» SubscribeMain section
-
Top story
Terry Lloyd 'killed by US Forces'
154/Julie-ann Davies
DATELINE: 14/11/06
On 13 October a coroner ruled that ITN reporter Terry Lloyd was unlawfully killed when he came under American fire in Iraq. The Assistant Deputy Coroner of Oxfordshire, Andrew Walker, said attempts would be made to hold the soldiers responsible to account. He said: "Having carefully taken into account all the evidence… I am sure that had this killing taken place under English Law it would have constituted an unlawful homicide. I shall write to the Attorney General and the Director of Public Prosecutions with a view to considering the appropriate steps to bring the persons involved in this incident to justice."
Lloyd, and his interpreter, Hussein Osman were travelling with an ITN team when they were killed near Basra on 22 March 2003. Lloyd was shot in the back when his vehicle - clearly marked "Press" - was caught in American and Iraqi crossfire. However, Lloyd's fatal injury occurred after the initial skirmish. He was shot in the head by US forces when a civilian minibus was taking him for medical treatment.
In a statement, read after the inquest, Lloyd's widow Lyn said: "This was not a friendly fire incident or a crossfire incident; it was a despicable, deliberate, vengeful act, particularly as it came many minutes after the initial exchange. US forces seem to have allowed their soldiers to behave like trigger happy cowboys in an area where civilians were moving around."
It remains unclear what happened to one of Lloyd's colleagues. French cameraman Fred Nerac is still officially classified as missing but is believed to be dead. Cameraman Daniel Demoustier was the only member of the ITN team to survive.
A film, shot by a cameraman attached to the American unit, was seen for the first time during the inquest. It showed American soldiers examining Lloyd's wrecked and smouldering vehicle. However, some footage which Lloyd's family, believe could contain vital evidence is missing.
Lloyd's daughter Chelsey said: "What were the standing orders and rules of engagement of the US marines and why is there 15 minutes of film missing which we believe would show the moments the two ITN vehicles came under fire and my father making his way to the minibus as it came under fire?"
Despite the inquest many questions remain unanswered. Both ITN and the NUJ have backed calls for the soldiers involved in the incident to be identified and bought to justice. The NUJ's General Secretary, Jeremy Dear, has called the incident a "war crime" and said: "The killing of journalists with impunity must never, ever go unpunished. Any attempt to silence journalists in this way must never succeed."
Last modified: Tuesday, November 14, 2006
Previous safety of journalists stories
Anna Politkovskaya: death of a fearless reporter
Gongadze murder still unsolved
News Death Toll for 2006 Reaches 126
Kash kidnapped by Afghans
Terry Lloyd Killed by US Bullet
The murder of Anna Politkovskaya
Wave of Iraqi media killings sparks new fears
Cover-ups, Lies and Censorship
Worst-ever media disaster: 68 dead in Iran
Gongadze killers still roam free in Ukraine, says IFJ
Killers of Ukrainian journalist are ‘getting away’
Iraq outstrips Vietnam in journalists killed
Call for immediate release of Reuters cameraman held by US army
Media safety 'top priority' in Iraq
Journalists call for free and fair coverage of Zimbabwe poll
Journalism: a deadly business
South of the border
They kill reporters, don't they?
-
Notices
Events & Announcements
World Press Freedom Day
More reporters are currently imprisoned in Turkey than in any other country in the world. Only a matter of weeks ago lawyers failed to persuade a Turkish court to release a 76-year-old journalist from a Turkish internet news station.
World Press Freedom Day on Friday May 3, 2013 is being marked in Britain by a rally to highlight the dangers facing journalists in Turkey and in this podcast, Nicholas Jones speaks to Barry White, Organiser at the Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom, and Sam Bamford, the TUC's policy officer for Eastern Europe and Africa about the importance of a campaign to highlight international press freedom.
The World Press Freedom Day rally is being staged by the National Union of Journalists at the NUJ head office, Gray’s Inn Road, London WC1 on Thursday May 2, 6pm-8pm.
DATELINE: 27/4/13
UK launch of EU media campaign
DATELINE: 13/3/13
The UK launch of a 'European Citizens' Initiative' calling for EU rules against concentration of media power will take place on Thursday March 21 from 11:00am – 12:30pm in Committee Room 4A at the House of Lords, London. Guest speakers will include actor and activist Hugh Grant (pictured), media consultant Claire Enders, Professor Steven Barnett, Barry McCall (President of the NUJ) and Marc Gruber (Director of the European Federation of Journalists).
A European Citizens' Initiative is an official petition, like a Downing Street petition. If it succeeds in gathering a million signatures across the EU, the Commission is obliged to respond.
This petition calls for the EU to act to protect media pluralism and press freedom.
CPBF Annual General Meeting
DATELINE: 1/3/13
Make a note in your diary
Saturday 13 July 2013 from 10.00am
NUJ HQ, 308/312 Gray's Inn Road, London WC1.
Leveson, media ownership, CPBF future work.
DOWNLOAD FREEPRESS NOW
DATELINE: 26/3/10
Download Freepress in PDF, ePub or mobi format. Issue 194 now available.
MEDIA FOR ALL CONFERENCE
DATELINE: 26/3/10
Papers from the Media for All Conference
MEDIA MANIFESTO
DATELINE: 26/3/10
The media’s job is to inform and entertain us but we rely on them too to tell us what our rulers and representatives are up to. In the run-up to the Iraq war the government used spin and disinformation in the media to create panic and mislead people. The truth is coming out now, but we need stronger, more independent media to be able to scrutinise governments and make informed choices.
-
Previous stories
Safety Of Journalists
Anna Politkovskaya: death of a fearless reporter
Gongadze murder still unsolved
News Death Toll for 2006 Reaches 126
Kash kidnapped by Afghans
Terry Lloyd Killed by US Bullet
The murder of Anna Politkovskaya
Wave of Iraqi media killings sparks new fears
Cover-ups, Lies and Censorship
Worst-ever media disaster: 68 dead in Iran
Gongadze killers still roam free in Ukraine, says IFJ
Killers of Ukrainian journalist are ‘getting away’
Iraq outstrips Vietnam in journalists killed
Call for immediate release of Reuters cameraman held by US army
Media safety 'top priority' in Iraq
Journalists call for free and fair coverage of Zimbabwe poll
Journalism: a deadly business
South of the border
They kill reporters, don't they?
