It must be mentioned that national, provincial and district level journalist organizations did not provide any data about their members. Even the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) failed in this regard. 

Mian Majid Shafi of is perhaps the first in the country's history who tried to collect data about the journalists. Mian Majid Shafi published the first edition of the All Pakistan Journalists Directory in 1995. Its distribution, however, could not be made possible owing to financial constraints. The directory has been used for  this survey as the only source for data. 

According to the data, there are around forty thousand and five hundred (4,500) journalists in the country. Two hundred fifteen in Azad Kashmir, 557 in the NWFP, 475 in Balochistan, 953 in Sindh and 2,300 in the Punjab. 

The questionnaires were sent to all the Presidents of the press clubs mentioned in the directory. Out of 450 questionnaires, which were sent out, about 200 were answered. The most troubling fact, the survey revealed, is that 90 per cent of the journalists are working without the umbrella of the Wage Award. A large number of these are forced to work on a voluntary basis. 

Thousands of correspondents in various districts and small cities work without any salary. Only the English language daily Dawn has some district correspondents as its regular employees. However, most city-based journalists get paid, even though the salary package is not according to the Wage Award. The survey has dealt with voluntary and paid newspaper staff in two separate categories.