a strict code of ethics in all aspects of the
media, to promote and encourage women’s empowerment and development. Many
suggestions have been made in this regard by media bodies, human rights and women’s
rights organisations. However, it should be noted at the outset that such steps taken in
isolation, without developing an overall democratic political culture, are unlikely to
succeed.
Government as well as non-government bodies have made many recommendations.
Most remain to be implemented. One example is that of the Pakistan National Report
for Beijing 1995, which notes that the power of the media for consciousness-raising
among women needs to be recognised and utilised, and makes various
recommendations for increasing women’s participation and access to the media, as well
as research and training to determine the information needs of female audiences. It
recommends an overall enhancement of the media as a means of information, education
and communication and instituting mechanisms to “ensure the freedom of expression as
well as promote positive, balanced, and diverse portrayals of women by the media”.
Various individual efforts have culminated in the broadcast of plays and talk shows on
the themes of violence against women, child and forced marriages, son-preference, and
female education. There have even been occasional drama serials on real life legal
cases affecting women and women trafficking. However, as a June 2000 memorandum
by the Joint Action Committee, Islamabad (sent to Javed Jabbar, then Minister of
Information and Broadcasting) notes, “Women’s groups, NGOs, academicians and
other sections of civil society are still largely excluded from PTV and PBC
programmes, other than mere tokenism on occasions such as 8th March. This is most
damaging to the women’s cause on programmes such as Saveray Saveray, Roshan
Pakistan, etc., where retrogressive forces are dominant – on prime time.”
The comprehensive list of recommendations put forward by the memorandum includes
the compulsory training of all PTV and PBC senior personnel in gender training
courses, “sensitising them to gender issues and gender sensitive portrayals.”
Another recommendation is the “Issuance of Administrative Directives to all male and
female Presenters, Comperes and Interviewers (of both public and private sector
programmes) to stop making sexist jokes and gratuitous anti-women remarks as ‘fillers’
or ‘linkages’ between programme segments.”
“Public service ads, spots and jingles on prime time television, discouraging violence
against women” are also needed, notes the memorandum, as well as “supporting
improvements in women’s education, health and employment, political participation
and human rights.”
Although Pakistan has a long way to go before the results of such steps are felt - once
such recommendations are implemented on a sustained basis in the first place - the
identification of the main issues involved is a good starting point. Meanwhile, despite
all kinds of social prejudices and pressures, reinforced as they are through the media,
women are forging ahead in all spheres of society. A supportive media would not only
make their task easier, it would contribute to the empowerment of half the country’s
population. The end result can only be positive for everyone – except the forces of the
status quo in whose interest it is to prevent this. If media is held to be part of society
and not solely responsible for the results of the images it projects, it should still play its
potential role in improving the situation. And if it is taken merely as a ‘mirror’ to
society's fantasies and illusions, it should also mirror the reality of women and not
project a one-sided dream world in which this reality is virtually ignored.
6. COVERAGE OF WHOM?
This section of the study considers a number of questions about portrayals of women in
the print media. The first question is: who are the women who are portrayed in the print
media in Pakistan? Are they the glittering stars of show business? Are they
predominantly political figures? Are they the women whose achievements deserve to
be recognised? What place, if any, is there for “ordinary” women in newspapers and
magazines? Are these women represented at all? And if they are, to what extent and in
what ways are they represented? How does the portrayal of women in the print media
affect the social systems in which women act and live? Can the “ordinary” woman see
herself reflected in the print media? How should she respond to coverage of women and
women-related issues, whether she perceives this to be negative or positive, when she
reads a newspaper or a magazine? And what does it mean to ‘read’ a newspaper, in a
world dominated by the electronic media? Is there any need to be concerned about
distortion and bias if readers only glance at newspapers and magazines, and do not
appear to be concerned with content, as the readers’ survey discussed earlier in this
Report suggests?
The findings of the study indicate that the women portrayed in the media are not
representative of the majority of women, nor do they reflect women and their concerns
as individuals, working women, parents and wives. They certainly do not reflect the
concerns of the majority of women who are running a home, raising children and
keeping up to date on world events. If she works outside the home, the woman reader
will find the issues that concern her almost entirely absent from the media coverage.
She will not see her own realities and concerns reflected in newspapers and magazines.
She will not see the social norms, which she espouses for her family and children,
reflected in the print media. This is most particularly the case with the Urdu press,
although the English press is also culpable. Similarly, the urban bias evident in the
findings of the study means that the literate woman who lives outside the large cities
will read about issues that have little or nothing to do with her life, and the issues she is
concerned with will be entirely absent from the print media. With very few exceptions,
the woman reader will not find serious editorial attention paid to women’s issues, such
as violence against women, the need for economic improvement, the need for improved
education and health facilities, or the need for greater female representation in the legal
and political systems of Pakistan.
Some of the questions raised by the research pertain to the role and the function of
journalism, in particular as these relate to women-focussed content. For example, to
what extent do newspapers and magazines function as neutral and objective channels of
ideas and information, and to what extent do they function as shapers of opinion and
indeed events? And what role is required of journalists and readers, in either case?
What responsibilities are borne by those who earn a living following stories, informing
the public about events, and representing people to each other? To whom are they
responsible? What are the constituent elements of ‘responsible behaviour’ for media
persons? And how should a perceived failure to act responsibly be treated?
Clearly, one of the functions of the print media is to communicate social values:
newspapers and magazines are one means whereby people learn what others are doing
and thinking, beyond the immediate environment. This is as true of the urban
Karachi-ite reading about rural women in Baluchistan, for example, as it is of a reader
learning how issues are conceptualised in other countries. Social values change as new
factors influencing social values are introduced, and this change will also be reflected
in media coverage. This of course means that change for the better and change for the
worse will be reflected.
We must also ask: to what extent is the contemporary media responsible for influencing
social issues? A good example of this is the classical sense of ‘good and responsible
journalism’, which aims to ‘expose’ corruption in order to stop its pernicious effects.
This is clearly a positive and useful kind of influence. Unfortunately, some publications
in Pakistan (as elsewhere) have perverted this process into one that traffics in
sensationalism and even extends to blackmail. Many journalists now aim the whole
process largely at those people about whom they write. At the very least, this emphasis
distorts the purpose of good journalism, in that it is aimed at those who are written
about, rather than being focussed on objectively informing readers about events and
making positive contributions to social values.
Good journalism also aims to inform, to bring readers useful and current information on
matters of interest. Yet women readers will find very little of such information in the
‘rag press’, and only a token amount of it in the mainstream press.
When we consider the coverage of women, the response to the questions posed here
depends in part on the perceived purpose of the print media. If we think, as many
readers do, that the print media exists to provide entertainment, then we must agree that
newspapers and magazines are doing a fine job. However, this is too simple a position,
since there is clearly a bias against women. That is, much of the so-called
‘entertainment’ is provided at the expense of women. There can be no claim to ‘neutral’
or ‘objective’ coverage if women are referred to and represented pictorially in negative
terms – i.e. in terms that represent women only as the passive objects of sexual desire
and not as agents of thoughtful and independent action.
Again, if the situation in the wider society were different, if women were able to
articulate and achieve their aspirations, whatever they were, it might be possible to
dismiss the crude and exploitative media coverage as the product of a marginal
phenomenon. It would still be objectionable, but its power would be minimal.
However, the point of the argument made in this report, is that biased, negative,
derisory and exploitative coverage of women, although not the entirety of the coverage,
has an effect out of proportion to the number of times it actually appears. The
representations described and analysed in this study feed on and contribute to a
patriarchal culture, in which women are at best a derived and subservient category, and
at worst, exist only to meet men’s needs. The portrayals of women analysed in this
Report reinforce pervasive patriarchal values. The press thus acts, by default, as another
arm of an oppressive social system.
If we argue that one of the functions of the print media is to sensitise and lead the way,
rather than simply to reflect the lowest common denominator of social values, then the
issue of derogatory and/or exploitative portrayals of women must be addressed. This
requires acknowledging that some newspapers and magazines are not only spreading
sensationalism, but are potent vehicles in inculcating negative images of women. Then
the question of ‘coverage for whom’ takes on new meaning. It is clearly not the female
reader who is addressed, since few women would willingly refer to themselves in such
derogatory terms. Nor is it the enlightened male reader who would not dream of
referring to his female relatives in such terms.
Perhaps the reader of the sensational headlines and semi-fictional accounts of liaisons
and illicit encounters, as well as supposed “crimes of passion”, is the anonymous male
reader, who, for the price of a newspaper, can imagine himself as a participant in the
stories and the advertisements. There is a terrible price paid by women, for this reader’s
voyeuristic involvement: women are denigrated and exploited by this objectionable
coverage. They are commodified by the media for consumption by anonymous readers.
They are absent as actors in their own right, and present only as the object of the
reader’s fantasies.
The findings of the study, the discussions in the workshops and the analysis of
women’s status in society, all suggest that portrayals of women exists on a continuum,
albeit a rather limited one, with respect to print-media portrayals. At one point lies what
we might call non-conformity with established patriarchal values, in which women are
perceived as acting outside the norms of tradition established for them. This
nonconformity may be voluntary or involuntary – in either case it is subject to public
scrutiny in ways that appropriate particular women as signifiers of objectionable
behaviour.
One aspect of this non-conformity is represented by the uncaptioned photographs of
nameless women shown in so many editions of the Urdu press. These women are
photographed without their permission, and are then displayed for public consumption
in the press. Equally disturbing from the point of view of women and men concerned
about the nature of coverage are the photographs of fashionable women wearing a
sleeveless shalwar kameez or a sari, or who are shown smoking, or simply present in a
“male domain” – such as a lecture, an exhibit opening or a sale of clothing. These
women, also usually un-named because the photographs are taken without permission,
are also thought to be ‘fair game’ for exposure to public view – thus eliciting tacit
disapproval as they are ‘consumed’ by the reader.
As things stand at present, there is no way for anyone presented for public viewing like
this to take the newspapers or reporters to task. Although legal sanctions exist, they are
practically unenforceable to anyone but the most tenacious and wealthy.
At a more extreme point on the continuum is the sensationalist coverage of women who
are victims of sexual aggression. In much of the press, although by no means all of it,
women are in effect punished several times over for being victims of male violence and
for supposedly violating the conservative norms of society. In this cruel scenario,
women are subjected to the ‘male gaze’ of the reporter, the camera, and finally the
reader, in a society that strongly values female seclusion. It also disapproves of - and
punishes - women for being the object of the male gaze, indeed, for interacting with
men other than family members – those who grant themselves the right to be
responsible for women - at all. She is punished three times: when she is raped, when
she is identified in the newspapers, and when the case goes to court.
From a patriarchal perspective, the male gaze is legitimised but respectful, so long as
women conform to stereotypes and to traditional values, such as those represented in
the advertisements that dominate coverage of women. However, the male gaze is
‘allowed’ to be lascivious and exploitative when women act in ways that run counter to
these stereotypes. Thus, again at an extreme, the rape victim is punished by the press,
by being exposed to another kind of violence – the public exposure of her shame - in
print, when her name and address are published. She is presented for public viewing,
which is again a form of ‘consumption’. We might say that she is a sacrifice to
respectability and a warning to other women: conform, or this will happen to you, and
no one will be able to do anything to help you.
It is a short journey from believing that women are the rightful objects of the male gaze
-because they are distant, glamorous, and in so many ways conceptualised as ‘other’
than the respectable and conforming women the male reader knows personally - to
exploitative coverage of women: i.e. women as a legitimate target of sensationalism. If
the press is driven by commercial values, as the workshop participants certainly
thought was the case, and as the findings of the press coverage found again and again,
rather than by the values of responsible and ethical journalism, then women are the
softest/easiest – and indeed the most legitimate - target for exploitative and fantasybased coverage. The male reader is then also complicit in the derogatory language used
in these portrayals of women: respectable women, such as the women of his own
family, would never be found doing the things he disapproves of as he reads - and
enjoys.
Thoughtlessly or deliberately derogatory references to women in headlines reinforce
the point that it is acceptable to use this kind of language. And if there is no formal or
informal sanction, whether social or legal, on using language of this kind, then the tacit
acceptability is unchallenged.
The stereotypes of the conforming or the glamorous women are found primarily in
advertisements, which are after all in the business of identifying, playing on – and
profiting from – fantasies, both male and female. For the male reader, the glamorous
female stereotype represents the fantasy of escape from the mundane, the glamour of
the unattainable - but still somehow legitimately desirable - woman, by virtue of her
distance from ‘ordinary’ life. Looking at/consuming glamorous women in the print
media is the equivalent of looking at women film and television stars. The artificial
characteristics desired by male readers – primarily her physical (albeit
artificially/technologically induced) ‘perfection’ – as represented in the print media,
reflect and legitimise his desires. When these representations are so closely connected
to his ability to purchase the products in the advertisements, his ‘right’ to consume the
images – to subject them to the ‘penetrating gaze’ - is also legitimised.
In most advertisements, women see idealised versions of their female selves, which
may be distant from the physical or social realities they are familiar with. Here the
stereotype is that of the woman who is an idealised version of the ‘proper’ female,
always acting according to her socially defined role: chaste, submissive, led by men,
responding to men’s and boys’ needs; ‘properly’ dressed’, and completely decorous.
She is entirely unthreatening to the male reader, because she has been constructed
artificially to conform to his desires. This stereotype, conveyed in the majority of
advertisements, is concerned with the desire to maintain the status quo – in this case,
the idea that the world of the home, represented by women, is unchanging, while the
rest of the world is changing in unmanageable ways. Thus both male fantasy and male
needs come together, as men are comforted in seeing their worldview represented to
them, for the price of a newspaper or magazine.
Women readers also engage in fantasies: of idealised features, a beautiful complexion,
beautiful clothes, plenty of money, no obligations, nothing of the ‘routine’ world of
obligation and perhaps deprivation, to intrude. Of course, if she does not conform to the
physical or social stereotypes, she is forced to acknowledge her supposed shortcomings
vis a vis the ideal representations. Advertising, however, provides a ‘solution’:
purchasing the product being sold will provide a corrective. The irony of women who
are dependent on men for money, spending money to conform to male idealisations, is
sad, to say the least. And if she objects to the representations, for whatever reason, the
female reader has no recourse other than to stop reading.
If a woman does not conform to the positive stereotype, and if unattainable fantasy is
not point, then the non-conforming woman must be punished. This is the unspoken
purpose of much of the lascivious and exploitative coverage of women found in some
parts of the Urdu press: women are punished by being subjected to exploitative and
derogatory representations, both linguistic and pictorial. It is legitimate to violate the
privacy of non-conforming women (whose ‘non-conformity’ may in reality stem from
being a victim of exploitation/crime and male bias) because they have somehow acted
(or been acted upon) outside the confines of the way things are supposed to be. This
violation of privacy is perhaps a symbolic representation of another kind of violation.
We might usefully ask: what is missing, from these stereotypical portrayals of women? Certainly,
women acting independently (of men) and being valued for that, are missing; women participating in the
economic sphere – women who are agents, rather than subjects, and independent agents rather than
depending on male achievements, are missing from the coverage in the media. Not entirely, but to a large
extent. The case of the elected councillor’s husband musing in the press about the possibility of divorce
makes this unfortunate point very well. In this case the dependence on male approval for social
acceptability – and the threat of punishment if that approval is withdrawn,
undermines the fact that the woman was elected to public office, but underlines the
power of her husband to change her entire social status.
If these are important issues; if it is legitimate to argue that the print media is more
important than carrying a set of headlines into readers’ homes, then there is a need for
action to ensure that editors, reporters, owners, feature writers, news agencies,
advertisers and readers, become much more sensitive to the use of language, and to
ensure that at least neutral - and perhaps proactively positive – linguistic and pictorial
coverage of women begins to appear.
The complement of this is the institution of some kind of sanction if the exploitation
continues. To reiterate a point made numerous times in the workshops: responsible
coverage of women and women-related issues is the responsibility of reporters, editors
and newspaper owners, but many have abrogated this responsibility in favour of
making money. Since it is most unlikely that they will be called to account for their
behaviour, they continue to use women as a means of pandering to the base desires of
their readers. And of making money. No one argues that the press should not be
financially profitable. The argument is that making money by exploiting women – a
technique used after all by members of an entirely disreputable ‘profession’ - is
reprehensible. Perhaps the press might find it profitable - socially and economically –
to consider the other half of the population, in its reflection of society.
This study represents an effort to affect the ways in which women are represented. It
argues that the language used in headlines, story content and advertisements, and the
pictorial representations of women, all legitimise already negative perceptions and
images of women. Patriarchal social values are both reflected and perpetuated through
these representations. The findings argue that woman are at best marginalised and at
worst exploited, by much of the print media coverage. If anything is to change for the
better, there must be a coherent plan of action.
The following section of this Report describes how a new relationship between readers
and members of the print media might be created and put into practice.
7. EMERGING TRENDS: POLICIES, PRACTICES AND ETHICS
OF THE PRESS
It is time for reflection, at the end of this extensive study. The various segments of the
Report highlight the fact that there is a clear and strong need for major restructuring in
most of the publications. The restructuring must be comprehensive. It must include
rethinking editorial policies and analysing and evaluating present styles of writing on
women-related issues. Most importantly, it must be based on realising the positive
difference that a strong Code of Ethics can make. In these final pages, we make some
recommendations for influencing policy, reshaping coverage, and creating a responsive
and responsible print media in Pakistan.
When we examine the situation of press policies vis a vis women’s issues in Pakistan,
over the last decade and at present, we find a bifurcated trend. There are two broad
categories of publications: the ‘rag’ or irresponsible press and the more responsible or
quality press. These two categories also have their own policies and treat women,
among other topics, according to their distinctive styles. Prior to this study there has
been only minimal effort to analyse the impact of negative press coverage on women
and women’s status. This study has examined both categories of publications and has
found that women are essentially treated as show pieces, as commodities, or as a
warning to other women. The treatment of women as show pieces or as commodities is
reflected in our findings that advertisements constitute the largest portion of the total
coverage of women or women-related issues. The ‘warning’ aspect is evident in the
coverage of crime and violence against women. In these, women are tried and found
guilty in the news coverage, without recourse to the legal system, and without the
ability to defend themselves against accusations, or to tell their own stories.
When we consider what is meant by ‘responsible journalism’, we must acknowledge
that there are multiple and conflicting responsibilities. At the broadest level, there is a
conflict between financial and social responsibilities. The financial responsibility
appears to be concrete: if a journalist is responsible to an editor primarily for selling
newspapers/increasing coverage, no matter what the social cost, then he or she must
comply, or lose his or her job. However, a broader social responsibility is surely also
present. If we define irresponsible journalism as that which exploits anyone who is
defenceless and voiceless, then the ‘responsibility gap’ in much of the press coverage
of women is painfully evident.
Everyone who plays a part in the process of producing a newspaper or magazine must
grapple with the sometimes conflicting responsibilities of, on the one hand, accuracy in
reporting and on the other, the consequences of that coverage, for the people whose
lives are the content of the stories and features. We must ask: are journalists prepared to
assume responsibility for the negative consequences of their writings, even if those
consequences are unintentional? Against which criteria are those responsibilities to be
articulated, evaluated and monitored? And who is to decide, in a specific instance,
which ‘responsibility’ over-rides the other?
As there is a responsibility gap, so there is an ‘ethical gap’ which lies between the
journalists’ obligation to cover a story, gather the factual details and represent people
honestly and non-judgementally, and the economic obligation to sell as many
newspapers as possible. With the print media inextricably linked to capitalist profit
making, defining the news, the subjects of the news, and the coverage itself, as
commodities, clearly limits the possibility of practising ethically clean journalism.
We acknowledge the difficulties faced by those journalists who must operate in an
extremely competitive, indeed somewhat predatory, environment, in which the lack of
job security and economic security means that they can be hired and fired at the
owner’s or editor’s will. Many journalists are so badly underpaid that even if they tried
their hardest, they couldn’t practice ethically clean journalism, let alone operate as an
independent “fourth estate” like in the democratic societies of the North. The poor
financial situation encourages the practice of ‘lifafa’ (envelope) journalism, so that
journalists accept bribes in order to survive. However, the logical conclusion of the
statement of these difficulties – that journalists are forced to write and photograph
women as the worst of them do - does not stand up to scrutiny: accepting this argument
would mean that anyone in society who preys on others has a valid justification for
doing so. That can never be an acceptable argument.
A communications revolution is urgently needed if we are to implement the changes
necessary to transform the deeply embedded stereotypical images of women in the print
media. Here, too, everyone involved must play a part in transforming expectations and
responsibilities. Readers, writers, owners, editors, advertising agencies, the news
agencies, freelance reporters – everyone who is involved in the two-way
communication process must play a part in creating and maintaining a responsive
environment, one in which social responsibilities are acknowledged, and a genuine
discourse on women-related issues created.
The reliance on photographs that dominates in some newspapers’ coverage of womenrelated issues emphasises the point that photographs are at best an artificially
constructed representation of social and material realities, and at worst a deliberate
effort to distort; that is, to represent only partial and stereotypical aspects of women’s
lives and social realities. The study makes it clear that some newspapers and magazines
exploit women, in the guise of representing women to themselves and to men.
As women working in communication, we see our role as one of ensuring that women’s
interests, aspirations and visions are honestly represented, and centrally located and
disseminated. The minimal requirement is for unbiased and objective coverage, as we
also hope for men: given the present dismal state of media coverage of women in
Pakistan, it is not asking too much to suggest that it be transformed into proactive and
affirmative coverage.
We would hope that respect for women’s rights, built on acknowledging that
responsible and ethical coverage of women is a social obligation, would be
incorporated into a revolutionised agenda. Furthermore, that exploitative coverage, in
an environment where many women are extremely disadvantaged socially and
economically, would give way to the restoration of respect for the integrity and dignity
of women. As things stand at present, the worst elements of the press have stereotyped
and dehumanised women, turning them into commodities to be voyeuristically
‘consumed’. Similarly, the excessive use of violence in the media is destroying the
human/social sensibilities of Pakistanis. We would do well to consider the costs to
everyone, when the weak and vulnerable are exploited this way.
It is possible to change the situation: the capacity is there and through proactive efforts
decent and humane sensibilities can be brought to the fore again. Uks presents the
findings and the analysis of this study as a starting point for this process.
The absence of gender in Codes of Ethics around the world
Annex 5 of this Report consists of the journalistic Code of Ethics from a number of
countries in South Asia and elsewhere. It is noteworthy that there is no gender
component in any of the Codes of Ethics. Although journalists are referred to as he and
she, there is no consideration of gender-specific reporting or other aspects of coverage.
For example, journalists are sworn to avoid exploiting ‘vulnerability’, but the term is
unspecific, and the particular vulnerabilities faced by women that are attributable to
gender are not considered. Many other examples could be cited, but the essential point
is that gender as a locus of journalistic ethics is entirely absent.
Recommendations from Uks
Based on the findings and the workshops, Uks would like to make the following
recommendations:
1. That the media be made aware of the importance of women in the development of
society, communities and indeed the country. At the very least, there should be
guidelines and a press kit on existing women’s issues to ensure better understanding of
this issue, on the part of the print media.
2. That professional and systematic efforts be made to bridge the gap in knowledge of
the ethical considerations in the print media. Many journalists in Pakistan have no
awareness whatsoever of the need for ethical behaviour and attitudes in journalism.
3. That the twelve critical areas of women’s development and gender equality
identified in the National Plan of Action for Women are regularly and positively
incorporated in news coverage on women. These areas are: Women and Poverty,
Education and Training of Women, Women and Health, Violence Against Women,
Women and Armed Conflict, Women and the Economy, Women in Power and
Decision-Making, Institutional Mechanisms for the Advancement of Women, Human
Rights of Women, Women and the Media, Women and the Environment and the Gildchild. Women with disabilities are included in the Plan as Annex I.
4. That a Code of Ethics with a strong gender component be formulated. Steps must be
taken to ensure its implementation, by representatives of the print media, especially
senior editorial staff. All news publications must be persuaded, through individual
efforts and influential bodies such as the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ),
the All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS) and the Council of Pakistan Newspapers
Editors (CPNE), to abide by this Code. The inclusion of gender-awareness in such a
Code would put Pakistan in the forefront of efforts to achieve gender-sensitivity in the
print media.
5. That a committee of journalists, concerned citizens and students be formed, to
regularly monitor publications that engage in derogatory and offensive language. The
committee would then regularly communicate its concerns to the editorial staff of the
concerned newspapers through letters to the editor.
6. That regular seminars and workshops be held on this issue, under the auspices of
PFUJ, APNS etc. and that newspersons be invited to actively participate.
7. Newspaper and magazine owners and editors must bear more responsibility for the
portrayal of women in their publications. These owners must be approached directly
and urged to give more, better, and positive coverage to women and women’s issues.
The Press Clubs and Unions of journalists should be invited and encouraged to actively
participate in this media-watch activity.
8. That discussions be held with the office-bearers of APNS on the possibility of
instituting an annual GENDER-SENSITIVITY AWARD for journalists - in the Urdu, regional
languages and English-language presses - on the pattern of the APNS yearly awards for
journalists/newspapers.
9. That there be on-desk training of news-desk persons, including editors and chief
editors, on the perils and liabilities of insensitive reporting.
Elements of a Code of Conduct
We acknowledge that bridging the gap between theory (i.e. acceptance of a gendersensitive Code of Ethics) and the practice of ethical and responsible journalism will be
a complex and time-consuming task. It is necessary to ‘translate’ the abstractions and
generalisations of a Code of Ethics into pragmatically applicable rules for the ethically
correct behaviour. Again, this will require a responsive dialogue between all the parties
involved. A Code of Journalistic Conduct, as outlined below, is one possible means to
that end.
1. Journalists must work to bridge the ‘responsibility gap’. This requires checking and
re-checking information: for accuracy, for gender and other kinds of bias, for its
potential to harm, and, to state this positively, for its ability to inform in a responsible
way. A closely related issue is the maintenance of high professional standards, such
that journalists do not exploit anyone who is structurally or temporarily vulnerable.
This latter point applies especially to anyone who has been traumatised.
2. Newspapers and professional bodies should develop a style sheet covering such
issues as gender-sensitive language and establishing criteria for the content and
captions of photographs.
3. Efforts must be made by schools of Journalism and Mass Communications, to
emphasise the importance of ethics in journalistic practice.
4. More women journalists, both field and desk, must be included on the staff of
publications, and in positions of responsibility, to contribute to an improved and
gender-sensitive reflection of relevant issues in the media. This entails making a space
for women in a presently overwhelmingly male environment.
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Annexes
Annex 1
Media Workshops: List of participants and press coverage
Karachi, May 8, 2002
NAME
DESIGNATION
Shahida Kazi
Chairperson
AFFILIATION/ORGANIZATION
Department of Mass Communication, Karachi
University
Rakhshinda Anwar
Coordinator
PAVHNA
Zofeen T. Ebrahim
Correspondent
Dawn
Sabeen Jatoi
Assistant Editor
Herald
Syeda Maryam
Student
Centre of Exellence of Women Studies, Karachi
University
Salma Waheed
Former, Federal Secretary Ministry of Women Development & Youth Affairs
Almas Ahmed
Free Lance Writer
Former Editor, She Magazine
Sheen Furrukh
Director
Inter Press Communication
Guinevere David
Reporter
The Nation
Shahida S. A.
Consultant
Raasta Development Consultants
Sana Moin
News Desk
Telebiz
Khurram B. Khan
Telebiz
Abdul Hameed Chhapra Chairperson
APNEC (All Pakistan News Papers Employees
Confederation)
Nargis Rahim
Chairperson
Karachi Women's Peace Committee
Mazhar Abbas
Bureau Chief
AFP-Karachi
Bahzad Alam Khan
News Desk
Dawn
Samina Kazmi
Treasurer
Karachi Women’s Peace Committee
Shahid
Business Forum
Mrs. Farzana Rehman
All Pakistan Women’s Association (APWA)
Qaisar Mahmmood
Correspondent
DPA (German News Agency)
Shabana Shafique
Reporter
Daily Jang
Mukhtar Aaqil
Senior Journalist
Daily Juraat
Rubina Jabbar
Reporter
The News
Raffat Saeed
Senior Reporter
Weekly Takbeer
Samiya Almas
Advocate
Pakistan Women Lawyers Association
Nazir Shakir
News Desk
Daily Juraat
Muhammad Farooq
APWA (All Pakistan Women’s Association)
Aamir Bakhtiar
Sub Editor
UMMAT
Shahid Ghazali
Reporter
Khabrain
Beena Sarwar
Senior Journalist
The News on Sunday
Idrees Bakhtiar
Senior Journalist
Herald/BBC
Professor Zakarya Sajid Director
Press Institute of Pakistan
Tabinda Rehman
Deputy Editor
Monthly Candle
Abbus Meh
Reporter
Daily Khabar
Ilyas J. Eean
SYGMA-France
Mumammad Alam
Jumat
Aamir Qureshi
Photographer
AFP (French News Agency)
Rana Qayyum
Banking Affairs
M. Shujaur Rehman
S.A. Alam
Lions Club
Tasneem Ahmar
Director
Uks
Quetta, June 11, 2001
NAME
DESIGNATION
AFFILIATION/ORGANIZATION
Arif Mahmood
Ashiq Ali Butt
Raza ur Rehman
Rashid Chohan
Younus Khalid
Muhammad Farooq Khan
Muhammad Azam
Muhammad Ejaz Khan
Jawad Haider
Salem Shahid
Zeeshan Ali
Naseem Janis
Ch. Imtiaz
Abdul Qadir
Salahuddin Nasir
Saeed Ahmed
Naseebullah
News Desk
Reporter
Senior Reporter
News Desk
Resident Director
News Desk
Reporter
Correspondent
Reporter
Correspondent
Reporter
Reporter
Correspondent
Correspondent
Senior reporter
Reporter
Assistant Professor
Humera Karim
Student
Farhat Jahan
Student
Anjum Riaz
Student
Nazima Talib
Assistant Professor
J.B. William
Musa Farman
Muhammad Arshad
Sohail Kansi
Rehman Shah
Khalid Mahmood
Yaseen Junejo
Siddiq Baloch
Seemi S. Tahir
Reporter
News Desk
News Desk
News Desk
Reporter
Producer
News desk
Editor
Assistant Professor
Ayub Tareen
Rao M. Iqbal
Shahzada Zulfiqar
Muhammad Zubair
Abdul Ghaffar
Aziz Bhatti
Tasneem Ahmar
Correspondent
Chief Reporter
Correspondent
Correspondent
Correspondent
Correspondent
Director
Daily Intekhab
NNI, News Agency
Daily Kohistan
Daily The Balochistan Times
Aurat Foundation Quetta
Daily Zamana
Daily Azadi
The News
APP, News Agency
Dawn
Online, News Agency
Daily Baakhabar
Daily Independent
Balochi Acade
Daily Jang
D.M.Q.
Department of Mass Communication, University
of Balochistan
Department of Mass Communication, University
of Balochistan
Department of Mass Communication, University
of Balochistan
Department of Mass Communication, University
of Balochistan
Department of Mass Communication, University
of Balochistan
Daily Jang
Daily Khabrain & Daily Azadi
Daily Zamana
Daily Kohistan
Daily Meezan
Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation
Daily Kavish
Balochistan Express
Department of Mass Communication, University
of Balochistan
BBC
Daily Mashriq
Daily Nation
Daily Jang
KPI, News Agency
Nawa-e-Waqat
Uks
Peshawar, June 19, 2001
NAME
DESIGNATION
AFFILIATION/ORGANIZATION
Zakia
Javeed Akhtar
Col(R) M.A.Shah
Salma Amir
Javed Afzal
Waseem Ahmed
Amir Muhammad Khan
Naseem Akhtar
Shabbir Hussain Imam
Shahida Perveen
Gul Karim
Tariq Saeed
Sajjad Khan
Shahbaz Butt
Waheed Ullah Khan
A. Bashir
Gulshan Aziz
Dr. Beg
Abid Ali
Ziaul Haq
Qasim
Abdul Rehman
Nadia Sabohi
Majeed Babar
Tasneem Ahmar
Mahwash Khan
Vice President
Swabi Welfare Society
Swabi Welfare Society
Tribul Women Welfare Association
Human Resources Managemant & Dev. Centre
Frontier Post
Daily Dawn
The News
Daily Jiddat
The News
Daily Mashriq-Peshawar
Information Department
Pakistan Observer
Daily Jiddat
Daily Jang
Daily Statesman
Daily Mashriq-Peshawar
Daily Mashriq-Peshawar
Tribul Women Welfare Association
S.W.W.S.
Daily Khyber Mail
PPI
NNI
Daily Jang
Khyber Mail
Uks
Uks
Chief Executive
Chairperson
News Desk
Correspondent
Reporter
Reporter
News Desk
Reporter
Research Officer
Bureau Chief
Reporter
Reporter
News Desk
News Desk
News Desk
Reporter
News Desk
Reporter
Reporter
Reporter
Director
Coordinator
Lahore, June 25, 2001
NAME
DESIGNATION
AFFILIATION/ORGANIZATION
Fakhira Tahreem
Zubair Yousaf
Shakila Patris
Hamid Riaz
Ghulam Nabi Shahbaz
Qamar Saqib
Hamid Waleed
Anjum Rashid
Sheraz Ahmed
Aurangzeb
Qamar -uz-Zaman
M. Faizan
Tasneem Ahmar
Reporter
Researcher
Field Worker
Correspondent
Worker
Worker
Reporter
Chief Reporter
News Desk
Bureau Chief
Reporter
Student
Director
Daily Jang-Lahore
Aurat Foundation-Lahore
Heal Trust
Daily Jasarat. Weekly Friday Special
BNW (Behbood-e-Niswan)
BNW (Behbood-e-Niswan)
The Nation
Daily Jang-Lahore
Daily Pakistan
Pakistan Observer
U.N.A
Uks
Islamabad, 10 September 2001
NAME
DESIGNATION
AFFILIATION/ORGANIZATION
Mohammad Azam Ulfat
Dr. Hong Qu
Shahida Perveen
Muhammad Shehzad
Uzam T. Haroon
Ahmed Afzal
Nusrat Zehra
Tariq Aziz
Tahir Iqbal
Dr. Iftikhar N. Hassan
Muhammad Javed
Dr. Zarina Salamat
News Desk
Researcher
Reporter
Writer
Project Manager
Coordinator
Reporter
Photographer
News Desk
Researcher
Daily Azadi –Quetta
Chinese Academy of Social Sciences
Daily Mashriq- Peshawar
British High Commission
Portrayal of Women in Media (UNDP Project)
Political & Social Group
Daily Ausaf
Daily Mashriq
Daily Pakistan
Fatima Jinnah Women’s University
Researcher
Siddique Jalil
Tahir Mehmood
Shahid Butt
Mohammad Jamal
Hamdah Waqari
Syed Anwar Mehmood
Senior Reporter
Sub Editor
Reporter
Group Manager
Reporter
Information Secretary
Riaz Ahmed
Mazhar Ali Khan
Tahir Saleem
Scherezada Mawaz
Syed Tariq Lodhi
Dr. Shafaat Ahmed
Mohsin ur Rehman
Mohammad Ishtiaq
Anwar Sultana
Ijaz Ahmed
Reporter
Correspondent
Reporter
Friend of Uks
Chief Editor
Publisher
PIPFPD (Pak-India Friendship Forum on
Peace & Democracy)
Online News Network
NNI news agency
Associated Press of Pakistan
Interflow Communication (Pvt.) Limited
Pakistan Observer
Ministry of Media Development and
Broadcasting, Government of Pakistan
Daily Kainaat-Islamabad
Nawa-I-Waqat - Islamabad
Monthly Jehan International
Sheen Farrukh
Sajid Qaisrani
Huma Khawar
Farida Hafeez
Fauzia Uzair
Zarina Jillani
Dr. Rakshinda Perveen
Agha Nasir
Nasir Sarfraz
Dr.Farhat Sheikh
Shafat Munir
M.Zahuddin
Samia Rauf Ali
Raja Asad
Jrene Kusber
Fatimah Ihsan
Amina Syed
Hameed
Shamim Ikram ul Haq
Suzannah Price
Director
Media consultant
Journalist
Free Lance Journalist
Researcher
Researcher
Executive Director
Media consultant
Section Officer
Gender Consultant
Journalist/Editor
Resident Editor
S. Development Advisor
Reporter
Programme Officer
Programme Officer
Consultant
Photographer
Free Lance Journalist
Journalist
Reporter
Journalist
Jehan International
BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation)
BBC
“
Daily Mashriq
JRC (Journalist Resource Centre) and Net
Work
Inter Press Communications
Aurat Foundation
Daily Dawn
Sahil
SPARC
SACHET
GEOTV
Law, Justice & Human Rights Division
The Asia Foundation
SDPI/JDHR
Daily Dawn
NORAD
Frontier Post
Netherland Embassy
Netherland Embassy
Serendip Production
Daily Jang
BBC
Khabrain (Karachi) 9 May 2001
Jasarat (Karachi), 9 May 2001
Pakistan Observer 21 Jun 2001
Annex II
Questionnaire for Readers’ Survey
Name:
Sex: M/ F
Occupation:
Address:
Survey:
1.
Category:
“Impact of Language and Reporting in Print Media on Women’s
Status and Development”.
Which of the following newspapers/periodicals do you read?
The Nation
The News
Daily Dawn
Pakistan Observer
The Frontier Post
Jang
Nawa-e-waqt
Pakistan
Ausaf
Khabrain
Sahafat
Al-Akhbar
Din
Takbeer
Akhbar-e-Jehan
The Friday Times
Newsline
Herald
She
Women’s Own
Pakeeza Digest
Any other:
2.
Why have you chosen this particular newspaper/ periodical?




3.
It has accurate and objective coverage of events
It gives a balanced coverage to women issues
It has a lot of sensational and spicy news and gossips
Any other
Which page do you read first in a newspaper/periodical thoroughly?
Front
Editorial/Opinion
City
National
International
Features
Sports
Business
Art/Culture
Miscellaneous
Any other
1.
Do you like the display and coverage of news regarding women?
Yes
2.
No
Are you satisfied with the language that is used while reporting on
women?
Yes
3.
No
No
No
Sometimes
Who do you think is responsible for bad, irresponsible coverage of
women?
Owner
Reader
6.
Sometimes
Do you think the use of derogatory language and/or indecent coverage of
women can also have a negative impact on the minds of children and
youth?
Yes
5.
Sometimes
Do you think the use of derogatory language and /or incident coverage of
women can harm women’s status and development in that society?
Yes
4.
Sometimes
Editor
Any other
News desk staff
What would you suggest for improvement?






Gender-sensitive language
Positive treatment of news
Balanced editorial policy
Proper training of reporters and news desk persons
Inclusion of more female journalists
Any other
Pakistan 25 Jan 2001
The News
24 Feb 2001
Jang (Kri) 20 Sep 2000
Annex IV
Media Policies on Women
The National Plan of action for Women (NPA) formulated by the
Ministry of Women’s Development, June 1997 reads, under the section
“Women and Media”:
Strategic Objective J.1.
“Ensure a more equitable representation and portrayal of Women’s issues at all
geographical areas by all kinds of media.”
Strategic Objective J.2.
Promote gender sensitization and awareness creation (expand the government, private
sector and NGO efforts in these activities as well as promote research on the impact
of the media)”.
Strategic Objective J.3.
“Enhance the Media as a means of information, education and communication of
women’s issues.”
Strategic Objective J.4.
Promote adoption of a code of ethics by the advertising industry and media.
Encouraging positive portrayal of women, including those with disabilities.”
GoP Media Policy and Gender: Focus on Electronic Media
Issues and Recommendations - June 2000
(Prepared by Joint Action Committee, Islamabad)
Issues
1.
Currently, there is a retrogressive move on both PTV and PBC, which is more
obvious on PTV. There is a resurgence of bygone Zia-ul-Haq days, with such
persons as Dr. Israr Ahmad, Dr. Anis Ahmad, Dr. Farhat Hashmi, etc. all
lecturing in prime time spots, e.g., Dr. Israr Ahmad at 9:30 a.m. on Sundays.
2.
The “religious” content and timeframe on PTV appears to have increased
substantially, even outside of such “sacrosanct” occasions as Ramazan,
Muharram, Eid-e-Milad-un-Nabi, etc. e.g., student quizzes now also have a
religious quiz titled: “Roshni Quiz”. Query: are non-religious quizzes
therefore implying an absence of enlightenment? And what sort of
enlightenment can the Roshni Quiz impart to youth when they ask questions
such as: How many camels did the Prophet personally slaughter on the
occasion of the Peace of Hudaibiya? [instead of trying to inculcate
enlightenment of the spirit by asking: What were the Prophet’s injunctions on
the equality of human beings and their basic human rights in his Last
Sermon?]. This increase is not matched with a proportionate increase in
1.
The sexist content and quantity of plays, comperes’ scripts for blockbuster
shows (e.g., PTV/PBC National Awards), as also a few other programmes
(e.g., Shoaib Mansoor’s script for famous male performers in the recent
international travelogue series - sponsored by a tobacco company), appears to
be on the increase.
2.
Instead of promoting the concept of mainstreaming by integration of gender
issues across the board, PTV seems to think that the 55-minute per day
programme: Khawateen Time (KT) does the trick and thus absolves it of any
further responsibilities or duties re. women’s issues. Even KT itself is falling
prey to a routine pattern of predictability (i.e., boring), and, hence, is no
longer appealing to a younger, more sophisticated and more demanding
audience.
3.
There is an almost total absence of public service broad/telecasting –
messages, spots, ads or jingles pertaining to women’s issues such as equal
rights, violence, political education, laws, etc.
4.
Past talk shows and special programmes such as “Hawwa Kay Naam” have
not been revived, despite popular demand.
5.
Women’s groups, NGOs, academicians and other sections of civil society are
still largely excluded from PTV and PBC programmes, other than mere
tokenism on occasions such as, e.g., 8th March. This is most damaging to the
women’s cause on programmes such as Saveray Saveray, Roshan Pakistan,
etc., where retrogressive forces are dominant - on prime time.
6.
Advertizing companies are still not subject to a gender-sensitive code of ethics
and anti-women ads are becoming more and more offensive.
Recommendations
1.
Immediate removal of bigoted, non-progressive religious lecturers such as Dr.
Israr Ahmad, Dr. Anis Ahmad, Dr. Farhat Hashmi and Dr. Tufail Hashmi
from the PTV network (all three channels) programming, and their
substitution with progressive religious scholars such as Mr. Rafiullah Shahab,
Dr. Rashid Ahmad Jullundhri, Dr. Arifa Sayeda Zehra, Dr. M.H. Jaffery, Mr.
Hasnain Kazmi, Dr. Farooq Ahmad Khan and Dr. M. Khalid Masud.
2.
Issuance of Administrative Directives to all PTV and PBC GMs, Station
Managers, heads of various programming sections (e.g., news, current affairs,
talk shows, plays, music, quiz shows, religious programmes, health shows,
women’s/children’s special programming, award shows, etc.), to:
(a) strictly guard against gender bias, stereotyping, or sexist/chauvinist
portrayal of women and male-female relationships;
(a) promote a positive and equitable image of women, their status and role in
all aspects of national life, and male-female relationships.
1.
Issuance of Administrative Directives to all male and female Presenters,
Comperes and Interviewers (of both public and private sector programmes) to
stop making sexist jokes and gratuitous anti-women remarks as “fillers” or
“linkages” between programme segments (e.g., Roshan Pakistan, Mideast
Prime Time, Tariq Aziz Show, Moeen Akhtar Show, Anwar Maqsood various shows, Gender Watch, etc.)
2.
Compulsory participation of all PTV and PBC senior personnel in gender
training courses, sensitizing them to gender issues and gender-sensitive
portrayals.
3.
Inclusion of plays and talk shows on the themes of violence against women,
child and forced marriage, son-preference, female education, the impact of
migrant labour on rural women, discussions with women lawyers on topics
related to family laws and Hudood Ordinances and taking listeners’ and viewers'
questions on women and the law, as well as drama series based on real life legal
cases affecting women.
4.
Despite extensive commercialization, especially on PTV, inclusion of public
service programming - broadcasting/telecasting of national and international
(with translation) documentaries, plays, and interviews on gender-related issues,
with less urban bias than is currently the case. Production, airing and monitoring
of information for women farmers and peasants on Radio Pakistan. Lack of
revenue generation ought not to be cited as an obstacle.
5.
Public service ads/spots/jingles on prime time television, discouraging violence
against women; supporting improvements in women's education, health and
employment, political participation and human rights.
STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES AND ACTION
Excerpts from the Women and Media Chapter of the 1995 Pakistan Natrep for
Beijing:
The power of the media for consciousness-raising among women needs to be
recognized and utilized. Given that information is vital for women's autonomy and
empowerment, and that inequality is perpetuated through women's lack of access to
information, services and to the media as a means of sharing their experiences, these are
to be addressed through the following measures:
Women's Participation
1.
Ensuring a more equitable representation of women at all levels and in all
geographical areas by both the government and independent media, as well as
commercial and informal communications systems, with the aim of expanding
the coverage of women in the media and ensuring a more positive treatment of
their participation in society.
2.
Increasing women's representation in the media to at least 20 percent of the statecontrolled media by the year 2000. This entails hiring qualified women at all
levels, paying particular attention to increasing their representation at the
decision-making level.
3.
Expanding the participation of women, particularly in areas where women are
grossly under-represented in the independent media and professional media
associations.
4.
Ensuring that the voices and especial concerns of grassroots women, rural,
disabled, and minority women are heard, in the government as well as the
independent media, and NGOs' and private sector communication systems.
Women's Access
1.
Ensuring that media content in the state-controlled and the independent media is
relevant to the lives of all citizens, through the establishment of a regulatory
body, through the Ministry of Information in cooperation with the Ministry of
Women's Development.
2.
Expanding the existing efforts of NGOs and CBOs to take modern and
traditional forms of communications systems to as wide an audience as possible,
particularly focusing on reaching rural women.
3.
Substantially increasing literacy levels among girls and women through efforts
both by the government and NGOs, in order to increase women's access to the
print media.
Research and Training
1.
Undertaking of research by both the government as well as NGOs on the impact
of media content on women, and surveying the information needs of female
audiences across the country.
2.
Promoting efforts to re-discover the traditional forms of communication
accessible to women, and their revival and expansion.
3.
Expanding the mandate of the public Information Departments at both federal
and provincial levels, beyond their present role of only covering government
events, to disseminating information on issues central to women's lives,
including their economic and political participation, health and education, and
rights.
4.
Expanding the presently limited efforts by the government and NGOs regarding
gender-sensitization and awareness-creation, particularly in the areas of violence
against women.
Enhancing the Media as a Means of Information, Education and Communication
1.
Adopting a national policy designed to fully utilize all forms of media and
communications systems, in all languages, to inform and educate both men and
women, with the specific aim of bringing about attitudinal changes.
2.
Fully utilizing and expanding the Allama Iqbal Open University's adult
education classes - which are also aired on the second public television channel
(PTV-2) - as a means of disseminating information about and to women.
3.
Promoting, providing encouragement and support for efforts by independent
programme producers, especially women, as well as writers, poets, artists, and
performers, who focus on gender issues, and seek to raise consciousness and
change societal attitudes - and further opening up state and private media
networks for their works.
Censorship, Monitoring and the Portrayal of Women
1.
Portraying positive images regarding women with disabilities through all media
forms, ensuring that stereotypes are countered and showing that women with
disabilities can be integrated into society, as well as guiding people about early
detection and prevention of disabilities.
2.
Instituting regulatory mechanisms within the government information structures
that ensure freedom of expression as well as promote positive, balanced, and
diverse portrayals of women by the media.
3.
Discouraging the exploitative portrayal and encouraging a positive portrayal of
women, through monitoring of the media by the government, and the inclusion
of non-governmental organizations and community-based representatives in all
forms of monitoring.
4.
Adoption of a code of ethics by the advertising industry.
5.
Expanding the independent media and communications systems to be more
responsive to gender issues, in order to counter the negative impact of sexuallyexploitative images of women portrayed in the media, notably through video
films and satellite technology.
Annex V
Codes of Ethics- National and International
Pakistan
NECP Press Code of Ethics
The Newspaper Editors Council of Pakistan was formed on May 22, 1993. Its aims
and objects include safeguarding the freedom of the press and working ceaselessly for
healthy growth of journalism in the country. The council believes that the duty of
Editors/journalists is to serve the truth. It also believes that the agencies of mass
communication are carriers of public discussion and information, acting on their
constitutional mandate and freedom to learn and report the facts. Article 19 of the
constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan which guarantees the freedom of the
press also places some obligations on it. The Article reads ‘Every citizen shall have
the right to freedom of speech and Expression, and there shall be freedom of the
press, subject to any reasonable restrictions imposed by law in the interest of the
glory of Islam, Of the integrity, security or defence of Pakistan or any part thereof,
friendly Relations with foreign states , public order, decency or morality , or in
relation to contempt of court , defamation or incitement to an offence’. In order to
fulfill the afore-mentioned constitutional obligations wihtout Inviting government
interference and to adhere strictly to the canons of journalism i..e. Responsibility;
Freedom of the press; Independence; Sincerity; Accuracy; Impartiality, Fairplay and
Decency and to realise the Goals expounded in the ‘Declaration of objectives’
adopted by the NECP , We , the members of the council declare acceptance of the
code of ethics. Here set forth :
1. The following are to be avoided in any form of publication such as news Items ,
editorials , articles , photographs and advertisement :
(a) Immorality or obscenity ;
(b) Vulgar and derogatory expressions against individuals , institutions or groups;
(c) Allegations known to be false and malicious against individuals , institutions ,
groups, newspapers and other publications ;
(d) Arousing of sectarian, parochial or provincial passions and prejudices And class
hatred;
(e) Glamourization of crimes and vice ;
(f) Incitement to violence.
2. Editors / journalists must be free of obligation to any interest other than
The public’s right to know the truth.
3. Will make constant efforts to assure that the public’s business is conducted in
public and that public records are open to public inspection.
4 . The right of the individual to protection of his reputation and integrity must be
respected and exposure of and comment on the private lives of individuals must
be avoided except where it affects the public interest .
5 . Presentation of news items and comments on events and airing of legitimate
grievance should fair and objective and there should be no wilful departure from
facts. Headlines should be fully warranted by the contents of the items they
accompany and photographs should give an accurate picture of an event and not
highlight a minor incident out of context; off the record briefings should not be
published and embargoes on release dates of news, articles and pictures should be
rigorously observed.
6. The journalist should be entitled to protect his source of information revealed in
confidence.
7. All paid commercials announcements, article or advertisements should be specified
as such.
8. No newspaper shall accept in any form or shape any financial and pecuniary
advantage or obligation form or on behalf of any foreign country, concern, or
agency, or agency. This does not apply to paid advertisements appearing as such.
9 . Gifts, favours, free travel, special treatment or privileges can compromise the
integrity of Editors and influence their sense of justice and impartiality. Nothing
of value should be accepted.
10. Secondary employment, political involvement, holding public office, and service
in community organisations should be avoided if it compromises the integrity of
Editors. The Editors should conduct their personal lives in a manner which
protects them from conflict of interest, real or apparent.
11. Justified corrections or denials sent as a result of any incorrect information
published by newspapers, periodicals or news agencies should be published
within the shortest possible period of time so as to effectively eliminate the
impression created by the original publication, which necessitated the issue of a
correction or denial.
12. The press shall refrain from publishing anything derogatory to religion or which
may hurt religious feeling of any sect/minority.
13. The press shall refrain from publishing anything likely to bring into hatred or
contempt the head of any friendly state.
14. The press shall not publish news or comments, photographs or advertisements
which may undermine the security of the state or solidarity of the nation and its
ideology.
15. The press shall refrain from publishing anything likely to undermine the loyalty
and allegiance of the defence forces and the civil armed forces.
16. The press shall refrain from involving the defence forces in politics and offer only
fair comment on its performance and conduct.
17. In reporting proceedings of Parliament and Provincial Assemblies, such portions
of the proceedings as the Chairman/Speaker may have ordered to be expunged
from the records of the House shall not be published and every effort shall be
made to give the readers a fair report of what has been said by all sections of
Parliament and Provincial Assemblies.
18. In reporting the proceedings of courts of law, care will be taken not to suppress
the version or arguments of the contending parties.
Code of Conduct: The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists 1973 (Actual Text)
Like other trade unions, formed for mutual protection and economic betterment, the
Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists desires and encourages its members to maintain
good quality of workmanship and high standard of conduct.
A member of the union has two claims on his loyalty, one by his union and one by his
employer. These need not clash so long as the employer complies with the agreed
union conditions and makes no demand for forms of service incompatible with the
honour of the profession or with the principles of trade unionism.
1. A member should do nothing that would bring discredit on himself, his Union, his
newspaper, or his profession. He should study the rules of his Union, and should
not, by commission, act against the interests of the union.
2. Whether publication or suppression, the acceptance of a bribe by a journalist is
one of the gravest professional offences.
3. Every journalist should treat subordinates as considerately as he would desire to
be treated by his superiors.
4. Freedom in the honest collection and publication of news facts and the rights of
fair comment and criticism, are principles which every journalist should defend.
5. Unless the employer consents to a variation, a member who wishes to terminate
his employment must give notice according to agreement.
6. No member should seek promotion or seek to obtain the position of another
journalist by unfair methods. A member should not directly or indirectly, attempt
to obtain for himself or any one else any commission, regular or occasional held
by a freelance member of the union.
7. It is unprofessional conduct to exploit the labour of another journalist by
plagiarism, or by using his copy for linage purposes without permission.
8. Staff men who do linage work should be prepared to give up such work to
conform with any pooling approved by the FEC or any Union plan to provide a
freelance member with a means of earning a living.
A member holding a staff appointment shall serve first the paper that employs him. In
his own time a member is free to engage in other creative work, but he should not
undertake any extra work in his rest time or holidays if by so doing he is depriving an
out-of-work member of a chance to obtain employment. Any
1. misuse of rest days won by the Union on the sound argument that periods of
recuperation are needed after strenuous hours of labour is damaging to trade
unions aims for a shorter working week.
2. While a spirit of willingness to help other members should be encouraged at all
times, members are under a special obligation of honour to help an unemployed
member to obtain work.
3. A journalist should fully realise his personal responsibility for everything he
sends to his paper or agency. He should keep union and professional secrets, and
respect all necessary confidence regarding sources of information and private
documents. He should not falsify information or documents, or distort or
misrepresent facts.
4. In obtaining news or pictures, reporters and press photographs should do nothing
that will cause pain or humiliation to innocent, bereaved, or otherwise distressed
persons. News pictures and documents should be acquired by honest methods
only.
5. Every journalist should keep in mind the danger in the laws of libel, contempt of
court and copyright. In reports of law court proceedings it is necessary to observe
and practice the rule of fair play to parties.
Note:- This Constitution was adopted at the Pakistan working journalists Convention
which was held in Karachi form April 28 to April 30 , 1950 . The convention which
was opened by Chaudhri Zafrullah Khan, Pakistan ‘s Foreign Minister, was attended
by delegate of the Sindh Union of Journalists and the Punjab Union of Journalists.
The Frontier Union of Journalists which could not send a delegate on time, declared
its readiness to accept the constitution adopted at the Convention. The inauguration of
the Convention which was attended by observers from Delhi Union of Journalists and
distinguished visitors, including Ministers and members of the Diplomatic Corps was
filmed.
Bangladesh
Code of Conduct 1993 for Newspapers, News Agencies and Journalists of
Bangladesh.
1. It is the responsibility of a journalist to keep people informed of issues, which
influence them or attract them. News and commentaries have to prepared and
published showing full respect to the sensitivity and individual rights of the
newspaper readers as well as the people.
2. Truth and accuracy in respect of information available shall be ensured.
3. Information received from reliable sources may be published in public interest
induced by honest intention and if facts presented therein are considered
trustworthy by logical consideration, then the journalist has to be absolved of any
adverse consequence for publication of such news.
4. Report based on rumours and not supported by facts shall be verified before
publication and if these are considered not suitable for publication, one should
refrain from publication of such news.
1. Newspapers and journalists have the right to express their views strongly on
controversial issues but in doing so:
a. All true events and views shall be expressed clearly.
b. No event shall be distorted in order to influence the reader.
c. No news shall be distorted or slanted dishonestly either in the main
commentary or in the headline.
d. Views on main news shall be presented clearly and honestly.
2. The editor has the right to publish any advertisement in newspapers singed by
proper authorities, even if is apparently against individual interest but not
slanderous or against public interest. If protest is made with regard to such
advertisement, the editor shall print and publish it without any cost.
3. Newspapers shall refrain from publishing any news, which is contemptuous of or
disrespectful to caste, creed, nationality and religion of any individual,
community or the country.
4. If a newspaper published any news against the interest and good name of any
individual, agency institution or group of people or concerned should provide
opportunity to the aggrieved persons or institutions to publish their protest or
answer quickly and correctly within a reasonable period of time.
5. If the published news in damaging or is improper, then it should immediately be
withdrawn and corrigendum or explanation (and in special cases apology) created
by publication of such news is removed.
6. Sensational and pulpy news shall not be published to augment the circulation of a
paper if such news is deemed vulgar, improper and against public interest.
7. Newspapers may adopt reasonable measures with a view to resisting crime and
corruption even if the may not in some cases be deemed acceptable to someone.
8. The extent and durability of the influence of newspapers is newspapers shall be
particularly cautious about the credibility and veracity of sources and shall also
preserve his source material in order to avoid risks.
9. It is the responsibility of the newspapers to publish the news of under-trial cases
at all stages and to publish the final judgment of the Court in order to reveal the
actual picture of issues relating to the case. But a journalist shall refrain from
publishing such comment or opinion as is likely to influence an under-trail case
until the final verdict is announced.
10. Rejoinder of the aggrieved party or parties directly involved with a news item
published in a newspaper shall be quickly published in the same newspaper on
such a page as would easily attract the attention of the reader: the editor, while
editing the rejoinder, shall not change its basic character.
11. If an aggrieved party sends a rejoinder for the damage done to him b an editorial,
it shall be the moral obligation of the editor to publish the corrigendum in the
same page and also empress his/her regrets.
12. The publication of malicious news is far more immoral than that of wrong news
without malicious intent.
13. It is the moral duty of an editor to accept full and sole responsibility for all
publications in his/her newspaper.
1. material to justify the truth of the matter reported. He should adopt the necessary
precaution while investigating the case.
2. A responsible publication, which has not been contradicted, may be the source of
news but it shall be a moral duty on the part of a journalist not to avoid
responsibility regarding the news on the pretext that it has been reprinted.
3. It is the responsibility of a journalist to highlight any news which projects
degeneration of moral values in our society but it is also the moral responsibility
of a journalist to maintain extra precaution in publishing any news involving manwoman relationships or any report relating to women.
4. Respect for the law shall be highlighted.
5. All government employees and the people in general shall be made aware of the
need to preserve national resources.
6. No programs shall be shown containing scenes of torture to human beings or
animals.
7. The programs shall eulogise the role of the genuine freedom fighters during the
wars of liberation.
8. All scenes of indecent kissing must be avoided while showing local and foreign
films or programs. No programs of terrorism, violence or other contents contrary
to Bangladeshi cultural values shall be put out.
9. In the case of advertisements, no commodity shall be undermined while
promoting another. Commercials shall not contain any obscene words or scenes.
(Source: Communication ethics: A South Asian Perspective. Asian Media
Information and Communication Centre, Singapore. 1997)
India
Code of Ethics of the All - India News papers Editors’ Conference
1. As the press is a primary instrument in the creation of public opinion, journalists
should regard their calling as a trust and be eager to serve and guard their public’s
interests.
2. In the discharge of their duties journalists should attach due value to fundamental,
human and social rights and shall hold good faith and fair play in news reports
and comments as essential professional obligations.
3. Journalists should observe special restraint in reports and comments dealing wigh
tensions, likely to lead, or leading to civil disorder.
(a) Journalists shall particularly observe maximum restraint in publishing reports
and comments relating to communal tension, riots, and incipient situations
likely to lead to communal disturbances. The identification of communities
which may lead to chain reactions should be avoided.
(b) Journalists should endeavor at all times to promote the unity achievements
and its strength in diversity. Journalists should be most circumspect in dealing
with movements and ideas, which promote regionalism at the cost of national
unity.
(a) integrity of the country and of Indian peoples must be considered sacrosanct
and beyond question.
1. Journalists should endeavour to ensure that information disseminated is factually
accurate. No fact shall be distorted or the essential facts deliberately omitted. No
information known to be false shall be published.
2. Responsibility shall be assumed for all information and comments published. If
responsibility is disclaimed, this will be explicitly stated.
3. Confidences shall always be respected. Professional secrecy must be preserved.
4. Any report found to be inaccurate and any comment on inaccurate reports shall be
voluntarily rectified. It shall be obligatory to give fair publicity to a correlation of
contradiction when a report published is shown to be false or inaccurate in
material particulars.
5. Journalists shall not exploit their status for non-journalistic purposes.
6. Journalists shall not allow personal interest to influence professional conduct.
7. There is nothing so unworthy as the acceptance or demand of a bribe or
inducement for the exercise b a journalist of his power to give or deny publicity to
news or comments.
8. Freedom in the honest collection and publication of news and facts and the rights
of their comments and criticism and principles which every journalist should
always defend.
9. Journalists shall be very conscious of their obligation to their fellows in the
profession and shall not seek to deprive fellow-journalists of their livelihood by
unfair means.
10. The carrying on of personal controversies in the press in which no public interest
is involved shall be regarded as derogatory to the dignity of the profession.
11. It is unprofessional to give currency to rumours or loose talk affecting the private
life of individuals. Even verifiable news affecting the private life of individuals
shall not be published unless the public interest as distinguished from public
curiosity demands its publication.
12. The Press shall refrain from publishing matters likely to encourage vice and
crime.
Nepal
Code of Conduct for Journalists
(Issued by the Press Council of Nepal on 1st May 1992)
1. Journalism is a profession, which should be responsible to the entire mankind. As
such, the people engaging in this profession should always remain dedicated to
human values, democratic behaviour, national interest and public welfare.
2. Every Journalist should make truth, mutual trust, honesty, justice and impartiality
as his identity while publishing or broadcasting news or views.
3. News and views leading to communal fighting, terrorism and differences between
different races, religious groups and communities should not be entertained.
4. If a published article is learnt to have caused unintentional harm to anybody or if
the information proves wrong, then it will be the bounden duty of a journalist to
1. Journalists should not disclose the confidentiality of the news source.
2. Journalism should never be misused for self-benefits. It is a serious moral crime
to try to take economic or any other benefits by making news as a tool.
(Blackmailing).
3. None should give space to publication of news or comments that are fabricated
and are prejudicial to the prestige of any individual or a family and infringe on the
right to privacy or self-confidentialities.
4. No news should destroy the credibility of any institution out of malice or for selfbenefits.
5. Disrespectful language and obscene materials should not be given any space in a
responsible press. While reporting on crime and rape cases, one should be vigilant
over the fact that information does not fan out excitement and deviations and that
it did not add further injuries on the afflicted parties.
6. Journalists should behave professionally towards each other. To blame each other
through the publications will be viewed as contrary to professional ethics.
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka Press Council Code of Ethics for Journalists
(Framed under Section 30 (1) of the Sri Lanka Press Council Law No.5 of 1973,
approved by Parliament and Gazetted on 14.10.81).
1. These rules may be cited as the Press Council Code of Ethics for Journalists
Rules, 1981.
2. Every journalist shall(a) Use all reasonable means within his power to ascertain article written by him
for publication:
(b) Refrain from reporting or causing to be printed or believe to be false or
inaccurate:
(c) Refrain from distorting the truth by any act of commission or wilful omission:
(d) Take all possible steps to correct within the shortest possible space of time
any inaccuracy or incorrect information in any report or article the writing or
publication of which he is responsible; and
(e) Refrain from publishing or causing to be published, any matter, which may
offend public taste or morality, or tend to lower the standards of public taste
or morality.
3. Every journalist shall use all reasonable means at his command in any report or
article he writes or chooses to be printed or published, to draw a clear distinction
between any statement of fact on the one hand and any expression of opinion or
criticism on the other.
4. Every journalist shall observe secrecy regarding any source of information unless
the person who gave such information authorises the disclosure of his identity.
5. Every journalist shall respect the reputation of an individual, and refrain from
reporting or causing to be printed or published any information or comment
regarding an individual’s private life unless the publication of the said matter is in
the public interest, as distinguished from public curiosity.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
(1)
In reporting or causing to be printed or published accounts of crimes or
criminal cases, a journalist shall no(a)
name victims of sex crimes:
(b)
name any young person accused of a criminal of 18 and to his
knowledge is a person who has no previous conviction: or
(c)
name any person as being a relative of a person accused or convicted
of a crime for the sole purpose of informing the reader of the
relationship between the person so named and the person charged
unless the public interest would be served by the publication of the
said matter.
(2) In reporting or causing to be printed or published accounts of matrimonial
causes or actions, a journalist shall refrain from reporting or publishing any
offensive details.
A journalist shall not commit plagiarism.
A journalist shall not present any matter in a manner designed to promote sadism,
violence or salacity.
A journalist shall not report or cause to be printed or published any matter that is
obscene unless the public interest is served by the publication thereof.
A journalist shall not report or cause to be printed or published any matter for the
purpose of promoting communal or religious discord or violence.
Every journalist shall safeguard the dignity of his profession. He shall not accept
any bribe in money, kind or service for any matter connected with or incidental to
his profession.
Professional Ethics Code of Journalists of the Kyrgyz Republic
Adopted in June 1997 by the editors of all government newspapers, the president of
state radio and television and the editors of some non-governmental newspapers.
TAKING INTO ACCOUNT that freedom of speech is a fundamental right of an
individual:
ADMITTING the Declaration of Human Rights, article 19, declaring the right of an
individual to seek, obtain and disseminate information:
BEING GUIDED by Constitution of the Kyrgyz Republic, article 16, and the Law of
the Kyrgyz Republic on Mass Media, which state that every individual has a right to
free expression and dissemination of ideas and opinions, to freedom of printing,
broadcasting and dissemination of information, censorship, disclosure of state and
commercial secrets, calls for the violent overthrow or change of the existing
constitutional system, violation of sovereignty and encroachment upon the territory of
the Kyrgyz Republic or any other state: propaganda for war and violence, national or
religious superiority, and intolerance towards other nations: and dissemination of
pornography are prohibited;
RECOGNIZING the responsibility for maintaining national security and mutual
understanding, social and political stability in the Republic before the people of
Kyrgyzstan;
We sign this Code and declare our willingness and readiness to observe the following
principles:
 To respect the honor and dignity of an individual, rights and freedoms, regardless
of nationality, race or sex;
 Not to use information to persecute unpopular persons and to settle personal
accounts;
 To be guided, above all by the interests of a person, the presumption of innocence
and the fact that only a court is authorized to charge a person;
 Not to interfere with the private life of a person unless the action seeks to protect
the interests of society, and the rights and lawful interests of citizens;
 Not to disseminate false information and rumors undermining the reputation of an
individual or discrediting his honor;
 To care for the prestige of the profession, respect the honor and dignity of
colleagues, and promote a balance between fair competition and professional
solidarity;
 To present reality through actual and detailed information, to operate using facts
which can be verified;
 To promote the process of democratization of society, and consolidation of the
peoples of the Kyrgyz Republic represented by different nationalities, while
implementing economic and social reforms different nationalities, while
implementing economic and social reforms in the country.
United Kingdom
CODE OF PRACTICE
Ratified by the Press Complaints Commission - 26th November 1997.
All members of the press have a duty to maintain the highest professional and ethical
standards. This code sets the benchmarks for those standards. It both protects the
rights of the individual and upholds the public's right to know.
The code is the cornerstone of the system of self-regulation to which the industry has
made a binding commitment. Editors and publishers must ensure that the code is
observed rigorously not only by their staff but also by anyone who contributes to their
publications.
It is essential to the workings of an agreed code that it be honoured not only to the
letter but in the full spirit. The code should not be interpreted so narrowly as to
compromise its commitment to respect the rights of the individual, nor so broadly that
it prevents publication in the public interest.
The public interest
There may be exceptions to the clauses marked * where they can be demonstrated to
be in the public interest.
1. The public interest includes:
i) Detecting or exposing crime or a serious misdemeanour.
ii) Protecting public health and safety.
iii) Preventing the public from being misled by some statement or action of an
individual or organisation.
2. In any case where the public interest is invoked, the Press Complaints Commission
will require a full explanation by the editor demonstrating how the public interest was
served.
3. In cases involving children, editors must demonstrate an exceptional public interest
to over-ride the normally paramount interests of the child.
1. Accuracy
i) Newspapers and periodicals should take care not to publish inaccurate, misleading
or distorted material including pictures.
ii) Whenever it is recognised that a significant inaccuracy, misleading statement or
distorted report has been published, it should be corrected promptly and with due
prominence.
iii) An apology must be published whenever appropriate.
iv) Newspapers, whilst free to be partisan, must distinguish clearly between comment,
conjecture and fact.
v) A newspaper or periodical must report fairly and accurately the outcome of an
action for defamation to which it has been a party.
2. Opportunity to reply
A fair opportunity for reply to inaccuracies must be given to individuals or
organisations when reasonably called for.
3. Privacy*
i) Everyone is entitled to respect for his or her private and family life, home, health
and correspondence. A publication will be expected to justify intrusions into any
individual's private life without consent.
ii) The use of long lens photography to take pictures of people in private places
without their consent is unacceptable.
Note - Private places are public or private property where there is a reasonable
expectation of privacy.
4. Harassment*
i) Journalists and photographers must neither obtain nor seek to obtain information or
pictures through intimidation, harassment or persistent pursuit
ii) They must not photograph individuals in private places (as defined by the note to
clause
3) without their consent; must not persist in telephoning, questioning, pursuing or
photographing individuals after having been asked to desist; must not remain on their
property after having been asked to leave and must not follow them.
iii) Editors must ensure that those working for them comply with these requirements
and must not publish material from other sources which does not meet these
requirements.
5. Intrusion into grief or shock
In cases involving personal grief or shock, enquiries should be carried out and
approaches made with sympathy and discretion. Publication must be handled
sensitively at such times but this should not be interpreted as restricting the right to
report judicial proceedings.
6.Children*
i) Young people should be free to complete their time at school without unnecessary
intrusion.
ii) Journalists must not interview or photograph a child under the age of 16 on
subjects involving the welfare of the child or any other child in the absence of or
without the consent of a parent or other adult who is responsible for the children.
iii) Pupils must not be approached or photographed while at school without the
permission of the school authorities.
iv) There must be no payment to minors for material involving the welfare of children
nor payments to parents or guardians for material about their children or wards unless
it is demonstrably in the child's interest.
v) Where material about the private life of a child is published, there must be
justification for publication other than the fame, notoriety or position of his or her
parents or guardian.
7. Children in sex cases*
1. The press must not, even where the law does not prohibit it, identify children under
the age of 16 who are involved in cases concerning sexual offences, whether as
victims or as witnesses.
2. In any press report of a case involving a sexual offence against a child i) The child must not be identified.
ii) the adult may be identified.
iii) The word "incest" must not be used where a child victim might be identified.
iv) Care must be taken that nothing in the report implies the relationship between the
accused and the child.
8. Listening Devices*
Journalists must not obtain or publish material obtained by using clandestine listening
devices or by intercepting private telephone conversations.
9. Hospitals*
i) Journalists or photographers making enquiries at hospitals or similar institutions
should identify themselves to a responsible executive and obtain permission before
entering non-public areas.
ii) The restrictions on intruding into privacy are particularly relevant to enquiries
about individuals in hospitals or similar institutions.
10. Innocent relatives and friends*
The press must avoid identifying relatives or friends of persons convicted or accused
of crime without their consent.
11. Misrepresentation*
i) Journalists must not generally obtain or seek to obtain information or pictures
through misrepresentation or subterfuge.
iii) Subterfuge can be justified only in the public interest and only when material
cannot be obtained by any other means.
12. Victims of sexual assault*
The press must not identify victims of sexual assault or publish material likely to
contribute to such identification unless there is adequate justification and, by law,
they are free to do so.
13. Discrimination*
i) The press must avoid prejudicial or pejorative reference to a person's race, colour,
religion, sex or sexual orientation or to any physical or mental illness or disability.
ii) It must avoid publishing details of a person's race, colour, religion, sexual
orientation, physical or mental illness or disability unless these are directly relevant
to the story.
14. Financial journalism*
i) Even where the law does not prohibit it, journalists must not use for their own
profit financial information they receive in advance of its general publication, nor
should they pass such information to others.
ii) They must not write about shares or securities in whose performance they know
that they or their close families have a significant financial interest without
disclosing the interest to the editor or financial editor.
iii) They must not buy or sell, either directly or through nominees or agents, shares or
securities about which they have written recently or about which they intend to write
in the near future.
15. Confidential sources*
Journalists have a moral obligation to protect confidential sources of information.
16. Payment for articles*
i) Payment or offers of payment for stories or information must not be made directly
or through agents to witnesses or potential witnesses in current criminal proceedings
except where the material concerned ought to be published in the public interest and
there is an overriding need to make or promise to make a payment for this to be
done. Journalists must take every possible step to ensure that no financial dealings
have influence on the evidence that those witnesses may give.
(An editor authorising such a payment must be prepared to demonstrate that there is a
legitimate public interest at stake involving matters that the public has a right to
know. The payment or, where accepted, the offer of payment to any witness who is
actually cited to give evidence should be disclosed to the prosecution and the defence
and the witness should be advised of this).
ii) Payment or offers of payment for stories, pictures or information, must not be
made directly or through agents to convicted or confessed criminals or to their
associates – who may include family, friends and colleagues - except where the
material concerned ought to be published in the public interest and payment is
necessary for this to be done.