Summary of workshop

Key facts

Date:                     21-23 March, 2006

Venue:                   Hotel Mehran, Karachi

Participants:           There were total 11 participants from Sindh and Balochistan

Agenda:                 Training was structured according to the manual – starting with the present trends of covering legal and political issues, human   rights situation in the country

Internews Team:      Matiullah Jan, Media Law & Policy Advisor

Muhammad Najeeb, Journalism Development Advisor

Farrukh K. Pitafi, Media Resource Manager

Guest speaker:         Mudassir  Mirza, Resident Editor, Daily Jang, Karachi

Visit:                      High Court of Sindh

Introduction

Over the past few years, the Pakistan government has been amending laws including radically changing the local governance and policing systems. These transformative changes have set in motion a spate of new laws, regulations, and procedures. With the media in general not grounded in investigative skills or trained in legal interpretation, public understanding of the implications of legal changes that affect their rights and access to justice is severely limited.

Media coverage of these issues in Pakistan is usually limited to reporting of the passage of a law but not its interpretation or reference. Focus on how people are affected by an existing or changed law is even rarer. To address this issue, Internews is holding three training workshops aimed at building the capacity of journalists and media organizations in legal and political reporting.

The first of the three workshops was held in Karachi (March 21-23, 2006) in which 11 journalists from electronic and print media participated. The training workshop focused on legal and political reporting, with specific reference to human rights, to improve coverage and public knowledge on these issues.

The following issues were particularly taken up during the three days;

• Reporting parliamentary efforts and political lobbying
• Understanding and interpreting legislative bills
• Practical solutions to cover rights-based issues
• Covering law enforcement practices, including rights abuses such as extrajudicial killings and death in police custody
• Court and crime reporting focusing on access to justice issues
• Knowledge and practical tools to deal with contempt laws (libel, slander, contempt of court)

The participants were given brief lectures on coverage of legal and political issues and why it was important for journalists to promote human rights. The lectures were followed by extensive discussion on these issues during which the participants, representing Sindh and Balochistan, discussed their journalistic experiences.

The participants unanimously agreed that a free press was important in highlighting and promoting human rights issues. They also called for protecting and strengthening democratic and legal institutions in the country. They also gave recommendations how journalists could play a role in promoting human rights issues.

On second day of the workshop, the participants were taken to High Court of Sindh where they witnessed hearing of three different cases by a division bench which was headed by Chief Justice of the High Court. They also interviewed Registrar and Deputy Registrar of the High Court.

The participants were also shown English movie ‘Good Night and Good Luck,’ the tale of CBS anchor Edward Murrow’s confrontation with and overcoming of McCarthyism during its peak years.

Selection criteria

1. Nominated by their supervisor or head of the organization
2. At least three years work experience in print or electronic media
3. Covering political and/or legal issues
4. Working for radio, television or newspaper

Participants

1. Two from FM radio -- one based in Hyderabad and one in Karachi
2. One from television -- based in Karachi
3. Eight from print media – four based in Quetta, one in Hub, one in Sukkur, two in Karachi

Training Material

A comprehensive training material was developed covering parliamentary and legal affairs broadly with reference to human rights issues. The material carried readings, exercises and quizzes for the participants. The participants were encouraged to share their experiences and training material with their colleagues after going to their work.

Stipends

Nine participants who showed in interest in undertaking in-depth coverage of political and legal issues in their media organization were elected for stipends to work on exclusive reports. These journalists are required to get their work published/broadcast within one month of the training.

Day 1

Introduction: Instead of introducing themselves, the participants were divided in groups of twos and were given five minutes to exchange information to introduce each other. This strategy worked and the workshop became an informal gathering at the very outset of the three-day meeting.

The participants were given a 54-page training manual which contained readings, exercises, quizzes and a few blank worksheets, besides a registration form, their feedback on the training and recommendations on how to improve legal and political reporting vis-à-vis human rights issues.

The participants were given background of Internews, objectives of the training and a brief introduction to the training manual. After introducing participants with journalism definitions given in different dictionaries and books, they were asked to write down their own definition. All the participants were unanimous in their definitions that journalism should be people-oriented. The participants were introduced to model – how to collect and disseminate information – by digging into the hidden agendas of operators and discovering the blind spot. The importance of feedback in reporting was also discussed.

Through an exercise, the participants were asked to examine uses of power to collect information that a journalist would like to share with readers, listeners and viewers. They were of the view that they have used different strategies to collect information but never realized how powerful these strategies can be.

The following strategies, to collect information, were discussed;

• Use of organization’s reputation and credibility
• Journalist’s position in an organization
• In possession of some exclusive data
• Professional experience
• Observing time and deadlines given by the information provider
• By physically threatening people
• Physical appearance – being well-dressed
• Using money – bribery
• Using ethnicity
• Using flattering or guilt-induction words
• Speaking ability
• References – family or friends
• Being humorous

At the end of Day-1, the participants were also shown English movie ‘Good Night and Good Luck,’ the tale of CBS anchor Edward Murrow’s confrontation with and overcoming of McCarthyism in early 50s.

On Day two, the participants were taken to the High Court of Sindh where they saw proceedings of a division bench, headed by the Chief Justice. The participants also interviewed registrar and deputy registrar of the High Court on legal issues. Both the officials replied to all questions asked by the participants.

In the second half of the day, the participants were briefed on defamation laws and following issues were discussed in detail;

• Covering law enforcement practices
• Extrajudicial killings and deaths in police custody
• Court reporting – access to justice
• International Covenant on civil and political rights and how it defines a fair trial
• Contempt of court
• Libel and slander

On Day three, the participants were briefed on parliamentary procedures, legislative bills, importance and role of political parties in democratic societies. They were also given a quiz with an objective that participants should realize the importance of basic information about their respective beats. None of the participants was able to give correct answers to all 12 questions. Only one participant gave four correct answers and only participant could reply to the bonus question.

The participants were also lectured on why journalists should be concerned with human rights. The role of journalists was discussed in detail in highlighting human rights issues. The following issues were discussed in detail;

• Journalists’ triple interest in human rights
• Alerting people to abuse of rights
• What tools do journalists need
• Human rights touch every area of life
• Journalists as opinion makers
• Functions of parliament – links between rights and parliament
• Relationship between journalists and politicians
• Journalists access to parliamentarian documents – committee reports, bills presented in the Assembly, questions submitted by members etc.
• Importance of question hour
• Increasing demand for sustainable democracy
• Increasing demand for transparency in politics
• What are bills and how best they can be interpreted?
• Practical solutions to rights-based issues
• How to promote Human Rights debate in parliament, among political parties
• Sources of information in parliament – legislation branch, secretary standing committee

The participants were given presentation on new media – Weblog, and how effective it can when they cannot express their views freely in traditional media because of certain restrictions by the government and owners of media organizations.

The participants also gave written suggestions on how to improve political and legal coverage in media vis-à-vis human rights. They also gave their feedback on the training workshop.

At the end of the third day Resident Editor of Jang Karachi Mr Mudassir Mirza was invited as a guest speaker. He spoke on concept and coverage of human rights issues in Pakistani media followed by question-answer session.

Recommendations to improve legal and political reporting vis-à-vis human rights

1. Media bodies should establish an academy to train new entrants to journalism
2. Journalists should be well trained in highlighting human rights issues
3. Parliamentary proceedings should be shown live on television
4. Journalists should be well versed with international human rights charters
5. NGOs should proactively engage journalists in activities to promote human rights
6. Media should promote democracy at grassroots level
7. Media should create a demand for human rights among people
8. Journalists should keep in mind peoples’ perspective while reporting legal and political issues
9. Newspapers should give on job training to new people
10. Newspapers should start internship program for students of journalism
11. APNS should also institute annual human rights award
12. Journalists pay structure should be reasonable
13. Reporters should commit themselves to balanced reporting
14. Reporters should avoid using adjectives in their reports
15. Political and court reporters should focus on objectivity, accuracy and fairness
16. Journalists should strive to have access to public record to benefit people
17. Journalists should be given regular briefings on court proceedings
18. Newspapers should give more space to human interest stories
19. Newspapers should avoid publishing political statements

Participants Feedback on training

• A lot of new issues were discussed during three days of training
• Internews should provide continuous technical and professional support to journalists
• This was the first ever workshop that was not aimed at getting publicity
• Three days were not enough for such major and important issues – legal and political reporting
• Internews should also provide booklets on basics of human rights, media laws, political issues etc.
• Internews should daily give a quote which can be a word of wisdom for journalists working on fundamental rights especially woman and child rights
• Internews should work in collaboration with other NGOs and press clubs to continue running training workshops
• Internews should prepare a “complete guidebook” for journalists on political and legal reporting
• Internews should encourage female journalists in human rights reporting
  

List of Participants

1. Khalid Bhabhat, Daily Ibrat, Sukkur
2. Syed Ali Shah, The Balochistan Times, Quetta
3. Shaheen Atiq, Sachal FM-105, Karachi
4. Shahid Hameed, Daily Intikhab, Karachi
5. Siddiq Baloch, Daily Balochistan Express, Quetta
6. Saqib Abro, Sachal FM-105, Hyderabad
7. Qaiser Mahmood, Daily Awam, Karachi
8. Hafeez Chachar, Daily Awami Awaz, Karachi
9. Muhammad Kazim, Daily Jang, Quetta
10. Safdar Hussain Khoohaaro, K.T.N., Karachi
11. Ikramullah Khan, Lashkar, Quetta

List of material provided to participants

1. Training manual
2. Urdu version of a reading on highlighting human rights issues
3. Human Rights Reporting Techniques
4. Introduction with website addresses of Internews
5. List of web sites from where journalists can benefit on reporting legal and political issues
6. A brief on alternate media
7. Story Outline form for stipends
8. Feedback form