With journalism under pressure from major politicians across the world, how can editors and others work to protect journalists? This panel offers a wide range of different perspectives on how pressure...
Zaffar Abbas
Zaffar Abbas is the editor of Dawn, Pakistan’s oldest and most prestigious English language newspaper. This is his 37th year in journalism. During this period he has worked for several news organizations, including 16 years for the BBC World as one of its Pakistan correspondents.
He is a keen follower of both the Pakistani and regional politics, has covered the civil war in Afghanistan from the days of the Soviet occupation. The last few years have been mostly dedicated to reporting and analyzing the rise of religious extremism and terrorism in Pakistan, and South Asia, the tricky peace process between India and Pakistan, as well as the complicated political developments in the country.
Because of his bold and objective coverage of armed militancy in the country he twice faced the wrath of different militant groups in the past, but luckily survived with non-fatal injuries.
Zaffar Abbas is a strong advocate for ethical journalism in Pakistan. Last year he was he was elected as the first Chairman of ‘Editors for Safety’, a new initiative by the editors of independent newspapers and televisions in Pakistan to coordinate coverage of incidents of attacks on journalists and media houses, and pressurize the government to end the culture of impunity by bringing the perpetrators of these crimes to justice.
He is member of the executive board of the International Press Institute.
Journalism when caught between right-wing extremism and military authoritarianism
This session explores the crises of journalism and freedom of expression globally in term of the quandary in which we find ourselves, faced by religious and ideological extremism (e.g. Islamist extrem...
Never was the need for clear and comprehensive reporting from across the globe more crucial to ensuring a better future for the globe. And yet in spite of technological advancements which should have ...
