Media bodies condemn ad ban on Dawn TV and radio as pressure mounts on fair journalism

Pakistan’s media bodies condemn the government’s ad ban on Dawn TV and radio, calling it financial pressure to silence unbiased journalism and warning of growing threats to press freedom.

Imran Malik – MediaBites – December 14, 2025

Pakistan’s leading media organizations have condemned what they describe as a calculated government move to financially pressure Dawn Media Group by unannounced restrictions on government advertising to its television and radio outlets, warning that the tactic threatens press freedom and targets one of the country’s few consistently independent voices.

The latest curbs follow earlier cuts to government advertisements in Dawn, Pakistan’s oldest English-language newspaper, intensifying concerns that official advertising is being weaponized to silence journalism that refuses to align with state narratives.

The Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE) said Dawn has maintained an unbiased editorial stance since the country’s creation and has never served any political or institutional agenda. In a joint statement by its president and secretary general, the council warned that halting government advertisements could financially cripple a respected media institution and set a dangerous precedent for the entire industry.

The All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS) also expressed dismay, noting that Daily Dawn has already faced restrictions on government advertising for more than a year. Extending the ban to Dawn’s television and radio platforms, the society said, amounted to an open attack on freedom of expression and appeared aimed at forcing changes in editorial policy.

“This selective pressure reinforces the perception that only compliant media is rewarded, while fair and critical journalism is punished,” the APNS said, stressing that public advertising funds should never be used as a tool to coerce editorial decisions.

The Pakistan Broadcasters Association (PBA) echoed those concerns, reiterating its long-standing opposition to using advertising as leverage to control media content. In a statement, the PBA warned that at a time when misinformation is rampant on social media, undermining credible mainstream outlets weakens public access to verified information.

Journalist bodies, including the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists, the Association of Electronic Media Editors and News Directors, CPNE, APNS and the PBA, jointly criticized the restrictions through their Joint Action Committee. The committee said Dawn Media Group has repeatedly been singled out despite its reputation for sober, fact-based reporting and balanced editorials.

The committee demanded the immediate restoration of government advertising to Dawn’s print, television and radio platforms, calling the ban a clear attempt to silence sane and independent voices in an increasingly polarized media environment.

Media analysts say the episode highlights why Pakistan’s selective media ecosystem is under extreme pressure: outlets that practice fair journalism face financial strangulation, while those echoing official lines continue to receive state support.