15063 results:

10851. Journalists in Afghanistan Complete IFJ Training  

  The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its affiliate, the Afghan Independent Journalists’ Association (AIJA), concluded a workshop in Kabul on March 29 in which journalists were trained to train others on reporting on elections and political issues.   Fifteen experienced journalists from various provinces, including Paktika, Zabul, Faryab and Takhar, participated in the four-day workshop. The first two days included sessions on training techniques followed by two days on the practices and processes of democratic elections and the role of the media in election coverage.   The training, which is part of an IFJ-AIJA Media for Democracy…  
10852. IFJ Mourns Another Journalist Killed in Pakistan  

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is extremely concerned by the failure of authorities in Pakistan to fully investigate the killings of journalists, after another journalist was murdered last night.   Raja Assad Hameed, a senior reporter for the daily Nation and Waqt TV Channel, was shot four times by unidentified assailants as he arrived at his home in Rawalpindi, reports the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), an IFJ affiliate. He died in hospital.   The PFUJ said the motive for the murder is unclear.   The IFJ joins the PFUJ in demanding that Pakistan’s Government direct local authorities to conduct a full investigation…  
10853. IFJ Calls for End to Anti-Media Campaign in Fiji  

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) calls on Fiji’s interim military government to put an immediate stop to efforts to shut down the country’s independent media, following a call by a senior Army officer for the closure of the Fiji Times.   According to local media reports, the Land Force Commander of Fiji’s Military Forces, Colonel Pita Driti, issued a media statement on March 25 attacking the Fiji Times, saying it was “the most non-cooperative and biased newspaper in the country”. He alleged that the media did not give adequate coverage to military “grievances” or “positive achievements”.   The…  
10854. EFJ Urges European Institutions to Address Media Crisis and Its Impact on Democracy  

The EFJ called for the launch of a new debate at European level on the future of media involving all stakeholders in civil society, within media, European authorities and politicians.   Last week, the EFJ sent letters to all leaders of the political parties of the European Parliament and today to the European Commission's President José Manuel Barroso to urge for a debate of this critical and historical challenge to confront the future role of media in contributing to democracy, pluralism and public engagement in the political life of Europe prior to the upcoming elections and a new Commission.  See letters attached.    
10855. German Court: OK to Reprint Nazi-Era Newspapers  

(AP) The German court ruled Wednesday that the state of Bavaria cannot use copyright law to prevent a new publication from reprinting newspapers produced by the Nazi regime in the early years of Adolf Hitler's rule.Bavaria holds the rights to Nazi publications, including Hitler's "Mein Kampf." However, the Munich state court rejected - at least in part - Bavaria's bid to use copyright to block reprints of two Nazi papers, the Voelkischer Beobachter and Der Angriff.The court ruled that the rights on those newspaper editions published before 1939 have now expired.Bavaria's Finance Ministry said it would appeal.Source: http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=7171263  
10856. German Court: OK to Reprint Nazi-Era Newspapers  

(AP) The German court ruled Wednesday that the state of Bavaria cannot use copyright law to prevent a new publication from reprinting newspapers produced by the Nazi regime in the early years of Adolf Hitler's rule. Bavaria holds the rights to Nazi publications, including Hitler's "Mein Kampf." However, the Munich state court rejected - at least in part - Bavaria's bid to use copyright to block reprints of two Nazi papers, the Voelkischer Beobachter and Der Angriff. The court ruled that the rights on those newspaper editions published before 1939 have now expired. Bavaria's Finance Ministry said it would appeal. Source: http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=7171263  
10857. IFJ Condemns Police Action in South Korea Media Dispute  

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is alarmed by the ongoing detention of a senior media union leader in South Korea, and fears management of the YTN broadcaster and the authorities are colluding to disrupt negotiations to resolve a long-running industrial dispute.   YTN union chairman Jong-Myun Roh is still in police detention after being arrested with Duck-Soo Hyun, former chairman of the YTN union, Seoung-Ho Jo and Jang-Hyuk Lim on March 22, the day before YTN staff were to take strike action, according to the Journalists’ Association of Korea (JAK), an IFJ affiliate.   The other union representatives were released after a local court rejected…  
10858. EFJ Backs Union Protest as Court Condemns Media for Telling the Truth in Cyprus  

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), the European group of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today expressed its full support to the Union of Cyprus Journalists in their condemnation of a court decision in Cyprus, which condemned media for revealing the truth about police violations of human rights.   The EFJ has intervened as a fierce public debate has opened up over a court decision to clear 10 policemen on charges of having beaten two young students in Nicosia in 2005. The case against the police was brought thanks to video evidence leaked to the newspaper Politis, which revealed the violent treatment of the students by police officers. The story was made…  
10859. IFJ Condemns Murder of Newspaper Editor in Assam, India  

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is shocked to learn of the murder of Anil Mozumdar, Executive Editor of the Assamese language daily Aaji, near his home in Guwahati, capital of the north-eastern Indian state of Assam.   According to reports from the Journalists’ Union of Assam (JUA), a constituent organisation of IFJ affiliate the Indian Journalists’ Union (IJU), Mozumdar was shot dead late yesterday night by unidentified assailants who were lying in wait for him outside his home.   The local police, according to IFJ sources, are investigating the likely involvement of one of Assam’s insurgent organisations.   Mozumdar bought…  
10860. IFJ Alarmed by the Arrest of Two Journalists in Afghanistan  

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) demands an explanation from the Afghanistan Government for the arrest of two television journalists this week.   According to the Afghan Independent Journalists’ Association (AIJA), an IFJ affiliate, the chief editor of private TV channel Emroze, Fahim Kohdamani, was arrested on March 23 following allegations that the content of an Emroze broadcast expressed anti-Islamic sentiments offensive to some Shiite clerics.   Najibullah Kabuli, a member of the Parliament’s lower house and owner of Emroze, told the AIJA that Kohdamani was arrested on the orders of Attorney-General Mohammad Eshaq Aloko.…  
10861. IFJ Condemns Threat to Private Broadcasters Licenses on Election Day in Senegal  

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ ) has today condemned the timing of the Senegalese Government's announcement that private broadcasters faced closure for non payment of licenses fees made on Sunday 22  March which was also local elections day in the country.   "It is extraordinary for the goverment to make a statement directly threatening the closure of certain private media on the most important and testing day in any journalist's calendar," declared Gabriel Baglo, Director of IFJ Africa Office. "This appears to be as a direct warning to media on how they choose to cover the election results."   The Agency for Telecommunications and Postal Regulation…  
10862. IFJ Urges China to Cooperate on Public Discussion  

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is concerned by recent interventions by China’s Central Government in seeking to cancel or postpone talks organised by the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Hong Kong (FCC).   According to local media reports, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs contacted the FCC in relation to two separate events involving guest speakers Kate Saunders, Communications Director of the Washington-based International Campaign for Tibet, and Thailand’s ousted former Prime Minister, Thaksin Shinawatra.   In a statement on March 13, the FCC said the Ministry had expressed concern about not being invited to reply to a scheduled…  
10863. Gender Gap Gone?  

Women reign at 2009 Goldsmith investigative reporting awards(Columbia Journalism Review) When the team of Washington Post investigative reporters gathered in their editor's office to put the finishing touches on a groundbreaking series on egregious housing violations in the nation's capital, one thing caught their attention: all the people in the room were women. In a measure of how far women have come in the top ranks of journalism, it didn't seem out of the ordinary to them. It was all in a day's work.The dogged reporting skills of Debbie Cenziper and Sarah Cohen earned them one of journalism's highest (and most lucrative) honors, the $25,000 2009 Goldsmith Prize for Investigative…  
10864. Union Leaders Arrested on Eve of Major Workplace Negotiation in South Korea  

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is concerned at reports of the arrest of four union leaders involved in the high profile industrial dispute between YTN media workers and management in South Korea.   The Journalists’ Association of Korea (JAK), an IFJ affiliate, reports that Mr Jong-Myun Roh, chairman of the YTN union, Mr Duck-Soo Hyun, former chairman of the YTN union, Mr Seoung-Ho Jo and Mr Jang-Hyuk Lim were arrested on March 22 and continue to be held by police.   Police reportedly said the four had failed to maintain an appointment to appear before the police. However, JAK representatives told the IFJ the four leaders had agreed with…  
10865. IFJ Conference: Gender and Ethics- Equality in the newsroom 30-31st May 2009  

Whose voice and faces are in the news?  How do women journalists make their way in today's media changes? What role can journalists' unions play in promoting gender equality? These are some of the questions that will be addressed at the Conference organized by the International Federation of Journalists' (IFJ)on ‘Gender and Ethics- Equality in the newsroom' to be held  on 30-31st May in Brussels. Following the launch of the IFJ gender booklet on "Getting the balance right", the conference will examine the performance of journalists in reporting gender issues, how greater equality improves journalism ethics, assess the status of women in the media and discuss the…  
10866. IFJ Conference: Gender and Ethics- Equality in the newsroom 30-31st May 2009  

Whose voice and faces are in the news?  How do women journalists make their way in today's media changes? What role can journalists' unions play in promoting gender equality?These are some of the questions that will be addressed at the Conference organized by the International Federation of Journalists' (IFJ)on ‘Gender and Ethics- Equality in the newsroom' to be held  on 30-31st May in Brussels.Following the launch of the IFJ gender booklet on "Getting the balance right", the conference will examine the performance of journalists in reporting gender issues, how greater equality improves journalism ethics, assess the status of women in the media and…  
10867. Censorship on the Rise in China  

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is appalled at increasing restrictions on journalists reporting in China in recent weeks.   A Chinese journalist who wishes to remain anonymous told the IFJ that the Central Propaganda Department issued a series of orders banning reporting on certain issues, particularly in relation to business and foreign affairs.   The journalist listed the following incidences where reporting on significant issues was blocked due to government censorship:   On March 6, all media were ordered not to follow up the case of a former Communist Party chief and deputy director of the Shenzhen Maritime Safety …  
10868. France: Call for solidarity for Action day on 19 March  

The morale has been rather low in the media over the last month : the crisis has hit hard the industry which is supposed to be democracy's  watchdog. Restructurings are taking place, sometimes with «friendly arrangements »  with the unions. The media employers are still looking for increasing profits in a context of economic recession and President Sarkozy is interfering in media policy like no other president since decades. The participating trade unions (SNJ, SNJ-CGT, USJ-CFDT, SGJ-FO, CFTC and CGC Journalists' Trade Unions) call on all journalists to mobilise for the national day of a general strike and demonstrations planned for March 19, on the…  
10869. France: Call for solidarity for Action day on 19 March Journalists on strike and in street protests!  

The morale has been rather low in the media over the last month : the crisis has hit hard the industry which is supposed to be democracy's  watchdog.Restructurings are taking place, sometimes with «friendly arrangements »  with the unions. The media employers are still looking for increasing profits in a context of economic recession and President Sarkozy is interfering in media policy like no other president since decades.The participating trade unions (SNJ, SNJ-CGT, USJ-CFDT, SGJ-FO, CFTC and CGC Journalists' Trade Unions) call on all journalists to mobilise for the national day of a general strike and demonstrations planned for March 19, on the following…  
10870. IFJ Supports Protests Over Journalists Murdered in Afghanistan  

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) extends its full support to the campaign of protests organised by the Afghan Independent Journalists’ Association (AIJA) to demand justice for two journalists murdered within a day of each other last week.   In the first of these, Jawed Ahmad, also known as Jo Jo, was driving in the southern Afghan city of Kandahar on March 10 when he was shot dead by unknown men in a vehicle that had pulled up alongside his car. Ahmad had spent 11 months in United States military detention in the Bagram airbase near Kabul and was released only six months ago.   The second involved the shooting of Munir Ahmad Amil, a journalist…  
10871. IFJ Praises Bravery and Resilience of Yemeni Journalist during Presentation Ceremony of Special Award  

  The IFJ President, Jim Boumelha, joined journalists in Yemen today in celebrating the presentation to their colleague Abdul Karim Al Khaiwani of Amnesty International's Special Award for Human Rights Journalism under Threat. In delivering the award during the 4th congress of the Yemeni Journalists Syndicate in Sana'a, IFJ President Jim Boumelha praised the bravery and resilience that Al Khaiwani has shown during his long ordeal. "Abdul Karim is a very special journalist." He said. "He is one of those rare breeds of journalists, some of the bravest and the most determined - those who are prepared to sacrifice their personal and professional lives for the public good and…  
10872. The IFJ Welcomes Commitment of Yemen to Press Freedom, Access to Information and Open Government  

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today welcomed fresh pledges from the Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh that press freedom in Yemen will be guaranteed in the draft of the new broadcast law which, when passed, will permit independent broadcast media to be set up. President Saleh also supported the right of journalists to access information and asked the government to move faster in issuing licenses for new and suspended newspapers. The president was speaking to the Yemeni journalists at the opening of the Fourth Congress of the Yemeni Journalists Syndicate in Sana yesterday held under the title "To Defend Journalists Rights and Press Freedom". In an…  
10873. The IFJ Welcomes Commitment of Yemen to Press Freedom, Access to Information and Open Government  

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today welcomed fresh pledges from the Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh that press freedom in Yemen will be guaranteed in the draft of the new broadcast law which, when passed, will permit independent broadcast media to be set up. President Saleh also supported the right of journalists to access information and asked the government to move faster in issuing licenses for new and suspended newspapers.   The president was speaking to the Yemeni journalists at the opening of the Fourth Congress of the Yemeni Journalists Syndicate in Sana yesterday held under the title "To Defend Journalists Rights and Press Freedom". In an…  
10874. Journalism Teacher Denied Access to Jailed Activist in China  

  The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is alarmed at reports that a journalism tutor and student were refused entry to visit the family of jailed human rights activist Chen Guangcheng in Linyi County, Shandong, on March 8.   Wang Keqin, a veteran journalist and journalism school tutor from a Beijing university, and a student were reportedly about to arrive at the village where Chen’s wife lives when at least five men blocked their way, and physically and verbally abused them.   “I was beaten up but not badly hurt. The attitude of the gang was terribly arrogant,” the student told IFJ   Yuan Weijing, Chen’s wife, confirmed…  
10875. IFJ Condemns Pakistan President Over Media Ban  

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has condemned Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari for imposing a ban on the Geo TV News, accusing him of "intolerable interference" in press freedom which undermines the reputation of his government. The IFJ also welcomed the reported resignation of Information Minister Sherry Rehman in protest at the President's action. "Her offer to resign shows a degree of principle in a tawdry incident that casts a shadow over the good name of the governing Pakistan People's Party," said Aidan White, IFJ General Secretary. "The President is guilty of the most intolerable interference in press freedom." Rehman was reported by local media as…  
10876. IFJ Condemns Abduction of Veteran Media Personality in Sri Lanka  

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) welcomes the release of Dammika Ganganath Dissanayake, media adviser to Sri Lanka’s principal opposition party and a former chairman of the state-owned broadcast agency, who returned home yesterday after being abducted by armed men on the night of March 11.   “The IFJ welcomes the release and safe return of Dissanayake,” IFJ General Secretary Aidan White said.   “However, his brief disappearance reminds us that the political strife in Sri Lanka plays itself out in threatening ways for people associated with the media.”   The Sri Lankan police said Dissanayake returned home early…  
10877. IFJ Calls on UN to Investigate Press Freedom Violations in Sri Lanka  

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today asked the United Nations Human Rights Council to investigate cases of serious violations of journalists’ rights in Sri Lanka under the cloak of countering terrorism.   In a statement to the tenth session of the UN human rights body in Geneva, the IFJ singled out Sri Lanka as one of the countries where counter-terrorism measures are used as a disguise to deny journalists their rights “through arbitrary arrest and detention for exercising their right to freedom of expression”.   The statement, which was endorsed by Article 19, the International Press Institute and the World Association…  
10878. Call for Submission Female Photojournalist Award 2009  

The French Association des Femmes Journalistes (AFJ) and Canon France are launching, with Images Evidence, the ninth competition of the Canon Female Photojournalist Award granted by the Association des femmes Journalistes (AFJ). This Award, with support of Le Figaro Magazine, is handed out every year during the Visa pour l'Image Festival in Perpignan (France). It is granted by Canon France and supports with 8000 Euros a woman photographer with a photojournalistic project. It is opened to professional women photojournalists of any age and nationality. The winner will be selected by a jury made up of photography and press professionals as well as members of the Association des Femmes…  
10879. IFJ Alarmed By Reported Abduction in Sri Lanka  

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is alarmed and dismayed over reports that Dammika Ganganath Dissanayake, the former chairman of the government-owned broadcaster, the Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation (SLRC), may have been abducted from his home near Colombo.   According to reports received from sources in Colombo, Dissanayake was taken away by a gang which remains unidentified, late yesterday evening. The gang reportedly arrived in a white van, stormed the residence, bound up his wife and domestic help, and took Dissanayake away.   The family of the missing man has filed a complaint with a local police station. The police have reportedly…  
10880. IFJ Demands Justice for Uma Singh and an End to Impunity in Nepal  

  The brutal murder in January 2009 of young Nepali journalist Uma Singh has drawn much attention in Nepal and globally, highlighting the extreme risks for media personnel as Nepal makes its difficult transition to democracy after a decade of civil war.   The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) conducted an investigation into Uma Singh’s murder in Janakpur, as well as issues concerning regional media and women working in journalism in Nepal, as part of its participation in an international press freedom mission to Nepal in February 2009.   On the evidence, the IFJ concludes there are strong links between Uma Singh’s murder and her…  
10882. Blocks on Journalists Entering Tibet Violate China’s Promise of Freedom  

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) calls on Beijing to honour its promise to allow foreign media more freedom to report in China, after authorities refused applications by journalists to travel to Tibet to report on this week’s 50th anniversary of a failed uprising against China.   A Belgium journalist, who wishes to remain anonymous, told the IFJ that officers at the Foreign Ministry in Beijing and Tibet rejected his application in early March for a permit to travel from Beijing to Tibet. The officers reportedly said they were “too busy” before rejecting the application, the journalist said.   Two journalists from Germany reported…  
10883. Journalists Killed and Injured as Suicide Bomber Strikes in Baghdad  

Two journalists were among the 33 victims killed when a suicide bomber blew himself up today in a targeted attack on tribal leaders near the town hall in Abu Ghraib, in Baghdad. At least 46 people were injured including several journalists following meetings in the local market as part of efforts at national reconciliation.   The Iraqi Journalists Syndicate, an affiliate of the International Federation of Journalists, expressed shock at the attack. “This is a hideous crime against the Iraqi journalists who are doing their job honestly and independently in the road to peace and reconciliation,” they said. The private Al-Baghdadia channel said their correspondent and a…  
10884. IFJ Deplores Denial of Fair Trial for Afghan Journalist  

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) deplores the denial of a fair trial for Afghan journalist Syed Pervez Kambakhsh, whose 20-year jail sentence on blasphemy charges was confirmed by an appeals court in Afghanistan without the defendant or his lawyer being informed.   The Afghan Independent Journalists’ Association (AIJA), an IFJ affiliate, reports that Kambakhsh’s lawyer, Mohamad Afzal Nuristani, went to the Supreme Court of Afghanistan in Kabul on March 8 to deliver some material related to Kambakhsh’s case.   He was then reportedly informed by court authorities that the decision on the case had been rendered by the court a month…  
10885. Cimac: Condiciones laborales de las y los periodistas en México, un acercamiento  

Leer: http://www.cimacnoticias.com/documentos2008/condlabcimac2008.pdf  
10886. IFJ Gender Newsletter, March 08  

Download here   
10887. Cimac: Condiciones laborales de las y los periodistas en México, un acercamiento  

Leer: http://www.cimacnoticias.com/documentos2008/condlabcimac2008.pdf  
10888. IFJ Condemns China's Harsh Sentence for Unpublished Articles  

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is appalled that a Chinese court has jailed a legal practitioner for four years and deprived him of political rights for five years because of several unpublished articles and his interviews with the media.   The People’s Court of Jixi, in north-east China’s Heilongjiang province, sentenced Yuan Xianchen on March 4.   Yuan, 45, was charged in June 2008 with inciting subversion of state power on the basis of several unpublished articles in which he referred to the Communist Party as autocratic and noted a need for democracy in China. The charges also refer to Yuan agreeing to three interviews with the…  
10889. IFJ Alarmed as Another Broadcaster Shot in Philippines  

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is alarmed by yet another violent attack on a broadcaster in the Philippines and condemns the Government’s failure to end the country’s reputation as one of the most dangerous countries in the world in which to work as a journalist.   Nilo Labares, of the Radio Mindanao Network station dxCC, was seriously wounded when he was shot in Cagayan de Oro, northern Mindanao, on March 5.   The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP), an IFJ affiliate, reports Labares is known for hard-hitting commentary regarding various illegal activities in Cagayan de Oro. Colleagues said Labares had received several…  
10891. International Press Freedom Groups Call for Justice for Jailed Sri Lankan Journalist  

                                                       One year after Tamil journalist J.S. Tissainayagam was detained without charge in Sri Lanka, international media rights organisations remain deeply worried about his continuing detention on charges of terrorism. Marking the anniversary of his detention on March 7, 2008, the International Press Freedom Mission is calling for the unconditional release of…  
10892. IFJ Launches Booklet to Engage Media Professionals in Fight Against Gender Discrimination  

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has today called on media professionals and unions activists to join the fight against gender discrimination by releasing a booklet on gender equality. "One of the greatest challenges facing journalists, both men and women, is to resist the culture of casual stereotype in our everyday work, " said IFJ General Secretary Aidan White. "It takes argument, debate, training and practical commitment to confront discrimination wherever it lurks". The IFJ booklet sets out the current status of women media professionals, the level and areas of inequality and measures that are used to address them. It examines media performance…  
10893. Politically Motivated Attacks Increasingly Target Nepal’s Media  

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is deeply alarmed at the growing trend of journalists and media being targeted by political actors in Nepal.   In the most recent incident on March 4, cadre belonging to the youth wing of the Communist Party of Nepal (United Marxist-Leninist), or CPN(UML), attacked the offices of the daily newspaper Jana Kranti in the far-western town of Mahendranagar.   Extensive damage was caused and documents in the newspaper office were set ablaze, ostensibly in retaliation for a published news item.   According to the Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ), an IFJ affiliate, a correspondent for Image TV was attacked on…  
10894. IFJ Worried by Restrictions on Reporting Pakistan Provincial Election  

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joins the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) in condemning restrictions on media reporting of a provincial election as a worrying block on freedom of the press in Pakistan.   On March 4, the Speaker of the North-West Frontier Province (NWFP) Assembly barred journalists and media, including State-run Pakistan Television, entering the Assembly to report on a local Senate election.   The PFUJ, an IFJ affiliate, said the ban may be intended to avoid a repeat of the journalistic reporting that exposed foul play during voting in the 2008 Presidential elections.   The PFUJ and its affiliate, the Khyber…  
10895. Fiji Order An Attempt to Censor the Media, Says IFJ  

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) urges journalists in Fiji not be discouraged by the interim Attorney-General’s instruction to the media to stop reporting on events of perceived “non-issue”.   Interim Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum reportedly said in a press conference this week that Fiji’s mainstream media should not publish articles based on speculation after former Commerce Commission chairman Charles Sweeney was removed from office.   In a letter to the Attorney-General, Sweeney challenged the powers of Sayed-Khaiyum to remove him from the commission.   According to local media reports, Sweeney claimed that his…  
10896. IFJ Demands End to Slaughter of Mexican Journalists after Three Deaths in February  

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its Latin American regional group, FEPALC, today condemned the killings of journalists in Mexico, following the murder of Juan Carlos Hernández, director of El Quijote newspaper published in the Guerrero region, on February 27th. Hernández was shot several times by two people driving a pickup truck through the town of Tehuilotepec. The victim's family refused to provide further details for fear of reprisals against them. "The worse we can do is to remain silent as the gravestone under which the murdered Mexican journalists are buried", says Paco Audije, Deputy Secretary General of the IFJ. "We demand a real…  
10897. IFJ Condemns Algerian Court Over "Press Gag"  

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today expressed its concerns about attempts by Algerian courts to muzzle journalists following a court decision to fine Abdelouahab Souag, a journalist for the daily El Watan, 50000 DA (Eur 500) for publishing articles on a Muslim cleric. "We condemn this practice of gagging the press under the cloak of justice," said Aidan White, IFJ General Secretary. "Journalists have the right to inform the public without fear or favour from those in authority." According to press reports, Souag was fined 20000 DA (Eur 200) by a court in Mascara which also ordered him to pay 30000 DA (Eur 300) compensation to an Imam at Aïn Kahla Mosque…  
10898. Romania: EFJ Denounces Double Standards of Swiss Company Ringier  

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), the European group of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today denounced the "double standards" used by Swiss media group Ringier against Romanian journalists."Once again we see a company working outside its home base applying scandalous double standards," said EFJ General Secretary Aidan White. "The Ringier company would never contemplate the sort of behaviour in Switzerland that it is guilty of in Romania where it has been caught cheating its employees out of pay that is due to them." The scandal was uncovered when Marius Draghici, a journalist working at Evenimentul Zilei, the daily newspaper owned by Ringier, opened…  
10899. IFJ Demands End to Mistreatment of Editor Detained in Sri Lanka  

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) demands that Sri Lankan authorities end the mistreatment and possible torture of N. Vidyatharan, a Tamil newspaper editor detained on February 26 and held since then on a vague and undefined pretext.   Vidyatharan, the editor of the Tamil language newspaper Sudaroli published from Colombo and Uthayan published from Jaffna, was snatched from a family ceremony by unidentified persons in a kidnap-style operation. The Sri Lankan police initially said he had been abducted, before clarifying almost three hours later that he had been taken in for questioning in connection with an insurgent air raid in the capital,…  
10900. IFJ Welcomes Press Freedom Commitment at ASEAN  

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) welcomes the formation of the Legislative Caucus on Rights and Free Expression, a new regional body of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), as a step toward promoting press freedom and the rights of journalists and the media in Southeast Asia.   The formation of the Caucus was announced at the 14th ASEAN summit in Thailand on February 28.   The members of the group are Cambodian MP Yim Sovann, Indonesian MP Djoko Susilo, Senator Francis Pangilinan and Congressman Teodoro Casino of the Philippines, and Thailand MPs Buranaj Smutharaks and Kraisak Choonhasan.   “We believe that the dream of a…  
10901. IFJ Calls on China to Honour Free Media Promises  

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) urges authorities in China to honour President Hu Jintao’s promise, made at a Central Committee meeting of the Communist Party of China on October 9, 2008, that China would work toward becoming an open society.   The IFJ has received several reports of orders issued by the Central Propaganda Department to Mainland media to restrict reporting on several significant recent news events in China.   A Mainland journalist, who wishes to remain anonymous, told the IFJ that journalists were told not to report on an incident where three people set fire to a car at Wangfujing in Beijing on February 25.   They…  
10902. Broadcaster Survives Failed Murder Attempt in the Philippines  

  The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) calls on the Government of the Philippines to take action to protect journalists after a second attempted murder in two weeks.   According to the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP), an IFJ affiliate, a gunman tried to kill Radyo Ukay journalist Ronaldo Doong in Davao City on February 28. Doong escaped death when his attacker’s gun failed to fire.   The attacker, threatening Doong he would face more harm if he did not stop broadcasting, then kicked the broadcaster’s motorcycle, causing him and his passenger to fall to the ground, the NUJP said.   In a statement on March 1,…  
10903. IFJ Calls on Moldova to Respect Press Freedom after Police Storm Media Outlet  

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today called upon the government of Moldova to respect basic standards of press freedom after police raided media premises."Basic standards of press freedom and rule of law are violated when police raid media without any mandate. We demand a proper explanation for what happened," said IFJ General Secretary Aidan White. "Moldova has poor a record of press freedom and this merely confirms the worst fears that there is little hope of improvement. This is particularly worrying in the midst of a general election campaign."The IFJ has been told that in the morning of 25 February a group of policemen in the  capital Chi?in?u…  
10904. IFJ Open Letter to Macau Authorities  

  To: Mr Ho Hau-wah The Chief Executive of Macau   cc: Mr. Cheong Kuoc Va Secretariat for Security   Mr Chan Chi-ping, Victor Director of Government Information Bureau February 27, 2009   RE: Concerns about entry requirements and Macau security laws   Dear Mr Ho Hau-wah,   The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), as the global organisation representing more than 600,000 journalists around the world, wishes to draw your attention to concerns about several matters relating to press freedom in Macau.   Firstly, Felix Wong Chi-keung, a photographer with the South China Morning Post, has informed the IFJ that Macau…  
10905. Editor's Kidnap Style Arrest Is Part of "War on Journalism" in Sri Lanka, Says IFJ  

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is shocked to learn of the detention of N. Vidyatharan, editor of the Tamil newspaper Sudar Oli, who disappeared on Wednesday 25 February after a group of unidentified men, some of whom in police uniform, forcibly bundled him in a van and drove off in the manner of a kidnap operation. "We condemn this display of thuggish tactics against journalists in Sri Lanka;" said Aidan White, IFJ General Secretary. "The harassment of media has now reached unprecedented levels and the world needs to speak out against the government's reckless behaviour." Fears that Vidyatharan had been abducted were allayed when the Sri Lankan government's…  
10906. IFJ Supports Striking BBC Journalists against "Unethical" Off-shoring Scheme  

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today expressed its strong support to striking journalists at the BBC World Service who are protesting at the Corporation's plans to outsource its South Asian programmes to companies in India and Pakistan. The 24-hour strike, which is part of the on-going campaign "Save the BBC World Service" by South Asian journalists, is also supported by the National Union of Journalists in England and Ireland (NUJ) and the Broadcast Entertainment Cinema and Theatre Union (BETCU) which have campaigned over the last 15 months against this restructuring programme. "The IFJ fully supports these journalists who are not only defending their jobs…  
10907. OSI Report on TV in Europe: More Channels, Less Independence  

TELEVISION ACROSS EUROPE: MORE CHANNELS, LESS INDEPENDENCE     The Open Society Institute announces the publication of a major new monitoring report on television in Europe. With an Overview chapter defining the main trends across the region, as well as recommendations addressing policymakers, media and activists, the report seeks to bring about change where it is needed.   The report confirms that television, which should be a pillar of democracy and open societies, is changing at breakneck speed. Patterns of production, transmission, consumption, marketing, financing and ownership - these are all in flux.  On the content side, Europe is…  
10908. IFJ Calls for Public Support for Media Freedom in Nepal as Attacks Continue  

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is alarmed by a recent wave of attacks on the media in Nepal and calls for a strong public affirmation of the principle of media freedom by the country’s ruling authorities.   The Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ), an IFJ affiliate, has recorded three incidents of concern, all in the country’s southern plains, or the Terai, adjoining the border with India.   In the first case, Gyanendra Raj Mishra, correspondent of Gadhimai FM radio and a member of the FNJ’s branch in the Parsa district, was injured when he was fired upon by a group of about four unidentified people about noon on February 19. The…  
10909. Staff Consultation Urged as South Korea Renews YTN Licence  

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joins journalists and media workers at YTN in South Korea in welcoming yesterday’s renewal of the broadcaster’s business licence.   The Journalists’ Association of Korea (JAK), an IFJ affiliate, reports that the Korea Communications Commission (KCC) confirmed the licence renewal yesterday.   The licence includes a condition that YTN management submit a plan within one month which outlines how the broadcaster will guarantee fair and objective reporting.   Delays in approving the licence, which was due for renewal in December, had raised concerns among staff at YTN, and also the IFJ,…  
10910. IFJ Seeks Inquiry into China Media Rules  

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) calls on China’s authorities to investigate the implementation of rules allowing foreign journalists more freedom to report on the Mainland, after a foreign journalist was prevented from interviewing a jobless teacher.   The IFJ is concerned that provincial authorities are either refusing to adhere to the more relaxed rules for foreign journalists, which were initially in place for the Olympic Games and then extended in October 2008, or have not been made aware of them.   Under the rules, foreign reporters are generally permitted to travel where they wish (with the exception of some regions such as Tibet) and to…  
10911. IFJ Condemns "Vicious " Attack on Television Station in Greece  

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its European group, the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) today condemned the attack on Alter TV, a private television station in Athens, Greece, on Tuesday afternoon by armed men who used force to gain entry into the station to cause disruption and threaten staff. "We condemn this vicious attack on press freedom", said Aidan White, IFJ General Secretary. "Media in Greece need protection and must work together to combat these threats to free expression and journalism." According to reports, a group of four armed men forced their way into the Alter TV's offices shortly before the main news broadcast. They fired shots…  
10912. IFJ Condemns Murderous Attacks on Journalists in Pakistan  

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is shocked and horrified at the murder of Musa Khankhel, a reporter for The News International daily and Geo News channel, in the Matta sub-division of the Swat valley in Pakistan’s North-West Frontier Province (NWFP).   According to the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), an IFJ affiliate, Musa Khankhel went missing on February 18 in the Matta area, where he had gone to report on a series of public events addressed by a senior cleric, Maulana Sufi Mohammad. His bullet-riddled body was found in the area a few hours later.   In an apparently unrelated incident on February 17, the Press Club in Wana, in…  
10913. IFJ Demands Macau Explain Block on Journalist  

  The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) calls on China’s authorities to explain why security personnel refused to grant a photographer from Hong Kong entry to Macau on February 18.   Felix Wong, a photographer with the South China Morning Post, told the IFJ that he was barred from entering Macau by a security officer who claimed he was in breach of the Internal Security Law of Macau. The security officer was unable to clarify which sections of the law were breached.   Wong is an accredited journalist who was travelling to Macau to report on a court hearing involving Ao Man-long, the former Minister for Transport and Public Works of Macau, who in…  
10914. IFJ Condemns Attacks on Media after Killing of Another Journalist in Mexico  

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its regional group, the Federation of Latin American and Caribbean Journalists (FEPALC) have condemned the murder of Jean Paul Ibarra Ramirez, a photographer for El Correo newspaper who was shot dead on 13 February. According to reports, Ramirez was killed as he was riding his motorbike with journalist Jenny Luliana Marchán Arroyo who sustained serious guns wounds in the attack. She was admitted at the hospital in Iguala city in Guerrero state, Western Mexico where she remains in critical condition. "The violence against journalists has reached intolerable levels in many states of Mexico," said Celso Schroeder,…  
10915. IFJ Calls for Belarus Media Reform as New Law Takes Effect  

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today called upon the Belarus government to bring in radical reforms to media and to abandon the strategy set out in a divisive new law that came into force on 8 February. "Belarus media requires invigorating reform, not a new media law that merely turns the screw ever tighter on the independent media," said Aidan White, IFJ General Secretary. The IFJ says that last minute softening of the legislation and the recent return of two independent newspapers to state distribution system do not disguise the harsh reality that "Belarus journalists are the most oppressed in Europe." The IFJ supports the Belarus Association of…  
10916. EFJ Supports UK Photographers in Counter Terrorism Act Protest  

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), the regional group of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), today condemned amendments to the UK Counter Terrorism Act, which came into force in the UK yesterday. The amendments contain powers of arrest and imprisonment of anyone who takes pictures of police officers and some other public servants which are "likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism". "This is a serious setback for press freedom which is going to have a devastating effect on the work of photojournalists," said Arne König, EFJ President. " "We don't believe that there is a level of security considerations which can justify the…  
10917. IFJ Alarmed by Sentencing of Afghan Journalist  

  The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is deeply worried over a Kabul Appeal Court’s verdict upholding a 20-year prison sentence on Ghous Zelmay, a former journalist and spokesman for Afghanistan’s Attorney-General, on charges of wrongly interpreting religious scripture.   Zelmay was arrested in November 2007, shortly after he published a translation of the Holy Qur’an in Dari, one of Afghanistan’s two official languages. The translation was published without the original Arabic script accompanying it, and was deemed to have several inaccuracies. Criticism by conservative religious leaders initially sparked a call for Zelmay’s…  
10918. Sri Lankan Government Must Clarify Circumstances of Journalist’s Death  

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is alarmed to learn of the death of journalist Puniyamoorthy Sathiyamoorthy from injuries reportedly sustained in an artillery attack by the Sri Lankan Army on February 12.   Sathiyamoorthy, a Tamil journalist of long-standing, contributed news reports and analyses, as well as short stories and poems, to various Tamil newspapers and journals. He lived in Jaffna city in Sri Lanka’s north.   Sathiyamoorthy was a sympathiser of the cause of a Tamil Eelam – or an independent Tamil homeland in Sri Lanka’s north and east. He also was a frequent contributor to media controlled by the Liberation Tigers…  
10920. Joint Statement to the President and Government of Sri Lanka  

We, the leaders and representatives of journalists’ associations and trade unions in the Asia-Pacific region meeting in Hong Kong on 12-13 February 2009, express our deepest concern over continuing violations of media rights in Sri Lanka, and call on Sri Lanka’s Government to uphold the law and live up to its responsibilities.   We note that an already bad situation for the media in Sri Lanka has turned markedly worse in 2009, with the murder of prominent editor Lasantha Wickrematunge, an arson attack on the facilities of independent broadcaster Sirasa TV, a knife attack on a newspaper editor and his wife, and continuing verbal threats by ministers and other…  
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