Within hours of the tragedy, a news channel crew, consisting of a reporter, a cameraman and a driver, was already making its way through the home of Fizza Malik, a victim of the latest devastation to take place in Islamabad.
On 3rd March, terrorists entered the district court in Islamabad and started firing and exploding bombs. Within hours the names of the victims were being circulated via social media, as well as the news media. The very next morning, on 4th March, a news channel crew parked its van outside the gates of Fizza Malik’s home. The reporter received stares and angry gazes from mourners who had gathered at the residence to pay their condolences to the grieving family. However, this was perhaps not enough to deter the news crew who had a job to finish.
How can the news media be allowed to do this? While it is common knowledge that every channel aims to be the first in the race to present news in Pakistan, aren’t there any ethics that govern the actions of journalists and editors nowadays? The last thing such a family needs is a reporter shoving their microphone in their faces, while the cameraman zooms in to capture the tears being shed. The pain is still too fresh. It does not seem fair to cash in on the grief experienced by others.
While I did not stand around long enough to hear the questions being asked by the reporter, I won’t be surprised if they were insensitive and unethical, such as asking the mourning family “How do you feel right now?”. This is largely because news channel have lost their credibility to empathise where needed.
The news channel in question stirred a controversy over social media where angry viewers took to the Internet to complain about a reporter for barging into the home of a transvestite couple and asking obnoxious and impersonal questions, making a mockery of herself, as well as the channel. Not only was that particular act immoral but it was also illegal and would fall under trespass of private property: According to section 441 of the Pakistan Penal Code (Act XLV of 1860) the actions of this news channel would be considered a crime if tried in court as the act dictates criminal trespass to be the following:
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While no law dictates how much time should be given to a family before hounding them with questions about their loss, there are ethics and morals that should govern the actions of journalists. Perhaps, what is needed is for reporters to stop treating these stories as just stories. These are real lives with real people, who are dealing with pain and anguish over a loss that others cannot even imagine.
When a reporter shows up at the location of the event, he cannot be criticised for speaking to eyewitnesses as he is merely gathering facts. However, when a reporter specifically shows up within hours at the home of the victim’s family to speak about their loss, then, the whole point of reporting such a story is to do justice to the victim so that people can empathise with their loss and give them support.
How is a reporter going to garner any sympathy when all he/she is doing is angering the people affected by the tragedy, as well as the viewers watching this breach of ethics on national television?
Boundaries need to be drawn and action needs to be taken: Journalists should be taught when to hold back and if they commit such breaches of ethics, voices need to be raised and such acts need to be corrected.