THE print media watchdog in this country, the Press Council of Pakistan, has emphatically upheld a cardinal rule of journalism; that is, the right of journalists to protect the confidentiality of their sources.

It may well even be a precedent-setting decision where journalism in Pakistan is concerned. In its meeting on Thursday, members of the PCP unanimously concluded that the committee set up by the government to investigate the source behind Dawn’s Oct 6 story should neither proceed against this newspaper or its staff nor demand that it divulge its source of information.

Further, it expressed its dissatisfaction with the manner in which the government-led inquiry had played out, saying that the matter fell within its jurisdiction and should have been brought before it, as stipulated by the Press Council of Pakistan Ordinance under which it is constituted.

The significance of the PCP’s stance can scarcely be overstated at a time when the Pakistani media is being subjected to pressure on various fronts in order to suppress its voice or manipulate its agenda. Protection of sources has a direct bearing on press freedom and thereby on the media’s very raison d’être — its oversight role vis-à-vis the state.

Not surprisingly, governments and power centres in many parts of the world are tempted to erode what is known as the reporter’s privilege, through both subtle and strong-arm tactics. While journalists must exercise restraint in extraordinary situations, such as in times of war, efforts by the state to intimidate them, if allowed to succeed, would have a chilling effect on public-interest journalism.

Sources and potential whistleblowers would shy away, and media practitioners themselves would be wary of reporting on any ‘controversial’ topic. In countries with inadequate right to information laws such as Pakistan, sources are doubly important, particularly to uncover situations where public trust has been betrayed.

At the same time, the duty to protect sources is not a licence for journalists to indulge in wild speculation or rumour-mongering. Information gleaned through sources must be put through a process of cross-checking and verification — not to mention filters such as gender-sensitive language — before it is placed in the public domain.

This principle of ethical journalism applies across the board, both to the ephemeral world of electronic media as well as the comparative permanence of print. It is also the foundation upon which the media must build a relationship of trust with its audience.

Published in Dawn, November 12th, 2016