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Saturday, March 02, 2013
Media guidelines for upcoming polls finalisedStaff Report
ISLAMABAD: The Press Council of Pakistan has finalised media guidelines for media reporting in the upcoming elections to promote standards of good practice.
Formulated in consultation with all media stakeholders, including the APNS, CPNE, PFUJ and relevant civil society organisations, these guidelines will be made public in a launch ceremony to be held in the second week of this month in the capital. To have across-the-board consensus, the PCP held consultative meetings in Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi, Multan and Quetta with all the relevant stakeholders. This resource document has been approved by the PCP Council meeting which was held on December 20, 2012, at the PCP Secretariat in Islamabad.
The PCP has already sent a copy of these guidelines to the Election Commission of Pakistan with a view to ensure free, independent and unbiased media coverage of 2013 general elections. The media guidelines focus on equitable and creditable dissemination of political information to people, enabling them to make independent decisions with regard to the elections. The guidelines discourage all forms of rumour, speculation, sensationalism, publication of unsubstantiated allegations and during elections. Issues of paid content, advertisement, opinion polls and political interference in the free functioning of the press are properly referred to in the resource document. The PCP has clearly outlined that no candidate would act as anchor or a host of any programme during the elections. In a press statement issued on Friday, the PCP said “it believes the upcoming polls would be a litmus test for the credibility of free media in Pakistan and only growth of ethical and responsible media can strengthen democracy in this part of the world.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk