July 09, 2014: Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) held a one-day training workshop for journalists from different parts of Balochistan on July 9, 2014 at Quetta Press Club.

Saleem Shahid, Resident Editor, Daily DAWN, and Imtiaz Gul, Executive Director, CRSS conducted the training as moderators and discussed problems that media persons in Balochistan were facing at the hands of militants, military and the ruling elites, mostly the tribal chieftains.

The journalists present at the occasion explained the practical difficulties in obtaining information and operational hazards at the hands of the ruling elites and the non-state actors. Most of the journalists from outside Quetta lamented the lack of security and non-cooperation of state institutions. They also spoke of the tight-rope walk they have to do while reporting even about tribal disputes.

This inter-action was about “do’s and dont’s” in a socio-politically hostile environment during which both Shahid and Gul emphasized the need for careful choice of words while reporting. They requested the journalists not to jeopardize their safety by mixing up roles of journalist, lobbyist and activist.

Mr. Imtiaz Gul said that Balochistan continued to bleed and remained in the clutches of retrogressive tribalism, brutal multi-dimensional state and non-state militarism. It was also stymied by the curse of cronyism, rampant crime, and a damning collusion among the ruling elites to pursue and preserve their vested interests. All this bears down heavily on the press as well, manifest in diminishing number of stringers and reporters in different volatile regions of Balochistan.

This interaction resonated some heart-wrenching grievances by journalists working in these backward districts and reinforced the operational hazards that journalists face in their daily reporting. Though not surprising, many did ventilate their frustrations even with some of the national media houses’ apathy towards regional stringers.

The journalists at the workshop said that most of them operated out of their own homes or shops or from personally rented premises. Organizational headquarters in Karachi, Lahore or Islamabad kept pressing them for “exclusive” stories but would hardly bother about the technical wherewithal needed to file the print or electronic story. The worst off are the video journalists, participants said; some organizations provide the technical gear and expect us to file stories even from far flung areas – though would not be ready to pay for the expenses.

Reliance on tribal warlords and their militias for counter-insurgency objectives exposes journalists and the society at large to multiple risks with long-term implications for the social peace and cohesion as a whole, said a senior journalist.

We are supposed to report on governance flaws and accountability of the government institutions but our employers hardly apply those principles when dealing with us, they complained.

A journalist associated with a national as well as a foreign channel said that owners of media houses are not bothered about the protection of their workers at all. Their primary interest lies in exclusive stories, for which sometimes adventurous journalists risk their own lives.

Mr. Saleem Shahid, also concurred that reporters in the field are not owned by institutions, and often distance themselves once something happens to a stringer/reporter. It’s quite an uphill task to report from districts as most don’t get paid, he pointed out. Mr. Saleem further said that Freedom of Expression must be protected, though decency also demanded.

At the end of the workshop, CRSS also signed MoUs with press clubs in different cities for cooperation in arranging meetings with community stakeholders. These meetings will be audio-recorded and broadcast as part of the Balochistan Kay Awam Ki Awaz radio advocacy of CRSS.