How YouTube is changing what journalism looks like

The Journey from TV to YouTube

Muzamil opens the conversation with Siddique Jaan, a journalist he describes as someone he has admired for years. Siddique recounts his entry into journalism starting in 2015, when social media and Twitter were beginning to reshape how news was reported. He recalls the influence of established journalists on platform like Twitter, watching how they engaged with audiences. His early years were marked by curiosity and observation rather than formal training, learning the rhythms of news through watching others.

Supreme Court Coverage as the Turning Point

Siddique’s focus shifted dramatically when he began covering the Supreme Court and major political cases. He emphasizes that following the Panama case hearings became his obsession. “I had to attend the whole hearing,” he describes, explaining that watching the Supreme Court proceedings firsthand gave him access to stories that traditional TV journalism was either missing or presenting in filtered form. His work at traditional outlets like 92 News and Melody gave him the foundation, but the court cases gave him purpose.

He credits journalists Rauf Klaasera and Amir Matin with mentoring him during this period. “If Klaasera sahab did not encourage me, if Amir Matin sahab did not teach me, then I would have been nothing,” he says. These relationships became foundational to his understanding of how to report on complex political and legal matters.

The Shift to Independent Reporting

The transition from traditional broadcast to YouTube happened gradually. Siddique began uploading court coverage and political reporting to YouTube while still working traditional newsroom jobs. What surprised him was the audience response. When his first YouTube video gained traction, he realized there was hunger for the kind of direct, unfiltered reporting that independent creators could provide. The economics were revealing too. His first payment from YouTube was three times what he was earning at his newsroom position, a signal that audiences were voting with their attention.

He describes YouTube journalism as fundamentally different from television. On YouTube, there is no gatekeeper deciding what gets air time. There is no time constraint forcing stories into artificial packages. A reporter can cover a Supreme Court hearing for as long as the story demands.

Old Guard Versus New Guard

Muzamil raises the question of whether traditional news channels are failing. Siddique acknowledges the complexity. Traditional channels operate within constraints: regulatory pressure, political influence, commercial interests, and limited airtime. They must balance coverage across many stories and topics. Meanwhile, independent digital journalists can go deep on single issues, follow stories over weeks or months, and build direct relationships with their audiences.

“When you are listening to Pakistan’s traditional news, you’re listening to negativity,” Siddique reflects. This is not simply bias but a function of the system. The channels have multiple reporters covering politics, courts, and economics in 10-minute slots. An independent journalist can spend entire episodes unpacking one case or policy.

Siddique credits the core commanders conference and high-level political coverage for showing him how much context is missing from short-form broadcast news. The real story lies in the details, and those details live in YouTube videos that don’t have to fit a commercial break.

Neutrality Versus Facts

A viewer asks if Siddique prioritizes neutrality in his reporting. His response is telling. “I am a journalist. I report facts,” he says. For Siddique, neutrality is a distraction from the harder work of accuracy. Facts can be verified. Neutrality is subjective. When covering the assembly, he focuses on what happened, who said what, what the numbers show. That factual foundation is his responsibility.

Pakistan’s Media Landscape

Closing the conversation, Muzamil asks Siddique to reflect on who is doing good journalism in Pakistan today. Siddique points to independent creators and smaller channels focusing on specific beats rather than broad news coverage. The incentive structures are aligning differently. Clickbait and sensationalism drive views initially, but audience retention comes from consistent, factual reporting.

He also speaks candidly about the challenges. Pakistan has talent, he argues, but it lacks institutional support for deep journalism. People want shortcuts, opportunities for quick rewards without sustained effort. Building real journalism takes years of credibility and sacrifice, often working 12 to 16 hour days with uncertain income. That barrier keeps many talented people out of the field.

Still, Siddique sees possibility. If independent journalists continue building audiences directly, if digital platforms continue lowering barriers to entry, and if audiences continue rewarding factual reporting over sensationalism, then the next decade could see journalism in Pakistan transform. The old model may be breaking, but something new is being built in its place.