Introduction to Pakistan English News Media

Pakistan enjoys a lot of dynamism in the media, despite an authoritarian government influenced by the military. For the past few years, Pakistan has begun to enjoy a newfound freedom of speech in the country, that extends to its media as well. After 2002, electronic media liberalization began in the country, which also led to several pre-existing newspapers expanding their operations. Despite bans and censorship, Pakistani media has evolved leaps and bounds to house more than 100 newspapers and news channels.

Before 2002, most of the newspapers in Pakistan were founded by journalists with nationalist motives. After the liberalization, they came under scanner and were criticized for their sensationalism and vested interests in news reporting. Some newspapers were even owned by political parties, and for obvious reasons circulated the party’s ideologies. Even if the newspapers weren’t directly owned by politicians, they were influenced by one or the other political party, be it for ideological or commercial reasons. This also took place because the majority of Pakistani journalists were thriving in the industry without proper training and education in journalism. However, after 2002 the media scenario saw a wave of newspapers with an urban-eccentric and liberal approach.