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US Media Unions Demand Explanation for Deaths in Iraq
Leaders of six media unions in the United States have demanded that Secretary of State Donald Rumsfeld immediately convene an independent investigation into the death of three journalists in Baghdad and other media casualties involving US forces.
A press release on the unions' demand and text of the letter to Rumsfeld are on this site (follow the link under FIRST CASUALTY).Department for Professional Employees, AFL-CIO
1025 Vermont Avenue, N.W. - Suite 1030 Washington, D.C. 20005 Phone: (202) 638-0320 Fax: (202) 628-4379 Website: www.dpeaflcio.org
Contact: Linda Foley, President, TNG-CWA, 202-434-1261
For Release April 9, 2003
Media Unions Press Independent Investigation into Attacks on Journalists
Washington, D.C. -- Unions representing thousands of journalists in the United States are calling on Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld to investigate several serious incidents that have resulted in death or injury to media employees covering the war in Iraq.
In a letter to Secretary Rumseld, the top officers of six labor organizations cited the attacks that killed media employees at the Palestine Hotel and at other sites in Baghdad, as well as other incidents in which reporters have been killed, beaten or otherwise injured, as a compelling indication of the need for an independent inquiry.
Linda Foley, president of The Newspaper Guild-Communications Workers and secretary-treasurer of the AFL-CIO Department for Professional Employees, said journalists worldwide found the growing number of incidents extremely disturbing.
The unions also called for a prompt meeting with Pentagon representatives to identify specific measures that could be taken to prevent such tragedies in the future and to ensure the continued safety of the U.S. and international journalists and media staff covering the war.
Signing the letter are Foley, for The Newspaper Guild-CWA; John Connolly, President, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists; John C. Clark, President, National Association of Broadcast Engineers and Technicians ; Jonathan Tasini, President, National Writers Union; Herb Sargent, President, Writers Guild of America East, and Paul Almeida, President, AFL-CIO Department for Professional Employees.
The text of the letter follows:
Department for Professional Employees, AFL-CIO April 9, 2003
Donald H. Rumsfeld Secretary of Defense 1000 Defense Pentagon Washington, D.C. 20301-1000
Dear Mr. Secretary:
As leaders of unions representing thousands of U.S. journalists, including several hundred now situated in and around Iraq, we are gravely concerned about recent incidents that have resulted in the injury or death of media staff covering the war.
Journalists everywhere were horrified by reports of an attack on April 8th by U.S. forces on the Palestine Hotel--the unofficial headquarters of international press in Baghdad. As you are aware, two media representatives were killed in this incident.
Equally disturbing are reports that U.S. air attacks destroyed the offices of the independent Arab media Al Jazeera Television and Abu Dhabi Television resulting in the death of another journalist there.
These unfortunate occurrences come on the heels of two other questionable situations involving U.S. troops and journalists. During the first days of the war in Iraq, Terry Lloyd, a reporter for ITN, was killed by what may have been a "friendly fire" incident. The National Union of Journalists of Great Britain and Ireland has asked the UK Ministry of Defense to investigate that incident.
Also early in the conflict two Israeli journalists and a Portuguese television reporter allegedly were roughed up and then detained for 48 hours by U.S. troops. The journalists were not officially embedded with forces but were traveling alongside American convoys. We understand the Sindicato dos Jornalistas of Portugal has protested.
As you can imagine, reports like these can easily inflame anti-American sentiments in the foreign press. They also raise serious questions for us about the safety of our own members on the ground in Iraq.
Therefore, we respectfully request that you immediately convene an independent investigation into these incidents to determine what went wrong and the extent to which they may have been avoidable events. We also urgently request a meeting with Pentagon representatives to discuss how to prevent tragedies such as these from occurring in the future, including identifying specific measures necessary to ensure the safety of the hard working and courageous U.S. and international journalists and media staff who are covering this war.
With regard to these requests, we would ask that your response be directed to Linda K. Foley, President of The Newspaper Guild, 202-434-1261. Thank you in advance for your consideration of this request.
cc: Victoria Clarke, Assistant Defense Secretary for Public AffairsLINKSwww.dpeaflcio.org
Last modified: Wednesday, May 21, 2003
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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.
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Previous stories
War Reporting
JOURNALISTS PAY THE PRICE OF WAR
"Reporting Iraq: the Challenge for Public Service Broadcasting" - Speech by Andrew Murray, chair of the Stop the War Coalition, March 27, 2003.
IFJ says attacks on journalists in Iraq are "Crimes of War" that must be punished
Amnesty International questions attacks on Palestine Hotel and Al-Jazeera
ATTACKS ON JOURNALISTS ARE "WAR CRIMES" SAYS NUJ
MTV Europe heads tells station not to broadcast videos of war
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PENTAGON THREATENS TO KILL INDEPENDENT REPORTERS IN IRAQ
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WAR SPIN
ACTIVISM PAYS OFF (II)
Times, NPR Change Their Take on DC Protests
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BUSH'S "BLUEPRINT FOR US GLOBAL DOMINATION"
SELLING THE WAR
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