Islamabad, May 12, 2014
There have been numerous inaccurate or misleading statements in the media recently regarding United States funding for Pakistani media outlets. The United States Embassy provides funding and support to a broad range of Pakistani organizations, including media outlets to facilitate professional development and capacity building activities.
The U.S. government strongly supports vibrant, professional, and independent media in Pakistan as we do worldwide. U.S. government assistance supports Pakistan’s media sector broadly, to include a range of print, broadcast, and radio formats. For example, the United States funds capacity building in the form of archiving capabilities, opportunities for journalists to develop their professional skills in the United States through exchange programs, and educational and training opportunities for journalists, editors, and producers.
These programs are not targeted to any one media group, are geared to supporting the community of journalists as a whole, and aid the efforts of journalists to pursue balanced reporting and accurate messaging on events in Pakistan and elsewhere. Suggestions to the contrary are inaccurate, and aim to mislead.
