Journalists Warn of Rising Regulatory Threats on World Press Freedom Day

Journalists and media personnel gathered at an event hosted by the Institute of Business Administration Karachi’s Centre for Excellence in Journalism (IBA-CEJ) ahead of World Press Freedom Day. They warned that threats to journalism were shifting from physical violence to legal, regulatory, and economic pressures.

The IBA-CEJ Director, Shahzeb Jillani, opened the event, stating it was taking place at a “critical moment for press freedom globally,” as highlighted by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) in its Press Freedom Index. The organization described 2026 as the worst year since records began.

Journalists committed to public interest journalism and reporting the truth with courage were emphasized. Zaffar Abbas, editor of Dawn Media Group, spoke about the need to uphold editorial independence despite mounting pressures during a concluding session titled “Surrender is not an option”.

The panel discussion on journalist safety, titled “Shooting the messenger — the price we pay”, identified regulatory repression as a major emerging threat. Iqbal Khattak, executive director of Freedom Network, highlighted economic strangulation and abuse of cyber laws as tactics to silence dissent and punish critics.

Adil Jawad noted the growing vulnerability of digital journalists, who are often targeted by PECA due to lack of training on safety measures.

A panel on challenges faced by women journalists featured Sidra Dar, Kiran Khan, and Yusra Askari. They discussed reporting from Balochistan, described as an information “black hole”, and offered advice on dealing with online abuse.

Osama Bin Javaid, senior correspondent at Al Jazeera, paid tribute to journalists working in conflict zones during a keynote session titled “Eyewitness to history: reporting on war and genocide”.

The event underscored the importance of defending ethical, independent, and public interest journalism as methods of suppressing it become more sophisticated.