Things turned ugly at a press conference recently in Peshawar when the former Prime Minister Imran Khan responded to a journalist’s question angrily, and left the venue in rage.
A video clip circulating on the social media shows that Imran Khan lost his patience when a local journalist, Arif Yousafzai, asked him a question. While the journalist’s tone and his framing of the question maybe criticized, Imran Khan’s aggressive behaviour stole the show. It left his party members surprised as well.
Coincidentally, this was the second time that Imran Khan took a jab at Yousafzai. In November in 2015, Yousafzai had asked Khan during a press conference if he had failed to be a good judge of people in personal and political life, hinting at his divorce with Reham Khan. An enraged Khan had replied, “Those talking about someone’s personal life should be ashamed”.
This was perhaps Khan’s only interaction with the mainstream media during his stay in Peshawar back then. He had though given interviews to social media influencers, YouTubers and journalists who had come to Peshawar from Islamabad and Lahore.
Handling journalists representing the mainstream media has been a weak spot for Khan. His latest interaction in Peshawar is reflective of a larger problem looming in the country.
Amid the continuing power struggle between the PTI and PML-N-led coalition government, the media is assuming a critical role. Pakistan has never been as polarized as it is today, and the strains have seeped far into the media. In democracy, difference of opinion is good for everyone. But presently the difference of opinion – about traitors, agents, criminals -- has touched a dangerous peak in the media. There is no middle ground.
Pakistan’s mainstream news media is deeply divided. What started as a fierce competition for ratings with the advent of private TV channels in 2002, has become partisan, where mediapersons have taken positions in the country’s ever-increasing political divide. Some media outlets and independent journalists are supporting one party and opposing others -- basically, those supporting Imran Khan and his PTI and those not. This is eroding principles of professional journalism.
The two opposing ‘camps’ in the media dig out old videos and use them against their rival politicians. For example, of late the Geo/Jang Group is accused of being highly critical of Imran Khan but the same group provided all out support to the PTI till 2013 elections. Then things changed and Imran Khan started lambasting the group. During the PTI government, professionals associated with Geo TV were hounded.
Many other leading journalists, such as Nusrat Javed, Matiullah Jan and Murtaza Solangi lost their jobs.
Another leading group, ARY TV, became Imran Khan and his party’s ambassador, and enjoyed the state support during the PTI government. Now, with the change of guard in Islamabad, the opposite is happening with the two media groups. Their roles have changed. Indeed, this type of partisan journalism by the electronic media has impacted their credibility adversely.
The social media has emerged as the most powerful tool of disseminating information in recent years. In fact, the social media has not only changed Pakistan’s media landscape but it has also transformed the entire political discourse. Amid the extremely tense political climate, politicians from all parties take to the social media platforms every day to express their views and demonize opponents. Many journalists who lost their jobs have become YouTubers.
This has resulted in an unprecedented surge of social media platforms, where political forces use digital platforms to push their narratives. At the same time, the social media has become one of the most irritating sources of information, fuelling polarisation and hatred in the society.
Soon after Imran Khan or Maryam Nawaz tweet, their supporters begin hashtag trends on Twitter. Both parties have dedicated social media activists working round the clock for promoting their party point of view and denigrating opponents. While all political and religious parties are now increasingly taking advantage of the social media, political rivalry between the PTI and PML-N has turned social media forums into fierce battlegrounds.
One can safely say that Imran Khan and the PTI have been the biggest beneficiary of the social media platforms in the country. Recently, one of the PTI trend #امپورٹڈ_حکومت_نامنظور will go down in Pakistan’s social media history as one of the most famous hashtags.
Besides spreading fake news, Pakistan’s social media trends are dominated by abusive language and filthy posts. The powerful military establishment is also getting a taste of the trend lately. Also most of likes and retweets for politically-motivated trends are run by fake accounts through bots designed to spread fake news and propaganda.
Pakistani media is facing many challenges. It is the responsibility of mediapersons and the state alike to preserve the sanctity of the information industry. The recent social media trends, replete with abuses, should serve as a wake-up call for stakeholders -- before everything becomes feculent.
A video clip circulating on the social media shows that Imran Khan lost his patience when a local journalist, Arif Yousafzai, asked him a question. While the journalist’s tone and his framing of the question maybe criticized, Imran Khan’s aggressive behaviour stole the show. It left his party members surprised as well.
Coincidentally, this was the second time that Imran Khan took a jab at Yousafzai. In November in 2015, Yousafzai had asked Khan during a press conference if he had failed to be a good judge of people in personal and political life, hinting at his divorce with Reham Khan. An enraged Khan had replied, “Those talking about someone’s personal life should be ashamed”.
This was perhaps Khan’s only interaction with the mainstream media during his stay in Peshawar back then. He had though given interviews to social media influencers, YouTubers and journalists who had come to Peshawar from Islamabad and Lahore.
Handling journalists representing the mainstream media has been a weak spot for Khan. His latest interaction in Peshawar is reflective of a larger problem looming in the country.
Amid the continuing power struggle between the PTI and PML-N-led coalition government, the media is assuming a critical role. Pakistan has never been as polarized as it is today, and the strains have seeped far into the media. In democracy, difference of opinion is good for everyone. But presently the difference of opinion – about traitors, agents, criminals -- has touched a dangerous peak in the media. There is no middle ground.
Handling journalists representing the mainstream media has been a weak spot for Imran Khan. His latest interaction in Peshawar is reflective of a larger problem looming in the country.
Pakistan’s mainstream news media is deeply divided. What started as a fierce competition for ratings with the advent of private TV channels in 2002, has become partisan, where mediapersons have taken positions in the country’s ever-increasing political divide. Some media outlets and independent journalists are supporting one party and opposing others -- basically, those supporting Imran Khan and his PTI and those not. This is eroding principles of professional journalism.
The two opposing ‘camps’ in the media dig out old videos and use them against their rival politicians. For example, of late the Geo/Jang Group is accused of being highly critical of Imran Khan but the same group provided all out support to the PTI till 2013 elections. Then things changed and Imran Khan started lambasting the group. During the PTI government, professionals associated with Geo TV were hounded.
Many other leading journalists, such as Nusrat Javed, Matiullah Jan and Murtaza Solangi lost their jobs.
Another leading group, ARY TV, became Imran Khan and his party’s ambassador, and enjoyed the state support during the PTI government. Now, with the change of guard in Islamabad, the opposite is happening with the two media groups. Their roles have changed. Indeed, this type of partisan journalism by the electronic media has impacted their credibility adversely.
The social media has emerged as the most powerful tool of disseminating information in recent years. In fact, the social media has not only changed Pakistan’s media landscape but it has also transformed the entire political discourse. Amid the extremely tense political climate, politicians from all parties take to the social media platforms every day to express their views and demonize opponents. Many journalists who lost their jobs have become YouTubers.
This has resulted in an unprecedented surge of social media platforms, where political forces use digital platforms to push their narratives. At the same time, the social media has become one of the most irritating sources of information, fuelling polarisation and hatred in the society.
Pakistani media is facing many challenges. It is the responsibility of mediapersons and the state alike to preserve the sanctity of the information industry. The recent social media trends, replete with abuses, should serve as a wake-up call for stakeholders -- before everything becomes feculent.
Soon after Imran Khan or Maryam Nawaz tweet, their supporters begin hashtag trends on Twitter. Both parties have dedicated social media activists working round the clock for promoting their party point of view and denigrating opponents. While all political and religious parties are now increasingly taking advantage of the social media, political rivalry between the PTI and PML-N has turned social media forums into fierce battlegrounds.
One can safely say that Imran Khan and the PTI have been the biggest beneficiary of the social media platforms in the country. Recently, one of the PTI trend #امپورٹڈ_حکومت_نامنظور will go down in Pakistan’s social media history as one of the most famous hashtags.
Besides spreading fake news, Pakistan’s social media trends are dominated by abusive language and filthy posts. The powerful military establishment is also getting a taste of the trend lately. Also most of likes and retweets for politically-motivated trends are run by fake accounts through bots designed to spread fake news and propaganda.
Pakistani media is facing many challenges. It is the responsibility of mediapersons and the state alike to preserve the sanctity of the information industry. The recent social media trends, replete with abuses, should serve as a wake-up call for stakeholders -- before everything becomes feculent.