English Shorthand Passage with Dictation Dawn Newspaper

 

DAWN

Pandemic undermines press freedom in South Asia

 

The Covid-19 pandemic has posed unprecedented challenges and pushed the media into uncharted territory. Across the globe press freedom has been undermined by governments to control the public narrative and cover up their inadequacies. Authorities have clamped down on the media to control information and public debate about the pandemic, according to a statement issued by the International Press Institute. Emergency regulations were put in place, while new and existing laws relating to disinformation and fake news were used to stifle independent media. In several countries, journalists from independent media were denied access

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to press briefings, access to official information was severely limited and regulations were imposed to compel media organizations to report data provided by the government.

 

2.       According to IPI`s Covid-19 Press Freedom Tracker, nearly 200 cases of press freedom violations were reported from the Asia-Pacific region, of which 107 were from four South Asian countries: Pakistan, Bangladesh, India and Nepal. As many as 71 journalists faced arrests and charges for their coverage of the pandemic and its consequences, and 32 cases of physical attacks and verbal threats were reported from these countries. With 84 cases, India accounted for the greatest number of violations in the region. As many as 56 journalists were arrested or charged under various laws, and 23 journalists came under verbal and physical attacks. Brazen interference The Indian government resorted to various tactics to prevent independent media from criticizing the government and reporting about the pandemic. In a blatant attempt to stifle press freedom, on March 31 the government unsuccessfully petitioned the country`s Supreme Court to bar the media from publishing information about Covid-19 that had not been cleared by the government.

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3.       The court refused to intervene, but directed the media to `refer to and publish` the official version of the developments. `In 2020, IPI has observed unacceptable levels of attacks against independent media and journalists in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal, a region where press freedom has already been severely curtailed in recent years,` IPI Executive Director.` Throughout the pandemic, independent journalism has been a vital resource to people and governments` efforts to control the media message and preempt public scrutiny ran counter to the public interest and represented a serious breach of people`s rights.