Media should play its role in highlighting neglected human rights issues.
A vibrant and socially responsive media is essential for a democratic society. Electronic and print journalists are vital sources of information for policy makers and the public. Their reporting can impact public policy decisions. DRI launched a media guide “Reporting on Human Rights in Pakistan” for journalists.
Launched at press briefings in Quetta/Balochistan with the Quetta press club and in Peshawar/Khyber Pakhtunkhwa the Guide should help journalists to give the public a sharper picture on human rights issues.
The guide provides the Pakistani media with a key resource for effective reporting on the human rights situation in the country. It offers a background on human rights and Pakistan’s progress towards them and provides accessible data that should shed a light on neglected issues. The report focuses explicitly on the connection between Pakistan’s GSP+ status and the human rights upon which it is conditioned.
The significant economic incentives that GSP+ offers have already motivated the government to implement human rights reforms, and Pakistan’s desire to maintain the status could prove an effective angle for reporting.
The Media Guide Reporting on Human Rights in Pakistan has been published in the context of the program Supporting Advocacy for Human Rights in Pakistan funded by the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs implemented by DRI since February 2014.