Journalists in danger
That was the year that was
IFEX (International Freedom of eXpression Exchange) reviews 2007 at the sharp end of journalism with differing figures from the Committee to Protect Journalists (65 journalists killed), Reporters without Borders (at least 86 journalists killed), the Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (102 journalists killed) and the International Federation of Journalists (171 journalists and media workers were […]
For journalism
BBC World Service, Deutsche Welle, Radio France Internationale, Radio Netherlands Worldwide and the Voice Of America issue “an unprecedented joint resolution denouncing what they termed growing trends towards media restrictions and attacks on journalists in many of the countries to which they broadcast.” The heads of five of the largest international broadcasters have called upon […]
Somali journalist arrested
Freelance journalist Idle Moallim based in the port city of Bossaso in Somalia has been arrested by police in the northern Puntland region while working on a human trafficking story. The arrest comes less than a month after French journalist Gwen Le Gouil was kidnapped while working on another human trafficking story. Le Gouil was […]
Ghaith Abdul-Ahad profiled
[video:youtube:JoOmquaRCx8] Menassat, an organisation that promotes good journalism in the Middle East and North Africa, begins a new series profiling arab journalists. Lebanon-based Ghaith Abdul-Ahad, who writes and photographs for The Guardian and has twice been shortlisted for best foreign correspondent of the year by the British Press Awards, is first up, “I think rule […]
Gwen Le Gouil seized in Somalia
Reuters reports that negotiations are underway today in Somalia for the release of French cameraman Gwen Le Gouil abducted on Sunday. He was working in the northern Puntland region on a human trafficking story, “The negotiations are underway this morning,” said Jean Laurent, a colleague of Le Gouil’s in Nairobi from their small TV company […]
Killed in Baghdad
Ali Shafeya Al-Moussawi, Special Correspondent with the excellent Alive in Baghdad, was shot and killed in his home in Habibya, part of the Sadr city, on December 14th. The Alive in Baghdad blog has more, On Friday the 14th at 11:30pm Baghdad time, Iraqi National Guard forces raided the street where Ali’s house is, one […]
Who talks about them?
[video:youtube:wamMBgt3Uic] Hesain Khadir is an exiled journalist from Iraq living in Britain. He recently spoke at the University of Stirling about the life of Iraqi journalists living and working in Iraq, “You are banning yourself from expressing yourself freely… People of Scotland realise the pain of what happened with Alan Johnston. There are huge numbers […]
Protection for war reporters
Seven countries including the United States and Britain have joined in a new move to ensure the safety of journalists in war zones, the International Red Cross said. France, Germany, Australia, Canada and Denmark also committed themselves to accept a new nonbinding accord on protecting correspondents in line with the Geneva Conventions on the conduct […]
Lola Almudevar killed in car crash
BBC video journalist Lola Almudevar and four others have died and four others have died in a pileup in Bolivia, which took place en route to the city of Sucre in the early hours of Sunday. Eduardo GarcÃa Gil, a Spanish reporter with Reuters, was also said to have been injured in the accident. link […]
“Working in Somalia is a death sentence”
Following the shutdown of three popular radio stations in Somalia in recent weeks, freelance photojournalist Salah Mohammed Adde was arrested on 15 November by plain clothes officers at the Banadir Football Stadium in north Mogadishu. According to IFEX, Salah was taking pictures of the demonstrators, who were expressing support for security operations carried out by […]
“The most dangerous war in the history of journalism”
The Indepedent reports on the grim landmark reached this week. More than 200 journalists have been killed in Iraq since the beginning of the war in March, 2003. The Independent compares this to previous wars, Two were killed in the First World War, 68 in the Second, 77 in Vietnam and 36 in the Balkans… […]
Do journalists need a special safety convention?
Download this episode View in iTunes From a recent debate at the Frontline Club between Geoffrey Robertson QC, Knut Doerman (ICRC), Aidan White (IFJ) and moderated by Prof Stewart Purvis (City University). Aidan White expands on the subject on the IFJ blog, There’s no better example of a country that fails to protect journalists […]
Swedish journalists feel the Burmese heat
Several Swedish and Danish news media outlets said on Monday they had been contacted by Burmese regime officials urging them to withdraw their reporters from the country for their own safety. link Meanwhile Reporters without borders lay into the Burmese junta once again, “Several other correspondents of foreign news media, including Reuters and Agence France-Presse, […]
Burmese Junta detains journalist
Authorities in Burma were detaining a journalist reporting for a Japanese newspaper for the third day Sunday, his family members said. Min Zaw, a Burmese national working for The Tokyo Shimbun, was taken from his home early Friday by plainclothes security personnel who said he would be held temporarily for questioning. Family members said his […]
Kenji Nagai shot dead in Rangoon
What appears to be footage of the Japanese photojournalist, 50 year old Kenji Nagai shot dead on the streets of Rangoon yesterday. Nagai was working for the Tokyo based APF video and photo agency. Killed for taking photos of protesters and soldiers. Here is an emailed tribute to Kenji Nagai on ko htike’s blog, On […]
Death of a journalist
The Daily Telegraph has a series of photographs that purport to show the death of a Japanese photojournalist in Rangoon, Burma today. I suspect these photos originally surfaced on Ko htike’s blog
Bloody saffron revolution
Reporters Without Borders is appalled by the death of a Japanese news photographer on the streets of Rangoon this morning. Another foreign journalist was reportedly injured. The press casualties came after the security forces opened fire on demonstrators near the Tarder Hotel in the centre of Rangoon. link Meanwhile… One photographer imprisoned and five journalists […]
Journalists in Congo
A great essay from Congolese journalist Fidel Bafilemba Bienda about the ongoing situation in Congo, western media’s lack of interest, UN “peacekeeping” and the deaths of local journalists, …I wish we would get more journalists to come here and see for themselves. But as fighting continues and innocent people die, the countries that should be […]