Facts first

WORLD News Day comes at a difficult moment for journalism. Never has so much information been available so quickly, and never has it been so easy for propaganda, lies, manipulated imagery and AI-generated material to circulate alongside fact. The challenge is no longer simply access to information, but knowing what deserves belief. This year’s message, ‘Choose trusted journalism’, is therefore particularly apt. Yet trust cannot be demanded by news organisations as a birthright. It must be earned through the daily, often invisible work of checking claims, verifying evidence, consulting multiple sources, separating fact from opinion and correcting mistakes openly. In a media environment that rewards speed, outrage and certainty, such principles may appear old-fashioned. They are, in fact, journalism’s strongest defence. They also remain essential because false information can inflame tensions and erode confidence in institutions. Newsrooms must look inward. Every sensational headline, careless error or blurring of reporting and commentary weakens public confidence and makes serious journalism harder to distinguish from the flood of material surrounding it. But responsibility does not rest with journalists alone. In Pakistan, the work of verification is made more difficult by pressures on reporters and news organisations, restricted access, interruptions to communications and the use of legal and administrative measures that inhibit independent reporting. When journalists cannot investigate freely, citizens know less about the exercise of power. When communications are blocked during moments of crisis or political tension, rumour gains ground. This is why press freedom and public access to credible information are inseparable. A society cannot demand trustworthy journalism while simultaneously making the practice of it more precarious. That is why World News Day should be less a celebration of the press than a reminder of mutual obligations. Journalists owe the public accuracy, fairness, independence and the humility to correct themselves. Governments owe journalists the freedom to ask difficult questions, pursue uncomfortable facts and publish without intimidation. Readers, too, must learn to recognise the difference between reporting built on evidence and content engineered for reaction. News organisations can help by being more transparent about how stories are sourced, verified and corrected, and by resisting pressures that reward sensationalism over substance. The problem of misinformation will not be solved by adding yet more information to an already crowded stream. What matters is whether information has been questioned, corroborated and placed in context. In an age when technology can create convincing falsehoods in seconds, scrutiny is not an optional extra. It is the value journalism must continue to provide — and the reason it must continue to be protected. Published in Dawn, September 28th, 2026