KARACHI: A three-day workshop on the theme of ‘safety for freelance journalists based in Sindh’, organized by Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF) in collaboration with Open Society Foundation (OSF) concluded at a local hotel on Thursday.
The training program was addressed by Owais Aslam Ali of PPF, Mansoor Shaikh Director General Public Relations, Information Department of Sindh and others.
Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF) is an independent organization which has been trying their level best to establish an effective freelance journalists network throughout Pakistan to gather and document information concerning violations against the press so that they may be able to monitor and defend freedom of expression in Pakistan.
PPF has been organizing safety training workshops for journalists since decades so that journalists could do professional, balanced, planned and ethical reporting, which is necessary to reduce risks for journalists and media workers to a larger extent. Media people often become target of violence in Pakistan, particularly in Sindh. The journalists should internalize that no story is worth dying for, and safety and security should be the first priority while using digital space for journalistic work.
The freelance journalists of Shikarpur, Sanghar, Karachi, Badin, Jamshoro, Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas, Ghotki, Jacobabad and Khairpur urged to increase the capacity of journalists and reduce risks being faced by them, especially in rural areas of Sindh.
PPF has been conducting the training through well-designed modules and Internet connectivity aimed at create awareness about the safety of journalists. They should do pre security assessment and risk analysis and take into consideration some measures to minimize risks, the trainers stressed.
During the training workshop, the participants shared stories related to their safety and security while discharging their professional duties. The stories were helpful to highlight the safety and security issues being faced by the journalists.
On the concluding day of the workshop more than 30 journalists were awarded certificates.
The journalists appreciated PPF for organizing such useful training programs.
Raisa Adil, an officer of Information Department, Syed Tahir Ali Shah and Naseem Shaikh of PPF were also present.