Crisis Reporting Under Constraint: Journalists’ Experiences of Information Access During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Pakistan

Abstract

This qualitative study examines the challenges faced by journalists in Pakistan, Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK), and Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) while reporting during the COVID-19 pandemic. Drawing on thematic analysis of forty-two focus group discussions conducted with experienced journalists from seven major press clubs, the study explores how structural, institutional, and logistical constraints shaped journalists’ ability to gather, verify, and disseminate crisis-related information. Five interconnected themes emerged: delayed access to official information, restricted physical access to sources, misinformation and verification pressures, reliance on digital communication, and institutional deficits in transparency. Despite these challenges, journalists demonstrated adaptive resilience using digital tools, informal information networks, and collaborative verification practices. However, these adaptive strategies were frequently constrained by systemic institutional shortcomings, including centralized communication systems, information gatekeeping, and inadequate professional support mechanisms. Guided by the Hierarchy of Influences Model (Shoemaker & Reese, 2007), the study highlights how macro-level structural pressures and organizational limitations shaped journalistic practices during the health emergency. The findings underscore the need for improved crisis communication mechanisms, stronger coordination between governments and media organizations, and enhanced digital verification training for journalists. The study further contributes to crisis journalism scholarship by foregrounding the structural realities of information access in the Global South.