The Role and Status of Journalists in Sindh Province, Pakistan

This study provides a demographic and occupational profile of the Sindh journalists and examines their employment conditions, remuneration level, aims and aspirations, and their views on media freedom, professional autonomy and the role of the media. The study also highlights the limitations and hardships which Sindh journalists encounter in performing their professional responsibilities. The study employed two research methodologies – survey and focus groups. 576 working journalists, located in 22 District Press Clubs in Sindh, completed questionnaires. The focus groups were conducted in six purposively selected districts, recruiting on average five participants in each group. The study found that Sindh journalists typically are male, young, ethnically Sindhi and Muslims. About their financial conditions, mostly, they are unpaid and underpaid; they are well-educated, employed by private media, and have more than five years job seniority. Although they do not feel their jobs are secure, however they are satisfied and committed, professionally. Moreover, they consider that the media should perform the roles of ‘information analysis and public advocacy’, ‘national development’ and ‘dissemination of political awareness’. Ideologically they are liberal; and in context of professionalism they are press club members; to keep abreast of current events and news they first read newspapers and then watch television. They deny that the media in Pakistan are completely free and that journalists have complete professional autonomy. The study also finds that the attitude of the state towards the media and journalists correlates positively to the political system in Pakistan – in times of martial law treated with more severity, under democratic governments with less. Both neither government nor the press clubs have any comprehensive plan for the professional development of Sindh journalists. Factionalism is a problem, and much of this is due to conspiracies by media organisations/owners, government functionaries and vested interests of the journalists.