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Reporting under occupation
155/Sue Tibbles
DATELINE: 26/12/06
The National Union of Journalists (Oxford) and Palestine Solidarity Campaign called this public meeting to highlight the importance of speaking out for the rights of media workers to do their jobs free of restrictions and intimidation.
The event, held in Oxford on 1 November, was prompted by the Coroner’s Court verdict that ITN reporter Terry Lloyd had been unlawfully killed by US troops while covering the Iraq invasion in March 2003.
Caroline Hawley, a former Baghdad correspondent for the BBC, said that more than 150 journalists have been killed during the Iraq war and its aftermath. She felt that journalists were scared and frustrated by the problems they face in Iraq and, in particular, Baghdad.
Many Iraqis are fleeing to Syria and Jordan and due to the current situation; the future of the country seems grim. Mohammed Daraghmeh who reports from the Palestinian Territories for the respected London-based Arabic daily Al-Hayat, said: "Not only are journalists being killed but journalism itself is being killed."
He discussed the difficulties of travel within Palestine, the delays caused by checkpoints causing longer journeys which affect everyone, including journalists. The internet and blogging are being used extensively in Palestine to overcome many obstacles to communication.
Although they cannot replace journalism completely, these blogs make valuable information and points of view available to a worldwide audience. Some of the foreign media reporting from Palestine appear to have their own political agenda, so it is important to build trust - especially in a climate where politicians are not trusted.
It was suggested that the quality of reporting from Iraq and Palestine and the credibility of journalists would be enhanced if greater efforts were made to check facts.
There was also a concern that some journalists are inventing or embroidering their stories. The meeting called for further campaigning work around these issues, for example, encouraging journalists to agree to abide by professional codes of conduct, writing to authorities and raising public awareness.
Last modified: Tuesday, December 26, 2006
Previous safety of journalists stories
Update on the Gongadze case - December 2006
Terry Lloyd 'killed by US Forces'
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?
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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.
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Previous stories
Safety Of Journalists
Update on the Gongadze case - December 2006
Terry Lloyd 'killed by US Forces'
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?
