In an age of misinformation and self-censorship, public interest journalism has never been more vital to promoting peace and prosperity and holding power to account. At the World Press Freedom Day event hosted by the Center for Excellence in Journalism at IBA Karachi (IBA-CEJ), journalists, editors, and media advocates warned that threats to journalism are increasingly shifting from physical violence to legal, regulatory, and economic repression.

Opening the event, IBA-CEJ Director Shahzeb Jillani said that the gathering was being held at a critical time when press freedom was at its lowest globally, adding that it was an opportunity to renew commitment to public interest journalism—reporting the truth with courage while ensuring safety in holding power to account.

During a panel on ‘Shooting the messenger – the price we pay’, Iqbal Khattak warned of economic strangulation and abuse of cyber laws, while Adil Jawad highlighted increasing targeting of digital journalists under PECA. Shahzada Zulfiqar pointed to widening information gaps in Balochistan, with the session moderated by Nadia Naqi.

Keynote speaker, Al Jazeera’s senior correspondent, Osama Bin Javaid, paid tribute to Gaza’s journalists as defenders of global press freedom, in his session titled, ‘Eyewitness to history: reporting on war and genocide’.

In another panel, Sidra Dar, Kiran Khan, and Yusra Askari discussed online harassment and newsroom pressures, with Shahzeb Ahmed, the moderator of the panel, offering practical advice for journalists facing online abuse.

Concluding the event, Dawn’s Editor, Zaffar Abbas emphasized that “surrender is not an option,” underscoring the need for editorial and financial independence