Balochistan Media Bodies Reject Digital Media Policy, Warn of Job Losses in Newspaper Industry

The Balochistan Media Action Committee, representing major media organizations including the Balochistan Editors Council and BUJ, has vehemently rejected the provincial government’s proposed digital media policy. Their primary concern is that the policy reportedly plans to cut newspaper advertisement quotas by up to 80%, which they warn would devastate the already fragile industry and lead to widespread job losses across the province. The committee also highlighted alleged unfair distribution of existing government advertisements to "dummy newspapers" backed by public relations officials, calling for transparency and merit-based allocation of public funds. They demand immediate stakeholder consultation before any implementation and plan to engage with provincial leaders, including the Chief Minister, to present their grievances. Failure to address these concerns, which also include worsening conditions for media workers, could result in a broader protest strategy from the media bodies. The Editors Council has, in turn, pledged efforts to improve staff recruitment and fair contracts.