The landscape of journalism in Pakistan is intricately shaped by a multitude of factors, including historical, cultural, political, and economic influences. Among these influences, the role of Western training and collaboration stands out as a significant force in shaping the practices, standards, and perspectives of Pakistani journalists and media houses.
Pakistani journalists and media professionals regularly receive training, fellowships, scholarships, sponsored trips, funded projects, and participate in exchange programs sponsored by Western organizations and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). These initiatives shape journalistic standards, reporting practices, and the adoption of Western norms, narratives, discourse and values within Pakistani media.
In particular, the United States since the Cold War has been engaged in efforts such as proliferating its governmental and economic systems and propagating disinformation campaigns against its rivals abroad, dubbed “public diplomacy”.
Public Diplomacy is defined as ‘the means by which governments, private groups and individuals influence the attitudes and opinions of other peoples and governments in such a way as to exercise influence on their foreign policy decisions.’ The US Information and Educational Exchange Act of 1948, popularly referred to as the “Smith-Mundt Act,” specifies the terms in which the U.S. government can engage in public diplomacy.
Among the provisions of the 1948 Act was “the creation of an information service to disseminate abroad information about the United States, its people, and policies.” A major vehicle to achieve this objective was the development of the international broadcasting station, Voice of America (VOA). But over time, typical tools of propaganda have been transformed and replaced by digital and social media.
Now. in particular, the US-based think tanks such as East-West Centre and National Endowment for Democracy (NED) are clandestinely funding and supporting anti-China and anti-CPEC narratives in Pakistan through various journalists and their organizations.
The National Endowment for Democracy (NED) is an independent, nonprofit foundation dedicated to the growth and strengthening of democratic institutions around the world. Each year, NED makes more than 2,000 grants to support the projects of non-governmental groups abroad who are working for democratic goals in more than 100 countries.
Since its founding in 1983, the Endowment has remained on the leading edge of democratic struggles everywhere, while evolving into a multifaceted institution that is a hub of activity, resources, and intellectual exchange for activists, practitioners, and scholars of democracy the world over.
The East-West Center is an independent, public, nonprofit organization with funding from the US government and additional support provided by private agencies, individuals, foundations, corporations, and governments in the region.
Over 60 years of serving as a US-based institution for public diplomacy in the Indo-Pacific region with international governance, staffing, students, and participants, the Center has built a worldwide network of more than 70,000 alumni and 1,100 partner organizations.
The United States Educational Foundation in Pakistan invites journalists to apply for the U.S.-Pakistan Professional Partnership Program. This program involves journalists from both countries working together and building real professional relationships, as well as the opportunity to learn about media reporting in each other’s countries. This program will provide approximately 110-140 participants from Pakistan the opportunity to study and take an active part in journalism as practiced in the U.S. Selected participants will spend up to 4 weeks at a U.S. newsroom. The program is also knit throughout with events and opportunities to experience U.S. life and showcasing its diversity.
These U.S.-based so-called independent and non-governmental organizations have an open and stated set of objectives or purposes related to democracy promotion and cultural exchanges and other undisclosed and covert objectives or goals such as to promote and protect the interests of the West in the rest of the world.
For example, a project, worth about $70,000 had been awarded to Raza Ahmad Rumi, a fellow of the National Endowment for Democracy. He is the editor of the Friday Times and chief editor of an online media platform Naya Dur. He was aided by Najam Sethi, a prominent journalist and current Caretaker Chief Minister of Punjab Syed Mohsin Naqvi to get this well-funded project aimed at maligning and defaming the then Prime Minister of Pakistan Mr. Imran Khan.
Similarly, these luring fellowships, funded projects, and scholarships are frequently offered to Pakistani journalists who in turn become the orators of Western narratives, and the Western narrative is aimed to criticize the Chinese government, political system, policies, and projects and interfere in its internal matters. For instance, NED targets the Xinjiang region of China and proliferates and propagates false, baseless, and fictitious narratives of human rights violations and genocide of Uyghur Muslims. Attractive funds are disbursed and allocated to journalists based in Pakistan and asked to generate and snowball such heinous discourse in Pakistani media to harm the strategic relation between China and Pakistan.
Furthermore, Global Engagement Center was launched in 2011 and established within the Department of State the Center for Strategic Counterterrorism Communications (CSCC) for “supporting agencies in Government-wide public communications activities targeted against violent extremism and terrorist organizations. However, its functions and activities are in contradiction with its stated purpose as it has been involved in spreading and propagating disinformation and misinformation about China and its projects under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), especially CPEC – a flagship project of BRI.
In conclusion, the landscape of journalism in Pakistan is deeply intertwined with a complex interplay of influences from Western training, collaboration, and funding. While initiatives sponsored by organizations like the National Endowment for Democracy and the East-West Center have provided opportunities for professional development and cultural exchange, there are concerns about the undisclosed agendas and covert objectives that may underlie such engagements. The cases outlined reveal a nuanced dynamic where journalistic standards, narratives, and even political discourse are shaped by external forces, raising questions about the integrity and independence of media institutions in Pakistan. As the digital age evolves, the dissemination of information and the battle over narratives become increasingly pivotal, necessitating a critical examination of the sources and motivations behind media content. Moving forward, a robust and transparent dialogue about the ethical boundaries of journalistic practice, the influence of foreign funding, and the protection of media freedoms is essential to safeguard the integrity and credibility of journalism in Pakistan, ensuring that it remains a cornerstone of democracy and public discourse in the nation.
