War on Words

Who should protect journalists in conflict?

A free press can of course be good or bad, but, most certainly, without freedom it will never be anything but bad… Freedom is nothing else but a chance to be better, whereas enslavement is a certainty of the worse.

Albert Camus

Would you be willing to die for your job?

Reporting for Conflict…

• Perhaps one of the most dangerous assignments

• Increased dangers beyond obvious stray bullet• Insurgents, governments and government

agents increasingly targeting journalists• Most effective way to silence free reporting• Chilling effect on honest reporting

Why is good journalism necessary in conflict situations?

• Democracy and journalism rely on each other to function properly

• Democracy performs best when government acquires its ruling power from the governed

• Journalism works best when given freedom to report the truth

• Official wars are conducted in the name of the people of a country and they need accurate information about how war is waged in their name

• Unofficial conflicts or places where journalists are not allowed to function freely represent areas where democracy is at risk

The first casualty of war is Truth!• Today’s conflicts are not restricted to bombs and

guns• Violence is decentralized and often directed at

civilians• They are fought with words and images• Remember the power of language with regard to

conflict sensitive reporting• Propaganda: the public andmilitary must be

taught to hate the enemy– It’s a battle for the hearts and minds

Challenges of protecting journalists in conflict in the Digital Age

• Difficulty in determining the enemy• Difficulty in determining the journalist• Wars are no longer fought on front lines• Rise in 24-hour news coverage and

need for more stories of conflict• Perceived or real lack of objectivity • Impunity for perpetrators

Statistics

• More than 1,000 journalists have been killed in the past 10 years for doing their jobs

• Committee to Protect Journalists: 863 journalists killed since 1992– http://www.cpj.org/killed/

Examples

• Anna Politkovskaya 2006• Massacre in Mindanao 32 journalists

killed• Eynulla Fatullayev in prison for 4 years• Urmar Cheema, Pakistan 2010• Lara Logan assaulted in Egypt in 2011

What can be done?

• International laws– Geneva Conventions protect civilians and by

extension, journalists• But the question remains… should journalist be granted

special protections?• 2006 UN Resolution 1738: Special protections for

journalists• Human Rights Council special attention• Press Emblem Campaign

What can be done?

• NGOs practice of “name and shame”?• Better trained journalists?– Rory Peck Trust

• http://www.rorypecktrust.org/

• More safety equipment supplied by employer?• Media literacy education?• Conflict-sensitive reporting?• Staying home?