s breast cancer continues to escalate as a leading health crisis in Pakistan, particularly among women, the role of the media in raising awareness and providing accurate information has never been more crucial. In southern Punjab, a region grappling with social stigmas and inadequate health resources, mainstream media’s coverage of breast cancer remains alarmingly insufficient.

Breast cancer accounts for approximately 38 percent of all cancer cases among Pakistani women, with nearly 90,000 new diagnoses each year. The Nuclear Medicine, Oncology, and Radiotherapy Institute reports that one in eight women in Pakistan is affected by this devastating disease. Yet, despite these staggering statistics, awareness and comprehensive reporting about breast cancer are often sidelined, overshadowed by the media’s focus on political and crime-related stories.

“In southern Punjab, media coverage of issues and stories related to breast cancer is practically non-existent due to social barriers,” says Amjad Bukhari, the Rohi TV/ 24News Multan editor. He emphasises that the issue takes a backseat as the media predominantly focuses on political matters. Crime stories are a close second. “As a result, social issues get attention on specific days only. There is an urgent need for action to address the sensitivity of this issue.”

Bukhari’s concerns are echoed by many journalists and healthcare advocates who lament the superficial reporting that peaks during breast cancer awareness month in October.

Aneela Ashraf, a journalist with over 20 years of experience in journalism, reflects on the past. “There used to be a time when stories related to breast cancer received considerable coverage on television,” she says. “But since 2019, media organisations have faced a crisis that has led to unemployment for many media workers. This has resulted in a significant lack of coverage of human rights and health issues.”

“The reliance on event-driven reporting is a pervasive issue in Pakistan’s media landscape. During October, awareness walks, seminars and public events dominate the airwaves. While these initiatives are valuable, the media has become more focused on generating more business, often neglecting substantial reporting on issues that concern the public,” she adds.

Media professionals say that the coverage of breast cancer is often limited to brief segments or events during October, with little to no follow-up or comprehensive reporting throughout the year.

“The mainstream media disproportionately focuses on cities like Islamabad, Karachi and Lahore, neglecting Multan and other places in southern Punjab,” says Noman Khan Babar, the Dunya News Multan bureau chief. He underscores the limited coverage of events and the lack of effort from reporters to conduct thorough fieldwork, leading to superficial, event-driven reporting.

“Despite policy issues, most reporters opt for sharing news via WhatsApp and are reluctant to pursue in-depth coverage.” He says that unless managements support reporters, the quality of coverage will not improve.

Many media organisations, particularly the local media, operate with limited resources. This impacts their ability to deliver comprehensive health reporting. Reporters often lack the training needed to cover health issues in depth, resulting in a lack of informed storytelling.

“In my six years of journalism, I have noticed a significant gap in reporting on breast cancer and its related issues, even in October. It’s quite disheartening that comprehensive reports on breast cancer are rarely produced,” says Suheera Tariq, a reporter at Rohi TV/ 24News Multan.

“Coverage of stories relating to breast cancer seems to be limited to specific days. Also, there is a lack of training of the news desk staff. Many of them do not understand that discussing breast cancer on regular days can significantly raise awareness among women. In comparison, the digital media provides a broader platform for discussions on such issues,” she says.

Aoun Abbas Sahi, journalist and media trainer, underscores the necessity for specialised reporting on health issues like breast cancer. “Our media scene is compartmentalised. There is a shortage of good editors and specialised reporters. The focus remains on events where government representatives are present. This drowns the voices of those battling cancer,” he says. Sahi says that while event coverage is important, it should not eclipse important issues.

“Some people at the news desk seem to have their own news values. A single reporter is sometimes expected to cover political news, educational stories and health issues,” he says.

“The head of a news channel, most of the time, is monitoring progress on a single event,” Sahi says. “Big news is always political or crime-related. The reporters working on social issues are sometimes told that what they bring is just an ‘NGO story.’ Clearly, most decision-makers see only crime or politics as major news. Many keep ignoring other issues.”

The writer is a freelance multimedia journalist in Multan