The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today condemned the kidnapping of Mohamed Ali Mohamud, publicly known “Madka”, a radio journalist who was snatched by Al-Shabaab forces at his home in Northern Mogadishu.“We are very concerned for the safety of our colleague, particularly as he is likely to face a sham trial without any representation nor regard to due process,” said Gabriel Baglo, Director of the IFJ Africa Office.
According to sources relayed by the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ), Al-Shabaab militias raided the home of the journalist two months ago and kidnapped him, accusing him of spying for “enemies of…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today condemned in the strongest terms the attack on Abdirisaq Adan Qoslaye and Adnan Mohamed Ali, journalists of Radio Shabelle who were beaten up by soldiers and officials of the Somali Transitional Federal Government (TFG) on Monday 10 January in Mogadishu.
“This is shameful attack on media by the very authorities which are supposed to protect journalists,” said Gabriel Baglo, Director of IFJ Africa Office. “It is unacceptable behavior which must not go unpunished.”
According to the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ), an IFJ affiliate, on 10 January, the two journalists were covering a…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joins
its affiliate the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) in demanding an
immediate investigation into the death of Ilyas Nazar, who was found dead in
Pidarak, Balochistan, in Pakistan’s
south-west, on January 5.
Nazar, a
journalist with the Baloch-language magazine Darwanth, was reportedly abducted on the night of December 28 while
travelling from Balochistan’s capital, Quetta,
to his home in Turbat in the south of the province. His body was found
alongside that of Baloch Students’ Organisation-Azad (BSO Azad) central executive
committee member Qambar Chakar, who had disappeared from his…
As leading
European Union (EU) officials prepare for a mission to Hungary, the European
Federation of Journalists (EFJ) today urged President Manuel Barroso and his
team to analyse and change the country's controversial new media law which the
Federation claims is a breach of European law and violates principles enshrined
in the Charter of Fundamental Rights. The EFJ
says the EU must examine the law and its implementation, not just regarding
technical criteria as covered by the Audiovisual Services Directive, but how it
fits with the Fundamental Rights Charter. "We are
convinced that it will be necessary to launch an infringement procedure against
Hungary under Article 6 of…
The International Federation of Journalists
(IFJ) welcomes the submission of the reports of the two boards constituted under
India's Working Journalists Act for fixation of wages for journalists and other
newspaper employees. Justice G.R. Majithia, chairperson of both
boards, accompanied by other members, submitted the two final reports to the
Indian Government's Ministry of Labour on December 31. Unions that have studied the boards'
recommendations report that they involve an increase of between 2.5 and 3 times
in the basic wages earned by journalists and other newspaper workers. If
current basic wage, dearness allowance and interim relief earlier granted by
the wage boards were…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) welcomes the submission of the reports of the two boards constituted under India's Working Journalists Act for fixation of wages for journalists and other newspaper employees.Justice G.R. Majithia, chairperson of both boards, accompanied by other members, submitted the two final reports to the Indian Government's Ministry of Labour on December 31.Unions that have studied the boards' recommendations report that they involve an increase of between 2.5 and 3 times in the basic wages earned by journalists and other newspaper workers. If current basic wage, dearness allowance and interim relief earlier granted by the wage boards were to be…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) calls on police in
India's Maharashtra state to provide all details of the circumstances
surrounding the arrest of journalist Sudhir Dhawle, in the state's eastern
district of Wardha on January 2. According to IFJ sources in Maharashtra, Dhawle had visited the
neighbouring district of Gondia to attend a convention on Adivasi and Dalit
literature (i.e., the literature of India's indigenous communities and those
traditionally disadvantaged under the country's caste system) on January 1. He
was on his way back home in the state capital of Mumbai, when he was arrested
at the Wardha railway station. Dhawle has been booked under…
The European Federation of Journalists
(EFJ) today welcomed the decision by the US court to reject Agence
France-Presse's (AFP) license claim over iconic photographs of the Haiti
earthquake in 2009 taken by the Haitian photographer Daniel Morel.
The EFJ says the Morel case is a
victory for authors’ rights. “This is an encouraging sign in the battle to
defend authors’ rights,” said Arne König, EFJ President. “Hopefully, the Morel case will set the legal precedence to prevent the unauthorised use of creators’
works in future.”
The legal dispute between Morel and
AFP began on 13 January 2009 when Morel…
The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) today welcomed the decision by the US court to reject Agence France-Presse's (AFP) license claim over iconic photographs of the Haiti earthquake in 2009 taken by the Haitian photographer Daniel Morel.
The EFJ says the Morel case is a victory for authors’ rights. “This is an encouraging sign in the battle to defend authors’ rights,” said Arne König, EFJ President. “Hopefully, the Morel case will set the legal precedence to prevent the unauthorised use of creators’ works in future.”
The legal dispute between Morel and AFP began on 13 January 2009 when Morel uploaded his photographs of the Haiti earthquake on the social networking website,…
Pakistan was ranked in 2010 as
the most dangerous country in the world in which to work as a journalist.
Of
the 16 media personnel killed there during 2010, eight were murdered while
eight were killed in cross-fire incidents. The killings continue.
Local
authorities have not prosecuted perpetrators in any single case of the murder
of a Pakistani journalist. Only in the internationally high-profile case of
American Daniel Pearl has a conviction been secured.
IFJ
Asia-Pacific
works closely with the Pakistan Federal Union of
Journalists to campaign for safety and protection, improved working
conditions for media personnel, and press freedom in Pakistan.…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is shocked at the
explicit death threats made to three journalists based in the southern district
of Dantewada in India's Chhattisgarh state, by a vigilante group believed to be
part of a covert operation to combat a long-running Maoist insurgency. IFJ sources report that an unsigned letter issued in the name of the
Adivasi Swabhimaani Manch (which loosely translates as "Forum for Advancement
of the Indigenous Communities") was circulated on December 11, which sharply
attacks the Maoist insurgents for the havoc they have caused to civic life in
Chhattisgarh. The letter warmly commends a police official who took charge in
the…
The
International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is appalled at the attack on the
office of its affiliate organisation in Indonesia, the Alliance of Independent
Journalists (AJI) by cadre of a youth organization in the city of Palu in the
Central Sulawesi province on December 30. The attack
which was reportedly in retaliation for an item published by AJI in the online
news portal run by its local office left Mohammad Sharfin, local correspondent
of national broadcaster TV One, with serious injuries on his cheek. Iwan
Lapasere, chairman of the AJI's local branch and correspondent for a TV
broadcaster based in the national capital of Jakarta, was also brutally
assaulted and…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), the Federation of African Journalists
(FAJ) and the West African Journalists Association (WAJA) expressed concerns
today over the political crisis in the West African country of Ivory Coast
which has serious impact on the Ivorian people, particularly journalists and
the media. According to agency reports, the distribution and publication of newspapers in
Ivory Coast have been blocked. Newspapers ideologically allied with the
opposition leader, now internationally recognised Ivorian President Alassane
Ouattara, are not allowed to publish. Two reporters working for Le Mandat
newspaper were briefly arrested, at least 8 foreign…
EFJ Focus is a monthly bulletin of the European Federation of Journalists, produced by the Secretariat in Brussels.
The newsletter is available in English, French and German.
Further Information: Tel: 32-2-235.22.15/02 Fax: 32-2-235.22.19 E-mail: [email protected] and [email protected]
The European Federation of Journalists today joined
with Members of the European Parliament in opposing a new media bill currently
at the Hungarian Parliament which aims to create a governing body for the
country's media in a process that journalists claim will undermine press
freedom."This law draws the media under the power of a body
whose authority and legitimacy are questionable. Its
powers over the whole spectrum of the Hungarian media represent
a serious threat to the fundamental human right of the freedom of
expression," said EFJ General Secretary Aidan
White. "Moreover it foresees heavy fines for media which do not respect
certain 'principles' dictated by the political…
Protesting against the abolition of collective labour agreements, the violation of
labour and pension rights, and layoffs of unprecedented proportions, Greece's journalists and media workers took part in a 24-hour nationwide general strike, bringing news coverage to a halt.En masse the journalists' unions, along with other unions representing media workers under the auspices of
the Panhellenic Federation of Journalists Unions (POESY), demanded the signing of collective
agreements in both private and public media, the safeguarding of jobs and the
maintenance of quality journalism."The course of labour matters for journalists in Greece is a source of
grave concern for all European…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) demands
an immediate investigation into the death of Mohammad Khan Sasoli, who was shot
dead in Khuzdar, Balochistan province, in Pakistan’s south-west, on December
14.
Sasoli, a
correspondent with Daily Balochistan Times and DawnNews TV, and president of the Khuzdar Press Club, is the sixth
journalist to be reported killed in Balochistan this year, among a total death
toll in Pakistan
of 15 journalists and media workers. Four journalists have been killed in Pakistan
in the past 10 days.
The Pakistan
Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), an IFJ affiliate, reports that Sasoli was
shot by two unidentified…
The International
Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is concerned that Papua New Guinea’s public
broadcaster is bowing to political pressures, after it suspended a senior news
editor this week.
Amid deepening political controversy
in the Pacific Island nation, Dora Masseung, executive news
director of the National Broadcasting
Corporation (NBC), was suspended on full pay on December 14. Government officials
had reportedly alleged the broadcaster was biased in its reporting on current
political activities.
The suspension came one day after Michael
Somare stepped aside as Prime Minister while a
tribunal assesses allegations that he failed to lodge several…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) welcomes
a statement issued by Australia’s
senior editors and news directors on
December 13 in support of whistleblower website WikiLeaks.
The letter,
initiated by Australia’s
professional journalism organisation the Walkley Foundation, the sister
organisation of IFJ affiliate the Media Entertainment & Arts Alliance, comes
in response to Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s claims that WikiLeaks
was breaking the law by publishing a cache of 250,000 leaked US diplomatic
cables.
WikiLeaks spokesman
and editor-in-chief Julian Assange is an Australian citizen, prompting Gillard and
other…
Fifty representatives of journalists’ unions convened in Thessaloniki, Greece, on 11-12th December at a seminar on Authors’ rights in the digital age - a fair deal for journalists.
Participants condemned the increase of rights-grabbing contracts in the media industry and the difficulty to retain their rights when their works are used and reused on different platforms of the same media or different titles of the same media group.
‘The lack of consideration for our colleagues’rights to receive a fair remuneration for the reuse of their works, especially when their work in being used online, is alarming,’ said Arne Konig, EFJ president. ‘If journalism is to remain a public good, additional…
Moschos Voitsidis has been working as a newspaper and radio journalist for 32
years and is currently a columnist for the city's largest daily Agelioforos.
He is a twice-elected member of the Steering Committee of the European
Federation of Journalists and is on his second term as the President of the
Journalists' Union of Macedonia and Thrace Daily Newspapers. He is also a
qualified attorney in Greece. He speaks English, German, Serbo-Croatian and
Spanish Arne König has been working as a journalist for the print and
broadcasting media since mid-70s. He has dedicated his professional life
reporting on human rights and media issues. König is now a…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today condemned the
escalation of violence against media after a series of attacks against
journalists by protection officers of both Ukrainian President and Prime
Ministers in recent months. Other journalists have also bee victims of similar
assaults by lower ranking officials."We condemn this mindless violence against journalists who are only doing
their job," said Aidan White, IFJ General Secretary. "The authorities must
respect our colleagues' right to safety and ensure their security services stop
attacking journalists."
According
to the Kyev Independent Media Trade Union (KMTU), an IFJ affiliate, there
have been a number of…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is
outraged to learn of an attack on journalists at the Bandaranaike
International
Airport at Katunayake near Colombo on December 7.
According to
information received from IFJ affiliate the Sri Lanka
Working Journalist Association (SLWJA), two journalists – Shanta Wijesuriya of
the news portal Lanka-e-News and
Prema Lal of Sirasa TV – were injured in the attack, whose principal target was
the leader of the New Left Front, Wickramabahu Karunaratne, as he returned from
an overseas trip.
Attackers
were heard accusing Karunaratne of treason for having spoken of Sri Lanka’s
recent human rights…
The International
Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is alarmed at spiralling violence across Pakistan
which sees media personnel killed while reporting from the country’s
lesser-known conflict zones, with news of two television journalists killed in
a suicide bombing in the country’s north-west tribal area on December 6.
Abdul Wahab, of Express News, and
Pervez Khan, of WAQT TV, were among 50 people at a government building in
Ghalanai, Mohmand Agency, in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas in the
country’s north-west who were killed in the double blast. The purported leader
of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan
claimed responsibility,…
The association for womens' rights in development (AWID) has compiled a useful reference tool for women human rights
defenders.The compilation lists research materials dealing with the security and
protection of defenders, resources that women activists can consult
concerning their wellbeing and self-care, manuals dealing with how to
document and monitor violations of women's rights, as well as manuals on
the rights and mechanisms available to women human rights defenders at
risk. The list also references materials that address specific themes
particularly relevant to women defenders, such as sexual orientation,
religious fundamentalisms and conflict.
read
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today condemned the
political backlash being mounted against the whistle-blowing website WikiLeaks
and accused the United States of attacking free speech after it put pressure on
the website's host server to shut down the site yesterday. The website's host Amazon.com blocked access to WikiLeaks after United
States officials condemned the torrent of revelations about political, business
and diplomatic affairs that has given people around the world unprecedented
access to detailed information from United States sources, much of it
embarrassing to leading public figures. "It is unacceptable to try to deny people the right to know,"…
The association for womens' rights in development (AWID) has compiled a useful reference tool for women human rights defenders.The compilation lists research materials dealing with the security and protection of defenders, resources that women activists can consult concerning their wellbeing and self-care, manuals dealing with how to document and monitor violations of women's rights, as well as manuals on the rights and mechanisms available to women human rights defenders at risk. The list also references materials that address specific themes particularly relevant to women defenders, such as sexual orientation, religious fundamentalisms and conflict
read
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its regional
group, the European Federation of Journalists ( EFJ) today backed the petition
to the Constitutional Court in Colombia by the Federation of Colombian
Journalists (Fecolper) in a bid to strengthen press freedom in the country. In a letter sent to Fecolper for inclusion in the submissions to the
Colombian constitutional court in support of the appeal to decriminalize
defamation, the IFJ and EFJ note the clear and direct threat to press freedom
when media are forced to practice self- censorship over cases involving the
powerful and wealthy."The threat of prison has a clear chilling effect on the media and
stifles…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has
new information regarding a reported shooting of radio commentator Randy T. Makiputin in Valencia
City in the country’s south
on November 26. New information reveals that the alleged shooting did
not occur. In fact, Makiputin’s injuries were reportedly sustained in a
motorcycle accident.
Valencia City Police
investigating the incident earlier confirmed Makiputin’s claims that he had
been shot by unidentified men on motorcycles. Police now say they are uncertain
about the cause of his injuries, with two eyewitnesses – aged 13 and 16 –
making sworn statements alleging the broadcaster…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today
released a report titled Freedom in
Solidarity: Media Working for Peace in South Asia, which presents the
results of a 18-month process working with affiliates to assess capacity to
respond collectively in crises involving media freedom.
The report
presents the outcome of this process of evaluation of past efforts in the
defence of press freedom in situations of conflict in five countries of South
Asia: Bangladesh, India, Nepal,
Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
Situations analysed cover the wide range of conflict situations encountered by
media practitioners in these countries and their efforts to…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and
its affiliate the Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ) welcome the renewed
focus on journalists’ wages and working conditions in Nepal, while registering deep
concern at the picture that emerges from a recent report of the statutory
Committee for the Fixation of Minimum Wages.
The
Committee, formed under Nepal’s Working Journalists’ Act (WJA) has pointed out,
in a report submitted on November 24, that 37 percent of the country’s
journalists are paid below the prescribed minimum wage, while 45 percent of
journalists are working without letters of appointment. Among the media houses
surveyed, 48…
Greece's journalists and
media workers are holding a 24-hour nationwide strike declared by their trade
unions in protest against the abolition of
collective labor agreements, the violation of labor and pension insurance
rights, and massive layoffs.The country's journalists'
unions, along
with other unions representing media workers under the auspices of the
Panhellenic Federation of Journalists Unions (POESY), are demanding the signing of
collective agreements and the safeguarding of media jobs. The Journalists' Union of
Macedonia and Thrace Daily Newspapers (ESIEMTH) underlined that the mass
layoffs that have already taken place - or are being threatened to take place -
in the…
The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), the
European group of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), renewed
its support for Irish journalists in their fight against the austerity measures
imposed by the government and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in the
country."We have closely followed this long
struggle by our Irish colleagues who joined the demonstrations in the recent
days" said EFJ President Arne König. "There is grave
concern at the government's austerity measures and especially by the political
consensus which is being challenged by the trade union movement. We are
convinced that there is a fairer, better way to handle the crisis…
Nestor Burgos Jr
Chairperson
National Union of
Journalists of the Philippines
Dear Nestor,
Re: Message
to Congress of the NUJP
On behalf of the International Federation of Journalists I am pleased
to send you and all the colleagues of the National Union
of Journalists of the Philippines
a message of solidarity and goodwill on the occasion of your Congress.
Scarcely a day has passed
since the terrible events of 23rd November last year when we have not thought
of the implications of the tragedy in Maguindanao province. The massacre has
left an indelible scar on the face of journalism and has been deeply felt by
journalists around the world.…
23rd November 2010
SOURCE: International Federation of Journalists, Cartoonists Rights Network International, Centro de Reportes Informativos sobre Guatemala, Norwegian PEN, Pacific Freedom Forum
(IFJ/IFEX) - 23 November 2010 - On the occasion of International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, 44 IFEX members, including members of the IFEX Gender Working Group, call attention to the situation of women in the free expression community who are subject to targeted attacks because of their gender:
Ms. Michelle BacheletUnder-Secretary-General for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) c/o UN Headquarters First Avenue at 46th StreetNew York, NY 10017…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) demands
an immediate investigation into the murder of journalist Abdul Hameed Hayatan
in Balochistan, including a full inquiry into allegations of involvement of
Pakistani security agencies.
The body
of Hayatan, 25, was found in the village
of Hiroonk,
near Turbat, in Pakistan’s southwest, on November
18.
Known also
as Lala Hameed Baloch, Hayatan was found dead in a canal alongside his friend, Hamid
Ismail, after they disappeared from their home town of Gwadar, in Balochistan’s
west, on October 25, according to the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists
(PFUJ).
Hayatan had
been shot in the…
International
freedom of expression groups, media support and development organisations and
journalists’ unions are calling on the Philippines Government to take urgent
and concrete steps to respond and act on human rights abuses that continue to
plague journalists and media workers operating in the country.
Twenty-eight organisations meeting this week to discuss international
partnerships joined colleagues in the Philippines
in remembering victims of the Ampatuan Town Massacre, in Maguindanao, Mindanao one year ago today.
The massacre, which saw 58 people including 32 journalists and media
workers brutally murdered, is known as the world’s single biggest atrocity…
The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) this week called for
a national debate in Bulgaria on the future of journalism as a public good
in a bid to confront the growing threat of monopolisation and political
manipulation of the country's media. Speaking at a conference on threats to press freedom in Sofia
yesterday Aidan White, EFJ General Secretary, said that the crisis in
journalism, which has seen job losses and attacks on standards across all
media, could only be tackled by a new public debate led by journalists and
involving editors, owners and civil society. "It's time for a new approach," he told the meeting attended
by journalists and…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) calls on
the Philippines President, Benigno Aquino III, to ensure the country’s Congress takes strong action to protect journalists and
media workers, who continue to fear for their safety almost one year since the
massacre of 58 people, 32 of them journalists and media workers, in the country’s
south.
“While
acknowledging that President Aquino has held office for just six months, the
IFJ is outraged that violence against journalists and media workers in the Philippines
continues unchecked,” IFJ President Jim Boumelha said.
“Too little is being done by
authorities and power-holders…
The International
Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is appalled to learn of the abduction and assault
of Sushil Dhungana, publisher of the Ghodaghodi weekly in Nepal’s
far-western district of Kailali on November 15.
According to the Federation of Nepali
Journalists (FNJ), an IFJ affiliate, Dhungana was snatched while on his way
from one district town to another by five persons on motorcycles. Dhungana was
taken to an isolated spot in a community forest and his fingers slit with a
blade. He was held for three hours and told by his captors that he was paying
for what he had written.
Dhungana had published a news item
on November 14 titled "Smuggling and…
The International Federation of Journalists ( IFJ) has condemned the arrest and detention by police in Zimbabwe of Dumisani Sibanda, the President of the Zimbabwe Union of Journalists.
The IFJ has called for his immediate release and says the action is the latest in a series of hostile incidents that are putting the country’s journalists increasingly at risk.
Sibanda, Bulawayo Bureau chief of The Standard, is being questioned over a story involving the police force.
The action follows condemnation two weeks ago by the IFJ of the arrests and harassment of Nkosana Dlamini and Anderson Manyere, both freelance journalists, and the beating up of another…
Since large-scale civil unrest began in the Kashmir
valley – the largest of the three regions of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir – in
June this year, the difficulties faced by journalists have rapidly escalated.
Along with an easing in overall levels of violence, overt threats faced by
journalists have probably declined since September 2010, but restraints on the
media’s daily functioning continue. Newspapers have been closed for an
estimated total of 30 days since protests intensified in Kashmir
in mid-June 2010, with local journalists confined to their homes and others
assaulted.
Government advertising is allocated quite
transparently to…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) welcomes
the awarding of an anti-corruption prize to Sri Lankan
journalist and press freedom activist Poddala Jayantha, who was forced into
exile after a brutal attack in June 2009.
Jayantha received corruption
watchdog Transparency International’s
Integrity Award on November 12 in recognition of his fearless reporting on
corruption in Sri Lanka, in a climate
where critical investigative journalism has been stymied by government
oppression and partisan violence. In one report for Silumina, Jayantha
exposed an alleged LKR 3.6 billion (USD 37 million) case of tax fraud.
The journalist has also…
Faced with the increasing challenges in the protection of journalists' authors' rights, the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) developed a set of guidelines for unions and journalists to better secure these rights.
The Guidelines for Fair Creative Competitions adopted by the EFJ Steering Committee on 21 October 2010 address the problem of copyright-grabbing contracts imposed by competition organisers. The Guidelines lay down a set of fundamental rules to protect the authors' rights of contestants, including their moral rights and the rights to fair payment for the use of their works.
Protect your authors' rights, download the Guidelines HERE.
For more…
Faced with the increasing challenges in the protection of journalists' authors' rights, the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) developed a set of guidelines for unions and journalists to better secure these rights.
The Guidelines for Fair Creative Competitions adopted by the EFJ Steering Committee on 21 October 2010 address the problem of copyright-grabbing contracts imposed by competition organisers. The Guidelines lay down a set of fundamental rules to protect the authors' rights of contestants, including their moral rights and the rights to fair payment for the use of their works.
Protect your authors' rights, download the Guidelines HERE.
For more information, please…
The International
Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is deeply disturbed to learn that a former
journalist has been jailed in China
for more than two years for accepting media interviews about the tainted milk
scandal that rocked the country.
Zhao Lianhai, a former journalist whose son suffered from
kidney stones after consuming tainted milk manufactured by Sanlu, was convicted
by a court in Beijing
for “disturbing social order”. He was sentenced to two years and six months in
jail on November 10.
“Zhao is convicted because he accepted interviews by some non-mainland
media outlets on the street outside a restaurant and police station in…
The International
Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is concerned that a proposed law in New Zealand
will undermine the long-held right of journalists to protect the
confidentiality of sources.
If the Search and Surveillance Bill
proceeds in its present form, it will force the country’s journalists to answer
police questions or hand over documents such as media sources and notes. Those who
refuse will face penalties of up to one year in jail.
The IFJ recognises that the chairman
of the New Zealand Parliament’s Justice and Electoral Select
Committee, Chester Borrows, acknowledged concerns
about the impact of the Bill on journalists, saying it might…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today
called on Moroccan authorities to lift the ban on foreign journalists who wish
to fly to the city of Laayoune, near the Sahrawi camp of Agdaym Izik which was the
scene of violent clashes between Moroccan security forces and the Sahrawi
protesters yesterday. "The ban is a serious restriction of journalists'
movement and needs to be lifted immediately," said Aidan White, IFJ General
Secretary. "Reporters need access to the area to inform national and
international public about events in Laayoune." Media reports say the flight ban affected a group of twelve
Spanish and one French journalists who were travelling to the region.…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today backed its
Moroccan affiliate, the Syndicat national de la presse marocaine(SNPM), which
condemned the Spanish officials in the city of Melillia over the treatment of
two Moroccan cameramen who were briefly detained on the border, questioned
and denied entry in the city along with three journalists travelling with them. "Restricting movement of journalists on duty without a valid reason is a
violation of their rights," said Aidan White, IFJ General Secretary. "The
events in Melillia matter to the Moroccan public and Spanish authorities should
avoid unnecessary action which hinders the work of media covering the events in
the…
The International Federation of
Journalists (IFJ) has condemned a brutal attack on a leading Russian journalist
and has urged the Russian authorities to act quickly to find the attackers and
bring them to justice. Moscow journalist Oleg Kashin, an
investigative journalist with Kommersant,
one of Russia's best-known national dailies, was set upon on the night of 5-6
November. His attackers, waiting outside his apartment block, beat him so
severely that his jaw was broken and both legs fractured. After emergency
hospital treatment doctors put him in an induced coma for the next few days. "Regrettably, this is not an isolated
incident," said Aidan White, IFJ General Secretary. "Our…
The European Federation of
Journalists today called on journalists across Europe to support journalists at
the BBC who have launched a strike campaign to defend pension rights. At the
weekend journalists staged a successful 48-hour stoppage across the network,
forcing a number of flagship programmes off the air. Now fresh actions are
planned as the network seeks to impose a "pay-more, get-less" retirement plan
on thousands of its staff."The BBC journalists are showing the way to tackle
head-on the media agenda of cuts and down-grading of staff rights," said Aidan
White, EFJ General Secretary. "It's a strike campaign that will resonate in all
European media houses where journalists…
The International Federation of Journalists( IFJ) today backed a strike by journalists at the Croatian daily newspaper Voice of Istria in a crucial battle over workers’ rights and independent journalism in the country.
The IFJ affiliate the Croatian Journalists’ Union, which organises 117 workers at the Glas Istre Novine company, has called a strike tomorrow after nine months of turmoil at the paper which has seen a company buy-out, plans for massive wage cuts, job losses and internal interference in the work of journalists.
“This strike is a result of management ‘slash and burn’ tactics and a refusal to negotiate with the union,” said…
The European Federation of Journalist (EFJ), the
European group of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), today expressed
its strong support in an initiative request by its Austrian affiliate, the
GPA-djp to the government to strengthen freedom of expression and protection of
sources in Austria. With
reference to the European Human Rights Convention and its Article 10 (right to
freedom of expression) and the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), the EFJ
affiliate gpa-djp today criticised in a letter to the President of the National
Council Barbara Prammer and to Federal
chanceler Werner Faymann the lack of respect for press freedom and protection
of sources in…
The International Federation of Journalists and its regional group the
Federation of African Journalists have added their voices to protests in
Zimbabwe following the arrest and harassment of journalists covering political
events in the run up to elections and a major referendum on constitutional
issues."Feelings
are running high and there is political tension," said Aidan White, IFJ General
Secretary, "but that must not lead to intimidation of journalists who are
trying to cover high-profile events in an independent and professional manner."The IFJ comments follow statements by the
Zimbabwe Union of Journalists, ZUJ and the Southern Africa Journalists, SAJA,
which condemned the…
The authors' group supports reprographic rights organisations (RRO)' initiatives to facilitate the creation of tailored licensing in the digital era that is mutually beneficial for authors and publishers. However, the authors' group is concerned about recent initiatives by the Copyright Clearance Centre and some RROs to enter into traditional business fields of other established collecting societies and by not collective rights management concepts. This Resolution was Introduced to the Boston AGM October 2010 by the Authors group within IFRRO that met on the 26 October in Boston.Read here
The
authors' group supports reprographic rights organisations (RRO)' initiatives to facilitate the creation of tailored licensing in
the digital era that is mutually beneficial for authors and publishers.
However, the
authors' group is concerned about recent initiatives by the Copyright
Clearance
Centre and some RROs to enter into traditional business fields of other
established collecting societies and by not collective rights management
concepts.
This Resolution was Introduced to the Boston AGM October 2010 by the Authors group within
IFRRO that met on the 26 October in
Boston.Read here
1. Everyone who enters the competition shall be recognised as the author of the work(s) they enter and shall keep their authors' rights in the work(s) they submit (their copyright).2. Authors' moral rights shall be respected: the work(s) shall not be altered and the author shall be credited whenever and wherever the work is used or reproduced.3. The competition organisers shall clearly state in the competition regulations the uses they wish to make of the work(s) submitted. The purposes of these uses shall be limited to promotion of the competition in material the competition organisers publish and agreed uses of the winning work(s) when publishing the results.4. It…
EFJ Focus is a monthly bulletin of the European Federation of Journalists, produced by the Secretariat in Brussels.
The newsletter is available in English, French and German.
Further Information: Tel: 32-2-235.22.15/02 Fax: 32-2-235.22.19 E-mail: [email protected] and [email protected]
The
International Federation of
Journalists (IFJ) is disturbed to learn that the Beijing Security Bureau has confiscated
copies of a free magazine.
Bureau
officers confiscated The Holy Mountain,
a Christian magazine published by Zhongfu Holy Mountain Institute, in Beijing on October by 27.
They gave no explanation.
According
to Radio Free Asia, Fan Yafeng, who is in charge of the magazine, said the
printing company advised him that security bureau officers raided the printing
premises and removed all the magazines.
The
action is reminiscent of the confiscation of The Holy Mountain during the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008.
Fan, a well-known…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is concerned
for the safety of a journalist who narrowly escaped the massacre of at least 57 people in Mindanao
in the southern Philippines
last November, after he reported being watched and photographed by unidentified
men.
The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines
(NUJP), an IFJ affiliate, reported
that Philippine Daily Inquirer correspondent Aquiles Zonio told colleagues he saw two unidentified men loitering
and taking photographs outside his home in General Santos City, Mindanao, for
three successive days from October 24.
“The IFJ is deeply worried that any
journalist should feel…
Public Hearing on:"Bringing Europe's cultural heritage online"European Federation of Journalists Statement, 28th October 2010The EFJ represents 50 journalists unions and associations in 34 countries across Europe.Today we are witnessing a complete change in the way news is produced and how journalists work. The digital environment has offered our colleagues new platforms to publish on and new sources of information (Twitter, Facebook, blogs). This shift has also reinforced concerns faced by the profession about · a drop in ethical standards, · a lack of respect and loss…
Public Hearing on: "Bringing Europe's cultural heritage online" European Federation of Journalists Statement,
28th October 2010 The EFJ represents 50 journalists unions and
associations in 34 countries across Europe. Today we are
witnessing a complete change in the way news is produced and how journalists
work. The digital environment
has offered our colleagues new platforms to publish on and new sources of
information (Twitter, Facebook, blogs). This shift has also reinforced concerns
faced by the profession about ·
a drop in ethical standards, ·
a lack of respect and loss…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) opened
a Media for Democracy and Human Rights in the Pacific regional meeting and training
workshop in Apia, Samoa,
on Wednesday.
In an opening event at
the Millenia Hotel, hosted by the Journalists’ Association of Samoa (JAWS),
Samoan Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Lupesoliai Malielegaoi emphasised the value of media responsibility in the pursuit of
media freedom in the Pacific.
More than 30 leading
media practitioners from the Pacific island states of American Samoa, Cook Islands, Fiji,
Niue, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Tonga and Tuvalu are attending the four-day event in Samoa.…
