Regulating Online Speech: Legal and Ethical Challenges of Digital Journalism in Pakistan

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17692264

Abstract

The development of the digital journalism in Pakistan has had a huge impact in changing the media landscape and enabled the dissemination of information at rapid rates and involving the citizens even further. But this change also leads to a very high number of legal and ethical challenges, such as regulatory confusion, privacy, coercion by misinformation/self-censorship on journalists. The legal provisions that govern Internet speech in Pakistan that will be analyzed in the paper include constitutional protection and cybercrime and the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) 2016. It also examines ethical concerns that are inherent in the digital journalism like How are vulnerable populations protected? How reliable is the journalism and how is privacy maintained? The paper examines the clash that exists between free speech, regulation and ethical responsibility on the basis of contemporary scholarly literature including studies that have been conducted on media portrayals, regulation and legal control and responsibility in terms of ethics. Finally, it proposes a multi-dimensional solution that will integrate certain legal protection, professionalism, technological restrictions and citizen involvement to reinforce responsible digital journalism and preserve democratic freedoms.