“PECA, THE PUBLIC SPHERE, AND THE POLITICAL ECONOMY OF DIGITAL MEDIA IN PAKISTAN: AN EXPLORATION OF JOURNALISTS’ PERSPECTIVES”

Abstract

This study looks at the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) as a means of regulating digital activity in Pakistan. This research draws on an updated Political Economy of Communication framework and the Public Sphere Theory as expanded to networked and affective publics to examine how legal intimidation and ideological framing interact to constrain independent journalism in contemporary communication systems. The research examines how legal threats and ideological framing come together to limit independent journalism. The study employs qualitative methodology, conducting in-depth interviews with six senior journalists and analyzing the data through thematic coding in NVivo 15. The findings show that PECA has created legal uncertainty and intimidation through arbitrary notices and prosecutions. It has institutionalized self-censorship in newsrooms and has led to the misuse of FIRs against journalists. Informants revealed that the politically charged term "fake news" serves as a justification for repression. Multi-agency mechanisms, including PEMRA, PTA, FIA and security agencies, actively coordinate censorship and remove content. Overall, these factors show that PECA, despite its portrayal as a necessary law for oversight and regulation, goes beyond cybercrime. It instills fear, stifles dissent, bolsters prevailing narratives, and diminishes the media's function in a democracy. The study demands immediate reforms to PECA, encompassing procedural safeguards, autonomous oversight, and the safeguarding of journalistic freedoms.