Analysing How Pakistani Journalists Navigate Threats Towards Their Press Freedom

Abstract

Pakistan remains one of the world’s most challenging environments for journalists. While national media have at times criticized governments and even helped unseat military rulers, individual reporters continue to face intimidation, censorship, and the constant risk of violence. This study investigates how journalists working in Pakistan sustain their professional practice under such pressure and what their strategies reveal about the realities of press freedom. Adopting an inductive qualitative design, the research draws on extensive, in-depth interviews with reporters from mainstream print and TV media channels across Pakistan. Participants represented a range of political orientations and career stages, allowing exploration of diverse experiences and coping mechanisms. Analysis shows that journalists often respond to political and military threats through pragmatic conformity: selectively avoiding certain topics, softening language, or framing stories to align with powerful interests while still attempting to inform the public. The findings demonstrate that Pakistani journalists are not merely passive victims but active navigators of a tightly constrained media landscape. Their strategies illustrate how professional integrity can coexist with calculated compliance, revealing a form of everyday journalistic courage shaped by necessity rather than overt defiance. The study concludes that understanding press freedom requires attention not only to external restrictions but also to the adaptive practices journalists adopt to survive. These insights contribute to global debates on media independence, inform policies aimed at safeguarding journalists, and highlight the complex relationship between power, risk, and professional ethics in politically repressive contexts.