by Abdulhadi Hairan

Created on: September 19, 2007

A few months ago I had written an article in Pashto about media progress in Afghanistan. A survey report of Reporters without Borders was quoted in the article but unfortunately the name of the organization was misprinted when the article published in a local newspaper. In Pashto the organization is called 'Da Besarhada Zhornalistano Tolana.' But it printed 'Da Besara...' which means Reporters without Brains.

Though it was only a printing mistake, I personally know many reporters and journalists who lack this precious stuff called brains and still they are 'successful' in their fields. Also there are journalists who have brains but lack a faith and reliance.

My first job in the field of journalism was as proof reader and translator with an Urdu weekly in Karachi, Pakistan. Later, I became columnist and I wrote numerous articles in local languages. The editor of this weekly newspaper was a young man who is a renowned journalist nowadays. And most people don't know that he can't write businessman with correct spelling. May be writing is not his business.
In Karachi, I wrote news stories for a major newspaper. They published the stories but never paid me and still claim that their's is the biggest and the most popular newspaper of the country.

Then I went to Peshawar and worked for many newspapers, magazines and a news agency. I met there owners, editors, reporters, translators, columnists and other journalists. I met reporters who worked without salary. Their income was from some other 'hidden sources'. And there were other reporters who were highly paid for stories they never wrote.

Have you seen war-lord type journalists? We have them. In Afghanistan and Pakistan, war is the word heard more than any other word. It has affected every thing and every one. You can easily find war-lord type doctors, journalists, officers, students etc. In our field, I have seen many of them. Their first recognition is that they would work for more than a dozen organizations. Second, they don't believe in any particular political view. They are nationalists today and anti-nationalism tomorrow. They will write columns in favor of religious elements and, in the same time, will speak in favor of secular people. They will easily change their faith and opinion for money. They create romantic stories about the terrorists and thus help them to become popular. It is their favorite hobby because the more the terrorism spreads the more their business flourishes. They are fully MADE for dollars and should be called WARLORDS of media. They never give a chance to newcomers.

These warlord type journalists are very few. They always support each other and have bestowed striking titles on one another. Like one is 'expert on terrorism', the other is 'expert of Afghan issues' etc. And the most hurting thing is that the pro-democratic western media is supporting them like the champion of democracy, America, supports a worst dictator Gen. Musharraf.

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