"Getting to the heart of stories by asking the really tough questions and going places where no one wants to go. That’s documentary at its best. This Safe+Secure Handbook has been designed to help filmmakers get there—and back—and get their stories into the public domain as safely as possible.
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The Documentary Funders behind this initiative want to help filmmakers remove unnecessary risk, minimise possible risk, and have a contingency plan for the rest. As supporters of great documentaries, we drew on what many of the best independent filmmakers told us they wished they had done differently. We also worked with the smartest journalism and legal professionals." (Page 2)
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"This Field Guide summarises the legal protection and responsibilities of media professionals operating in armed conflicts. It focuses on international humanitarian law (IHL) – also known as the ‘law of armed conflict’ – and sets out some aspects of international and UK criminal law. It is i
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mportant for media professionals reporting from armed conflict to be familiar with the rules of IHL. The Field Guide is a summary version of a Handbook for media professionals on IHL also produced by the British Red Cross, and can be read in conjunction with it. The Handbook contains a more detailed discussion of the legal provisions set out in the Field Guide, using a similar structure." (Introduction, page 1)
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"This study will contain an analysis on the international and regional standards in the field of freedom of expression, as stipulated in the United Nations conventions and in the European Convention of Human Rights. Further we will establish a link between the breach of the freedom of expression whe
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n cases of violence against journalists arise, especially tackling the impunity problem. The paper will focus on the study of the ECtHR judgements regarding freedom of expression and cases of violence against journalists. Also, we will address the recent recommendations at the Council of Europe level. Concluding, the study will attempt to express some recommendations in solving the problem of violence against journalists." (Abstract)
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"International Humanitarian Law (IHL) has long-claimed that recognition as a civilian is critical to a journalist's safety during war, but the new US Manual blurs that line and says journalists must better understand the distinction between civilians and combatants. Given the fact that journalists m
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ight not be familiar with these legal concepts, this article proposes the use of critical pedagogy to engage them in the consideration of those issues (Freire, 2000). To start the conversation, and following a legal methodology, the article analyzes protections established under IHL, provides legal definitions for combatants, spies, and civilians and explains how each should be treated. Then to promote the inclusion on this topic in academic curriculums, it present teaching experiences and recommendations to engage media personnel in the study of this topic." (Abstract)
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"Digital technologies are changing the way in which journalism is performed. Today, reports by citizen journalists (CJs) are extremely relevant when traditional journalists cannot access hostile and dangerous areas. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, 90% of murdered reporters were lo
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cals (CPJ 2015). CJs are among the most affected journalists because they are locally based; therefore, their protection is essential. This article explores the legal instruments available to protect CJs during armed conflicts, and how distortions in the interpretation of norms can put them at risk. First, I present the legal arguments supporting the simultaneous application of International Humanitarian Law and International Human Rights Law, and the protection mechanisms available for the legal protection of CJs. Second, I highlight the problems that arise when CJs are identified as combatants (spies), rather than as civilians, and discuss the effects this has on the conflict." (Abstract)
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"This Handbook is primarily for use by media professionals who report from conflict zones. It is a practical and accessible guide to the rules of international humanitarian law (IHL) that protect media professionals and their work in armed conflict. It also considers the IHL responsibilities that me
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dia professionals (and their publishers and broadcasters) have when reporting on and from armed conflict, including their potential liability under international criminal law as individuals for violations of these rules. The Handbook is supplemented by a lighter and smaller ‘Field Guide’ that is designed to be used in conflict zones as a quick and easy reference to the relevant rules of IHL." (Page iv)
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"Violence against journalists has emerged as a global human rights issue as the number of those killed in the profession has steadily risen in the new millennium. This research utilized a collective action framework, applying an adapted qualitative network model to examine organizational mobilizatio
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n, transnational and domestic engagement, normative appeals, information dissemination, lobbying, and prospects for institutional and societal change. Through the Mexico case model application, the study found that instrumental change occurred through adoption of legal and policy institutions. Future research should expand upon social change measurements utilized in this study. We conclude the model can be adapted and utilized in other country cases or in cross-national research." (Abstract)
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"The article deals with the issue of establishing criminal liability for crimes against journalists. Areas of research on this subject are identified. The basic research and publications on issues are reviewed. The need for introducing such liability is investigated. It is indicated that several spe
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cial trains crimes against journalists were added to the Law of Ukraine "On Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of Ukraine on Strengthening Guarantees ofJournalistic Activities" Criminal Code of Ukraine: 1) threats or violence against a journalist (art. 345-1 of the Criminal Code); 2) intentional destruction or damage to property of a journalist (art. 347-1 of the Criminal Code); 3) attempt on the life of a journalist (art. 348-1 of the Criminal Code); 4) hostage seizure of a journalist (art. 349-1 of the Criminal Code). Deficiencies are identified in the existence of separate groups of crimes - crimes against journalists due to the presence in the existing criminal law norms that punish such acts. It is also concluded that the introduction of special rules to the criminal law Ukraine should be conditional on increased (or reduced) level of social danger of the act versus offense under the general rule. It is claimed that journalists should be provided protection by the criminal law, but without creating more competition and overloading the Criminal Code of Ukraine." (Abstract)
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"On 13 April 2016, the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers adopted its Recommendation CM/Rec(2016)4 on the protection of journalism and safety of journalists and other media actors. This is a continuation of the Committee of Ministers’ engagement with the topic, following its adoption of
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an identicallytitled Declaration in 2014 (see IRIS 2014-7/4)." (Abstract)
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"The non-international armed conflicts prevailing in the Middle East nowadays, have been witnessing a large number of atrocities committed against journalists. The study examined the extent to which international humanitarian law is able to provide special protection for Non-embedded (independent) j
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ournalists when covering non-international armed conflicts, and the initiatives taken by a United Nations organization to enforce the rules of this law and compel the conflict parties to respect it. The study found that United Nations Orgnization is playing a very vital role to enforce the international law of Journalists, especially during armed conflict situations. In recent years, United Nations seriously deal with this issue through a set of resolutions and plans, especially the 2015 UNSC resolution, which endorsed group of effective tools and mechanisms, the most important of them, from our point of view, is the need to end the impunity of the perpetrators of such crimes and prosecuting them before national or national courts as well as to take this issue in consideration with UN peacekeeping and special political missions. In our study, we agree with the view that the Conflict parties that deliberately target journalists will arguably not be deterred by a new treaty that affirms that journalists should not be made the object of attack. Therefore, promoting of understanding of the existing laws through media campaigns to support their enforcement, giving more coverage to International Humanitarian Law (IHL) breaches, and better training for journalists in IHL and International Criminal Court (ICC) processes, will be more effective." (Abstract)
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"How is freedom of expression in Pakistan’s digital spaces governed? What protections do journalists and bloggers enjoy? What is censored and how conducive is the environment for political and religious expression online? This research looks at these questions within the premise of an internationa
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l framework on freedom of expression drafted by Frank La Rue, former United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression. This report on the State of Internet Freedoms in Pakistan forms part of a baseline research conducted by the project APC-IMPACT (India, Malaysia, Pakistan Advocacy for Change through Technology), which aims to address restrictions on the internet by promoting and protecting internet rights." (Back cover)
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"During the last decade, the image of war correspondents in the news has shifted dramatically. Reports are no longer full of cheerleading stories of embedded journalists. Instead, stories of war reporters being attacked, kidnapped or injured prevail. Sadly, the former heroic witnesses to war have be
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come victims of their own story. In this book, Nina Burri provides the first comprehensive analysis on how international law protects professional and citizen journalists, photographers, cameramen and their support staff during times of war. Using examples from recent armed conflicts in Iraq, Libya, Gaza and Syria, Burri explores the means, methods and risks of contemporary war coverage and examines the protection of news providers by international humanitarian law, international criminal law and human rights law." (Abstract)
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"This paper serves as an overview of the global pattern of crimes committed against media workers, the impunity connected with such acts, and the steps both the international community and individual states have taken to confront the situation. The first chapter introduces the magnitude of the trend
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of violence journalists face, the impunity for said crimes, and its impact on freedom of expression and democracy. This overview draws on the statistics of non-governmental organizations and other international bodies to demonstrate the global nature of the problem. The second chapter explains the methods of international organs— such as the United Nations, the organization of American States, the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe— have employed to combat such impunity. Declarations, resolutions, plans of actions and judicial opinions from international courts all inform this capsulation. The third chapter describes the programs countries have implemented to confront the issue, specifically within Latin America. Such innovations include the creation of special prosecutors, the federalization of crimes against journalists, and protection programs." (Page 3)
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"Is journalism under threat? The image of journalists, as helmeted war correspondents protected by bullet-proof vests and armed only with cameras and microphones, springs to mind. Physical threats are only the most visible dangers, however. Journalists and journalism itself are facing other threats
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such as censorship, political and economic pressure, intimidation, job insecurity and attacks on the protection of journalists’ sources. Social media and digital photography mean that anyone can now publish information, which is also upsetting the ethics of journalism. How can these threats be tackled? What is the role of the Council of Europe, the European Court of Human Rights and national governments in protecting journalists and freedom of expression? In this book, 10 experts from different backgrounds analyse the situation from various angles. At a time when high-quality, independent journalism is more necessary than ever – and yet when the profession is facing many different challenges – they explore the issues surrounding the role of journalism in democratic societies." (Publisher description)
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"Note on the Declaration on the protection of journalism and safety of journalists and other media actors." (Abstract)
"El Manual tiene el propósito de presentar los contenidos principales de las recientes reformas normativas en estos temas con el objetivo de que las y los comunicadores cuenten con una herramienta de apoyo para su labor comunicativa y de difusión [...] La reforma constitucional en materia de derec
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hos humanos, que entró en vigor el 11 de junio del 2011, es un hecho trascendente en tanto reconoce y aporta al sistema de fuentes legales federales y nacionales, un sistema enriquecido con todas los intrumentos internacionales de protección de los derechos humanos, todas las disposiciones y los estándares que México ha firmado. La Ley para la Protección de Personas Defensoras de Derechos Humanos y Periodistas que dio origen al Mecanismo de Protección para Periodistas y Personas Defensoras de los Derechos Humanos, que entró en vigor el 26 de junio de 2012, es de suma relevancia en el contexto nacional actual, dado que crea un dispositivo especializado para que el Estado atienda su responsabilidad fundamental de proteger, promover y garantizar los derechos humanos de periodistas, comunicadores y defensores que se encuentran en situación de riesgo como consecuencia de su labor en la defensa y promoción de los derechos humanos, del ejercicio de la libertad de expresión y el periodismo [...] Los contenidos de este manual están organizados en cinco apartados: el primero se refiere a la Reforma constitucional en materia de derechos Humanos; el segundo a la Ley de protección para Periodistas y Personas Defensoras de los Derechos Humanos y al Mecanismo que originó; el tercero corresponde a la Reforma Constitucional en materia de Telecomunicaciones. El cuarto apartado contiene referencias de utilidad relacionadas con los temas y posteriormente de incluyen las versiones en mixe, zapoteco, mazateco y purépecha, a fin de que comunicadores/as indígenas tengan acceso a la información legislativa." (Presentación, página -6-7)
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"This seminar generated discussions that were as detailed as they were dynamic. The present conclusions attempt to give a representative sense of those discussions rather than a full summary, as such. A wealth of materials – seminar presentations, a full transcript of the discussions and related i
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n-depth studies – have been gathered and made available via the seminar website. Those materials give a much more comprehensive account of the ins-and-outs of the day’s discussions and are therefore recommended reading for all interested parties. Other accounts of the seminar, giving insights into the various individual and institutional contributions and positions, are also available." (Abstract)
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"Worried by the rising incidence of arrests, detention, jail, harassment and even murder of journalists across the world, all of which are crimes against press freedom, this paper takes a look at the reasons for the unpunished offences against press men and women and examines the efforts made to com
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bat the impunity of such crimes. To accomplish this objective, the paper reviews the place of the press in society as the Forth Estate of the Realm; and discusses the specific roles of the media for the state, politics and religion. The work which is anchored on the social Responsibility Theory of the press, does an overview of press freedom, presents a roll call of past and contemporary cases of assault on the media; and lists possible causes of impunity of offenders against press freedom. Stating the efforts made to combat impunity of offenders against press freedom, it mentions the handicaps of the efforts to combat impunity and adduces suggestions for combating the impunity of crimes against press freedom." (Abstract)
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