JournalismPakistan.com | Published October 23, 2014 | Steve Manuel
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When a reporter or journalist is caught up in the excitement of sending his office an important ongoing story and wants it to land on the editor’s desk as quickly as possible, he usually sends it as it is happening in short updated reports with the end line reading ‘More to come…”
The same is the case with Journalism Pakistan. Today, five years after Imran Naeem Ahmad and I launched it, albeit in quiet fashion, it continues to be a work in progress. More to come!
True it’s seen many changes and has gone through various transformations since October 24th, 2009, it remains in essence a journalists go to website. It is about journalists and the media and will continue to be so.
Pakistan’s media is a continuing story and, therefore, so is Journalism Pakistan. Both are two sides of the same coin. Both have made progress and both have had to take a few steps sideways or backwards in their journey forward. But it has certainly been worth it.
I recall, after one month of its existence, we had only seven registered members. We now have thousands. Today, JP is read or followed in over eighty countries. The Facebook page has over 75,000 likes.
If we were doing something wrong then we would not have had this wonderful positive response. We are indebted to our supporters and well-wishers for bringing us this far.
Journalism Pakistan has always tried to be unbiased in its opinions but has never shied away from facing unpleasant truths as well. There was a time the website was hacked and there have been occasions when we have been threatened and abused. But hey, we’re still here and that’s all that matters.
We have broken stories and carried commentaries that have gone to the core of the issue or provoked the kind of response we’d hoped for. We have tried our best to carry every aspect of media and journalism on our webpage.
Imagine our excitement when we were informed one day that the staff of a certain newspaper had been banned from referencing our webpage because they were was frequenting it much too often. It was then and still is the ultimate compliment.
Much has happened in five years and it would not be fair to dwell on the itty-bitty details of everything that did or did not happen.
Suffice to say, we are happy that we still exist. We are happy that JP was an innovation that has lasted. It has not been a wasted effort.
In the future, we want to reach out more, be a better teaching tool, be a better-referencing tool, be more interactive and we will be working towards achieving this goal. It’s just that we plan something and then life wrenches us in another direction.
But if one perseveres, one reaps the fruit of determination. That’s what we intend to do. We are determined to do better with the help of our followers and readers and we would welcome suggestions and advice on how.
Let our journey continue.
More to come….
April 11, 2025: Sindhi journalist AD Shar was brutally murdered in Khairpur, Sindh. His body was found dumped on Handiyari Link Road. PFUJ has declared a three-day mourning period and demanded justice.
April 10, 2025: The Azad Jammu and Kashmir government has filed a case against The Daily Jammu & Kashmir and its staff for alleged fake news, drawing condemnation from PFUJ and IFJ, who demand immediate withdrawal of the FIR and an end to media repression in Pakistan.
April 08, 2025: Journalist Arzoo Kazmi alleges that Pakistan's state agencies, including the FIA, have blocked her CNIC, passport, and bank account while threatening her. She calls it a direct attack on journalism.
April 07, 2025: The Islamabad High Court has directed IG Islamabad to produce journalist Ahmad Noorani’s missing brothers, as the Ministry of Defence denies custody. SIM activity was traced in Bahawalpur, and investigations into their suspected abduction continue.
April 07, 2025: Journalist and Raftar founder Farhan Mallick has been granted bail by a Karachi court in a case concerning anti-state content aired on his YouTube channel. He still faces separate charges related to an alleged illegal call center and data theft.
April 03, 2025: Veteran journalist Ghulam Abbas Shah has joined Discover Pakistan Television as the Head of Programming. With 25 years of experience in leading news organizations, he looks forward to contributing to quality storytelling and content.
April 02, 2025: The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) has strongly condemned the visit of a group of Pakistani journalists to Israel, calling it a violation of journalistic ethics and a betrayal of press freedom and human rights. PFUJ demands a transparent investigation into the matter.
March 30, 2025: Dawn criticizes Pakistan’s plan to use TV dramas against extremism, highlighting financial and digital challenges. Can media alone solve deep-rooted issues?
April 03, 2025 The International Press Institute (IPI) and International Media Support (IMS) invite nominations for the 2025 World Press Freedom Hero and Free Media Pioneer Awards. Recognizing courageous journalists and innovative media, the awards will be presented at IPI’s 75th-anniversary World Congress in Vienna. Submit your nominations by April 30, 2025.
April 01, 2025 Photojournalist Suresh Rajak was burned alive while covering a violent protest in Kathmandu. The IFJ and its affiliates condemn the attack and call for an urgent investigation to hold the perpetrators accountable.
April 01, 2025 Assam Police arrested digital journalist Dilwar Hussain Mozumder for covering a protest against alleged corruption at Assam Co-Operative Bank. Media organizations have condemned the arrest, calling it an attack on press freedom.
March 29, 2025 A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration’s attempt to dismantle Voice of America (VOA), ruling that the move likely violated legal procedures. The decision protects over 1,200 journalists and media staff.
March 28, 2025 Turkey deports BBC journalist Mark Lowen over 'public order' threat and fines opposition TV channels covering Istanbul Mayor's arrest. Critics condemn crackdown on press freedom amid rising political tensions.