ABSTRACT
This study looks at the state of freedom of expression in the country through the lens of journalism. It narrativises the history of journalism in the last 25 years or so through the personal experience of a journalist-turned-editor. The forms of media have changed drastically in recent years, compared to the long innings enjoyed by print, with a strong bearing on media ethics. Interestingly, the tools of censorship have evolved at the same pace. The power of blogs and digital and social media may lead some to believe that the media have democratised like never before. On one level, that seems right, but this is being countered with equal measure through repressive laws, self-censorship, and collusion between media houses and the state. In Pakistan, the arrival of private television channels in the 2000s, and that too by a military dictator, was seen as the biggest move towards freedom of expression. An analysis of his real motives, his subsequent actions against the same television, and the current status of electronic media shows how untrue that thesis was. And, lastly, this chapter addresses the question that is on everybody’s mind: the future of print journalism.
