Cogito Media Foundation (CMF) has announced plans to pursue legal action over the blocking, banning and restriction of social media accounts belonging to journalists and digital content creators, raising concerns about press freedom and freedom of expression.
The foundation has urged affected journalists, digital media professionals and content creators to share details of their cases, along with supporting documents and screenshots, at cogitomediafoundation@gmail.com to help document the incidents and explore possible legal remedies.
Shams Tabrez Qasmi, founder and chief of Millat Times, criticised the restrictions and said the government was attempting to suppress media organisations and independent journalists seeking to report the truth.
“The government wants to suppress the voice of the media that wants to show the truth. This poses a threat to the fourth pillar of democracy. Independent journalists are important to the people, and the government wants to suppress their voices,” Qasmi said.
Speaking on behalf of Cogito Media Foundation, Qasmi said the organisation would approach the courts to raise the concerns of journalists and media professionals whose social media accounts had been blocked or shut down.
CMF said it was initiating a collective effort to document cases involving journalists, digital media professionals and content creators whose social media pages or accounts had been blocked, banned or restricted.
The foundation has appealed to journalists, digital media organisations and content creators to share details of affected accounts, including links to their pages or channels, information about the action taken, official notices or emails from social media platforms, screenshots and other supporting documents.
The organisation said the information would help it document the cases, assess the nature of the restrictions and explore appropriate legal remedies.
CMF said its objective was to defend the rights of journalists and digital content creators and build a collective response to actions it considers arbitrary or unjustified.
The development comes amid growing concerns among media professionals over access to digital platforms and the ability of independent journalists to reach their audiences. The foundation said it would work towards protecting digital media freedom and ensuring that affected journalists had a platform to raise their concerns.
Journalists and content creators affected by such restrictions, as well as those aware of similar cases, have been urged to share relevant details, including screenshots and official communications, with Cogito Media Foundation at Email Cogito Media Foundation.
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