11 March 2003
PRESS-FREEDOM GROUPS URGE MEDIA PROTECTION
A new coalition of more than 100 media companies, journalists, press-freedom groups and international organisations has called on all sides in any war in Iraq to respect the safety and integrity of journalists.
The International News Safety Institute (INSI), an initiative spearheaded by two IFEX members, warns that a war in Iraq will put hundreds of journalists in the line of fire, especially those traveling without the protection of armed forces.
"While some news media staff will travel with and under the protection of the forces deployed, many more will operate alone, [making them] potential targets," reads an open letter to members of the UN Security Council and the Iraqi government.
Spearheaded by the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and the International Press Institute (IPI), INSI is a global network formed in December 2002 to address attacks against journalists and to promote media safety. It will be officially launched on 3 May, World Press Freedom Day.
Meanwhile, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has written to United States Secretary of Defence Donald Rumsfeld outlining its concerns about the US military's plan to "embed" up to 500 journalists covering a possible war in Iraq.
CPJ says the military's guidelines give unit commanders too much authority in determining what journalists can report when they accompany US troops. If a reporter is in a position to reveal sensitive information, a commander could order the reporter to submit their copy for review, CPJ says.
Officials could also restrict coverage by limiting journalists' movements or delaying their ability to file stories. More importantly, American officials have offered no convincing guarantees that journalists who are not accompanying US troops will be allowed to report without restrictions, CPJ stresses.
Read CPJ's letter to Rumsfeld:
www.cpj.org
In recent weeks, CPJ and IFJ have published guidebooks on journalists' safety to raise awareness of the potential dangers facing war reporters.
View them here:
- CPJ's "On Assignment: Covering Journalists' Safety":
www.cpj.org
- IFJ "Live News: A Survival Guide for Journalists":
www.ifj.org
Visit these links:
- International News Safety Institute:
www.ifj.org/hrights/insi
- Reporters sans frontières' safety resources:
www.rsf.org
- Military Reporters and Editors:
http://m_r_es.tripod.com
- US Journalists Criticise Media Coverage of Iraq:
www.usnewswire.com
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