"The Plan of Action aims to creating of a free and safe environment for journalists and media workers, both in conflict and non-conflict situations, with a view to strengthening peace, democracy and development worldwide. Its measures include, among other undertakings, the establishment of a coordin
...
ated inter-agency mechanism to handle issues related to the safety of journalists as well as assisting countries to develop legislation and mechanisms favourable to freedom of expression and information, and supporting their efforts to implement existing international rules and principles. To further reinforce prevention, the Plan recommends working in cooperation with governments, media houses, professional associations and NGOS to conduct awareness raising campaigns on a wide range of issues such as existing international instruments and conventions, the growing dangers posed by emerging threats to media professionals, including non-state actors, as well as various existing practical guides on the safety of journalists." (UNESCO website)
more
"Turning the tide on the killing of journalists involves several steps, but primarily it is a matter of having the political will to acknowledge the issue as important and ending the impunity for those responsible for the violence. These steps include: following through on making attacks on the medi
...
a, particularly murders, a federal rather than a state or local crime, in order to remove the investigations from often corrupt or intimidated local law enforcement groups. This fundamental legal change would be significant in ending the cycle of impunity and the botched investigations that currently feed the violence; strengthening the special prosecutor’s office, with additional funding and staff, to more effectively go after those accused of these crimes; forming a common front in the media to tackle the problems of security for journalists and the risks of reporting on transnational organized crime; persuading national opinion leaders to speak out about the violence and its impact on society; targeting international aid specifically for the protection of journalists." (Executive summary, page 6-7)
more
"Journalists as a category of individuals are subjected to special risks of physical violence that amount to serious risks to their right to life. The current scale of threats to the lives and killings of journalists is a serious matter of concern. It shows an erosion of the rule of law and democrat
...
ic governance where they occur. There is a serious issue of impunity for perpetrators of these violations by the failure to investigate and prosecute crimes against journalists. This issue is a common thread tying the various categories of risks together in this report. Despite its prevalence in the risks faced by most human rights defenders, it remains an important problem for journalists in their own right. There is evidence that physical violence against journalists that might amount to threats to their right to life also deters the entire journalistic community and forces it to practice self-censorship that eventually erodes its public role in democratic societies. The largest numbers of journalists who are killed around the world each year die outside zones of armed conflict and in time of peace. According to UNESCO this is 80 per cent of journalists’ killings worldwide. It is erroneous to believe that media workers share only those risks that civilians face in wartime. Rather, they face heightened risks while practicing their profession." (Conclusions, page 22)
more
"All journalists in Balochistan should undergo conflict sensitive journalism (CSJ) trainings. All journalists should undergo media law clinics to be educated on rights and responsibilities. A Safety Fund for Balochistan should be set up to provide resources on safety and security and address their l
...
egal, psychological and, where needed needed most, financial needs. The court order should be used to forge a united stand against threats from militant organisations. Journalists should be hired on basis of merit. Those with a degree in journalism should be given preference or at least those with a master’s degree [...]." (Mission recommendations, page 12)
more
"Whether they are nationals reporting wars occurring within their countries or international news media staff, journalists are facing growing dangers when covering conflict events. As civilians, they are protected to some extent by international humanitarian law (IHL). But what are these rules and h
...
ow adequate is such coverage? The article details the core elements of IHL, its relevance for journalists and key issues of implementation and compliance. The news media profession has attempted in the last decade to strengthen normative protections which are discussed. The issue is viewed as one of continuing salience for the Pacific. The article concludes by observing that the issue of protection in combat for journalists is something that the profession has to confront systematically." (Abstract)
more
"The chronic uncertainty for journalists and editors in carrying out their professional work in Colombia has many sources and has been serious for decades. Currently – besides indicators of extreme physical violence (such as daily attacks, abuse, kidnappings and murders) – problem areas are stro
...
ngly marking journalistic work in Colombia that are often neglected in the international discussion, such as inadequate training offerings, unsatisfactory infrastructure in the workplace, precarious wage situations, lack of independence in relationship to editors and a poorly taught understanding of professional ethics. These structural problems produce qualitative deficiencies – especially in conflict reportage. But instead of stagnation, change is occurring. Colombian journalists are revising their self-image, at the same time developing a problem consciousness in their own work, and are actively trying to correct the deficiencies." (Abstract)
more
"This handbook is to help journalists working in war zones. There is no magic way to avoid a rocket attack or an ambush, but the tips here are based on common sense (which is too often ignored) and should help many journalists solve a lot of problems. We present basic press freedom documents, declar
...
ations and ethics charters from all over the world, including the African Charter of Human and Peoples’ Rights, the Interamerican Convention on Human Rights, the Munich Charter on journalists’ rights and duties and journalists’ codes of conduct in Mali and in the US. As well as these broad documents, we also reprint practical advice such as that which the BBC gives all its journalists before they leave on dangerous assignments. We have also added (courtesy of the French defence ministry’s office of information, DICoD) the rules for self-protection given to French soldiers facing dangerous situations (riots, snipers, kidnappings, ambushes, roadblocks) and, when these precautions fail, what to do immediately to save the wounded and injured. There have been two additions to the 2010 edition of the handbook: very specific recommendations on the role of the media in humanitarian and public health emergencies and practical advice, drafted in cooperation with the Dart Centre, for coping with post-traumatic stress." (Preface, page 5)
more
"Iraqi journalists operate in one of the deadliest newsgathering environments in the world. This study, based on a survey of 404 Iraqi journalists, examines the variables influencing journalists' perceptions of physical danger in covering news after the fall of Saddam Hussein. Gatekeeping theory pro
...
vides a prism to identify and explicate different levels of influence. News organization size, financial support (state, partisan, or private), gender, journalism experience, journalists' perception of their impact on political affairs, journalists' outlook, and size of cities in which journalists operate are significant variables shaping journalists' perception of physical danger." (Abstract)
more
"Reporters Without Borders monitors abuse of journalists and freedom of the press around the world-a job increasing in difficulty. Since its creation in 1985, Reporters Without Borders (RWB) has become one of the largest international NGOs dedicated to defending press freedom and advocating for the
...
safety of journalists. In 2009, RWB noted significant increase in cases of journalists forced into exile, a statistic it incorporated for the first time into its annual report. Its researchers were able to identify that at least 157 reporters were forced to leave their home country. RWB's round-the-clock Assistance Desk provides financial and equipment support for media organizations operating in volatile regions, where violence goes unrecorded and little or no access to news and information accentuates the risk of grave human rights violations. Although exile sometimes becomes the safest solution for endangered journalists, it is also one of the most complicated and difficult. Visa applications are time-consuming and a confusing bureaucratic process." (Abstract)
more
"What should be considered 'adequate' preparation and support for journalists and media workers in difficult, remote and hostile environments? One would assume there would be numerous sources of feedback and contributions measuring the suitability of the training, as well as providing information re
...
garding what improvements are necessary to ensure journalists are provided the best possible pre-deployment preparation. However, after working and observing developments in this area over several years, three main issues have presented themselves. First, there is little investigation or analysis being conducted into these training programmes. Second, there are few independent organisations working to standardise the training and support provided to journalists. Finally, the extent of training and support to the local correspondents, fixers and stringers in developing countries, that most international media organisation depend on in these locations, has become an unfortunate casualty of shrinking international news budgets." (Abstract)
more
"Reporting on wars has always been a risky business for journalists. But news organisations have transformed their approach to safety in recent years by ensuring that all their staff sent to the front line have as much training as possible to minimise their chances of becoming victims of the conflic
...
t they are covering. Despite that, and the virtual industry that has grown up around risk assessment, individual journalists on the ground will go on taking decisions that place them in danger, writes Nick Pollard, the former head of Sky News." (Abstract)
more
"A collection of essays by top international correspondants in print, broadcasting, and photojournalism, International News Reporting offers an introduction to journalism written by the people who have made the profession what it is today. Contributors identify the major areas of professional practi
...
ce which students and young journalists need to know in order to work safely in, and understand fully, the field of international news gathering. It looks at events from conflicts to humanitarian disasters. The book covers crucial topics such as how to report stories about the developing world, how to avoid stereotyping, the uses and abuses of blogging, and risk assessment for journalists in conflict zones." (Publisher description)
more
"Besonders in der philippinischen Provinz sehen sich kritische Journalisten immer wieder von Gewalt bedroht, die als Reaktion auf Berichte über Korruption, Drogenhandel, Glücksspiel etc. aufflammt. Bei der Studie lag der Fokus auf Radiojournalisten, welche die größte Opfergruppe in dem Land dars
...
tellen. Die vorliegende Arbeit analysiert die mit den Repressalien zusammenhängenden Handlungsoptionen der Journalisten wie Selbstzensur, Bewaffnung oder Bestechlichkeit besonders in den ländlichen Provinzen der Philippinen. Die entwickelten Thesen und Forschungsergebnisse beschreiben die Ursachen und Nebenbedingungen der Gewalt und zeigen, dass der Journalismus auf den Philippinen unter großem Druck steht und die Medienfreiheit in dem formell demokratischen Land in vielen provinziellen Gebieten eingeschränkt ist." (Verlagsbeschreibung)
more
"Even though Mexico is not at war, it has now become one of the most dangerous countries in the world to be a journalist, and especially a freelancer. Since the Trust first visited Mexico in 2005, 18 newsgatherers have been killed and five have disappeared, four newspaper offices were the targets of
...
bomb attacks and many, many more newsgatherers were injured and threatened. However, a great number of editors may not be aware of the dangers their freelance reporters in the field are facing, and the necessary training or insurance schemes are not easily accessible. In 2007, with the support of the Open Society Institute, The Rory Peck Trust carried out the first ever investigation into the situation of freelancers in this dangerous climate. Through focus groups and an online questionnaire, the Trust reached more than 300 freelancers in 16 out of 32 federal states and this report presents the findings." (Back cover)
more
"The following text examines the freedom of the press in Albania from the subjective perspective of journalists. It does not discuss individual cases, or provide statistics on violence against journalists, but it does reveal how journalists felt affected by different political actors and events duri
...
ng the turbulent phases from 1991 to 1998 by means of a statistically representative opinion poll." (Page 1)
more