TV THOUGHTS: Sri Lanka's growing violence and media censorship, 8th January 2008 polls: mild, measured and monitored?
There is so much to watch as far as the 8th January general elections are concerned and yet one can feel that the tone and text of the news and current affairs programmes that are being telecast are mild ,monitored and as if measured. To a tune .
For viewers who have been out of touch, in a sense, with Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto and Mian Nawaz Sharif I think it must be a new experience to see them on TV,frequently.and hear their voice, as they make their election speeches. Or hear them in interviews ,like the one I saw on the Aryone World in the Bakhabar Savera on 24th December 2007. The interviewer was the lively Shaista and she did an extended engaging and informative interview. The conversation was held in his Lahore home, and it was fairly comprehensive --- ranging from the personal to the professional, .Of course there were political aspects also.
A striking aspect of the conversation was the soft spoken style of Mian Nawaz Sharif, he came through as a mature, mellow politician, but very firm on principles throughout the interview. And when it came to the point about the PMLQ he was absolutely unyielding, unforgiving. One could return to some other point in this interview later .
I WONDER WHETHER SUCH INTERVIEWS WIN VOTES?
THE LATEST FROM PEMRA: Geo Network has been partially restored and in a steadily changing scenario one does not know what next on the media front? Geo news may be back by the time these lines are read. But I do not know. I am keeping my fingers crossed.
The protest of the media circles and organisations continues, the TV channels continue to report this and show footage as well A news report in this daily says that on 26th December there was held a protest meeting in Rawalpindi by the PFUJ (Dastoor group) where speakers said that "strict curbs imposed on media and purging the judiciary by President Musharraf has cast serious shadow of doubt over January 8 elections ' fairness, increasing apprehensions that these would be rigged" It was further said that " the ban on private channels and advertisements of a particular media group are tantamount to the economic murder of more than 5000 workers"
And with this there is news that there is a ban on live coverage of political rallies. It has come from the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) which is itself very much in the news A detailed report, in fact a lead story on the front page of the Daily Times (25th December issue) has said that the Pemra chairman, Iftikhar Rasheed has said that " the authority had barred television channels from live broadcasting of political rallies" The report said that he told a meeting of the Pakistan Broadcasters Association (PBA) that the authority had barred TV channels from the live telecast of political rallies because of the possibility of inappropriate remarks made in these rallies against opponents being aired. The meeting agreed to follow. a media code for the general elections ,now about ten days away.
The Pemra Chairman held a press conference later at Pemra's regional headquarters and said that there was no ban on live coverage of political vallies meeting except that there would have to be a time delay mechanism placed to maintain editorial control. He further said that he believed in a self regulating media.
This news report says that "the time delay mechanism means that live transmissions reach TV viewers after a gap of a few seconds during which any unwanted remark or scene can be filtered out before the viewers can see it.
The Pemra chairman said that it was necessary to clearly distinguish between official and unofficial election results, and only those results would be considered official that would be announced by the returning officers. He added that "occasional slips were okay but the media should not try to manufacture public opinion." He said that the media's performance after the emergency was satisfactory.
It is very useful to read carefully the media code details which have been published in this report. The code has directed the media to give additional airtime to political parties on the basis of their performance in the 2002 elections or their status. And an independent body will be formed and notified in due course which will monitor the allocation of the airtime.
The media code bars TV channels from broadcasting political advertisements immediately before, after or during news broadcasts. It also prohibits the broadcast of any kind of opinion poll or survey regarding the elections. And it has been notified that violators of the Media code will be punished with fines, suspension of licenses or seizure of equipment.
It has been recalled that President Pervez Musharraf promulgated an ordinance on 3rd November this year to amend the Pemra Ordinance 2002.
The amendment ensures that no anchor persons, moderator or host propagates any opinion or acts in any manner prejudicial to the ideology or sovereignty of Pakistan. It also bars television channels from broadcasting anything that defames or brings into ridicule the head of state ,or members of the armed forces or executive, legislative or judicial organs of the state.
There is so much of contemplate in all this, and in this changed context. It seems the limits of media expressions are being made clear French TV crew detained.
As if to reflect the power and the impact of the television medium here is this AFP report from Colombo which has appeared in this daily on 26th December with the headline that reads as follows: "Sri Lanka detains French TV crew".
It has been reported that the Sri Lankan authorities detained two foreign TV (called France 24) journalists and eleven locals from a Tamil family they were filming in the island's south. This was said in a police report.
Sri Lanka's independent Free Media Movement FMM) reacted thus: This is another instance of the authorities overreacting on the people's right to know ,ignoring that the media has a right to report in a creative way on matters concerning arrests and detention The FMM does not consider videoing a rood block as national security issue and expresses its serious concern of detaining a TV crew and a whole family on a minor incident" The facts indicate that the two member crew of France 24 was detained overnight at Ratgama ,105 kilometres from Colombo and they were taken into custody by the military there .Both journalists were taken before a judge who ordered that they be handed over to the police Terrorist Investigation department (TID) for further investigations.
There has been no response so far from the TV channel France 24. The FMM said that they wanted the crew released immediately and accused the authorities of overreacting and suppressing the right to information. The FMM further said that a female journalist and a TV cameraman from France 24 were filming a Tamil family visiting their detained relatives on Christmas Eve.
The Police version said that they detained the two foreign nationals as well as eleven Tamils and their driver after the cameraman was accused of filming a military check point outside the Boosa detention centre. Now Boosa was known as a notorious torture centre where Marxists rebels were detained there in the late 1980s
This AFP report further says that the Boosa detention centre was recently reopened by the military in the wake of mass arrests of minority Tamils as part of a crackdown against Tamil Tiger guerrillas.
It is said that international media rights activists have described Sri Lanka as one of the most dangerous places in the world for journalists to work in due to a worsening climate of violence and censorship It has been reported that since August 2005 eleven journalists have been killed in that country, and ten of them were slain in government controlled areas ,said the International Federation of Journalists ,adding that no one has been formally charged so far.
Look at the wider context of all this happening: the AFP says that "Sri Lanka is pressing for a military victory over Tamil Tigers and a series of tit for tat clashes have left tens of thousands dead on both sides since the conflict flared up in 1972". That was 25 years ago. And this is the Saarc region we are in
A news report on 27th December said that a Sri Lankan judge had freed the two television reporters who were held for two days. They were freed without any charges And the French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner sent thanks to all those who had contributed to the release, notably to the Sri Lankan authorities".
There is clearly reflected in this a glimpse of how South Asian culture works in the official circles as well.
AITZAZ AHSAN REARRESTED I have just watched a news report ( 1pm December 27) on the Aaj TV about the protest of Karachi lawyers against the police action against the president of the Supreme Court Bar Association Aitzaz Ahsan. An earlier report said that even on December 26 legal proceedings remained suspended at the City Courts and the Malir District courts as lawyers responded to the Pakistan bar Council's call to condemn the December 21 police action against Mr Aitzaz Ahsan.
December 21st was Eidul Azha and the TV channels kept reporting the rearrest of the President SCBA Aitzaz Ahsan lending a gloom factor on that festive day. A Dawn news report said that "released on Dece 20 for three days Mr Ahsan was rearrested in the small hours of December 21 while he was on his way to Islamabad to offer Eid prayers with the deposed chief justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry.
Reportedly, the senior lawyer was manhandled and forced to travel in an open police van for several hours in cold weather, and has been suffering high fever since then"
The protest by the country's legal fraternity is continuing and remains a major news story on the TV channels and the print media. The legal fraternity has vowed to continue its struggle against the ousting of the chief justices and judges of the Supreme court, the arrest and detention of the top PBC leadership and other lawyers across the country, and the amendments made to the Constitution by President Musharraf" to quote from a news report.
WAQT, SAMAA CHANNELS: As anticipated more TV channels are making their way into the world of television viewing in this country, and possibly raising the political interest and temperature of the varied sections of society. I am talking of the news channels which also reflects the sustained above average level of interest that Pakistani public has in the political theme. The face of the political leadership is gradually changing, and which could be read as a positive sign, despite the various shortcomings of the new faces.
Having said let me mention that two new channels made their appearance on 25th December 2007, evidently choosing the birthday of the Quaid e Azam as the day to begin their transmission (testing presumably) The channels are the Waqt TV from the Nawa e Waqt group which also publishes The Nation. The other is Samaa TV which is a sister TV channel of the CNBC Pakistan.
Obviously it is early to even comment on them. Waqt I have not seen at all, and Samaa TV I saw on 25th December evening. Two themes besides Pakistan were in high profile.---- Quaide Azam and Christmas.
The Nation in its editorial comment on 26 December on Waqt TV said that "...this is not a good time to be starting a news channel. It is not merely the immense difficulty of starting a channel ;that was accepted and overcome .Rather .it has been the current atmosphere that has proved vitiating ,what with the restraints that the government has placed, through Pemra and directly, by amendments to the Pemra Ordinance.. There have also been parallel amendments to the Printing, Press and Publications Ordinance ,which have survived the Emergency .,even though it has been lifted. .Both of these have made it almost impossible to have a new channel at this stage, but this group has gone ahead nevertheless, being mindful of the principle that no time is exactly and entirely right ,and no time is entirely wrong."
It further states that "despite the fact that the current government ,contrary to its claims of promoting the media ,especially the electronic, has done virtually all that is possible to stop free flow of information from channels hat do not fit in ,with the present philosophy of political correctness in the form of 'true democracy'. This channel has emerged for the benefit of an enlightened and discriminating viewership, and is here to stay."
Besides the political tunes there are some other themes that are currently being focused on ,or have been focused in the last few days. There is the Eidul Azha that was celebrated in the Muslim world ,preceded by Haj performed by almost 2.5 million Muslims. Then there was Christmas which channels like CNN An d BBC ,brought home to us here the celebrations across the world. Then there is the farewell to 2007 theme , and the accent on the themes and images that stood out in the outgoing year.
2008: As this is the last column of 2007 ,it is time to wish al readers a very Happy New Year. Stay tuned to TV channels in 2008 too.
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