The Forum of journalists' organisations (FOP) in Spain denounce editors's plot to reject journalists' authorship over their work and their right to receive compensatory remuneration..Read more: http://www.fesp.org/noticias2.php?id=1613
The scent of revolution drifting from the Middle East and
North Africa has seen the Central Government of China begin a renewed attack on
freedom of expression, freedom of the press and freedom of association, of
proportions not seen since the lead-up to the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008.
In the months
since the calls for “jasmine” revolution spread from Tunisia
in December 2010, the rule of law in China has effectively been rendered
irrelevant, with journalists, lawyers, human rights activists and students
illegally incarcerated, harassed and intimidated. A tight net has been cast
around information published by journalists or circulated online by citizens.…
The International Federation of
Journalists (IFJ) is encouraged to learn of a district court verdict in Nepal on
May 30, sentencing Mainejar Giri and Ramekbal Sahani to life terms in prison
for the murder of journalist Birendra Sah.
Sah, a news reporter with the
Avenues TV channel based in the district of Bara in Central
Nepal, was abducted allegedly by Maoist cadre on October
5, 2007. His body was discovered in November 2007 in a forested region in the
district, which is part of the troubled terai region (the southern plains) of
the country.
At the time of his death Sah was a
central executive committee member of the Press Chautari, one of the major…
The International
Federation of Journalists (IFJ) welcomes the announcement of the arraignment of
Andal Ampatuan Sr., one of the main suspects in the Ampatuan Town Massacre of
58 people, including 32 journalists, on November 23, 2009.
Quezon City District Court Judge Jocelyn
Solis Reyes announced the June 1 arraignment of Ampatuan and nine other
suspects on May 27, IFJ affiliate the National Union
of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP)
reports. The announcement comes after lawyers representing Ampatuan, a former
governor of southern Philippine province Maguindanao, filed a motion on May 18
seeking his arraignment.
However, the IFJ shares concerns
expressed…
The International
Federation of Journalists (IFJ) urgently appeals to the Government of Pakistan
to order its security and police agencies to respond immediately to find a
senior journalist who disappeared in Islamabad
on May 29.
Syed Saleem Shahzad, the Pakistan bureau chief for Asia Times Online, went missing in the early evening while heading to the office of Dunya TV to record a program.
The IFJ and its affiliate, the
Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), hold grave fears for the welfare
of Shahzad, who published the first of a two-part investigative series into alleged
links between Al-Qaeda and Pakistani naval officials on Asia Times Online…
The International
Federation of Journalists (IFJ) calls for the immediate reversal of a decision
to dismiss a complaint made against Camiguin Island Governor Jurdin
Jesus Romualdo by four former media workers on June 10, 2010.
According to reports from IFJ
affiliate the National Union of Journalists of the
Philippines (NUJP),
a panel of three prosecutors dismissed the complaint on May 11 after a
preliminary investigation found there was insufficient evidence to support its
claims.
The complaint was made by Alphyn Cabañog, Algin
Lobino, Herbert Hugo Dumaguing and Hubert Dumaguing after an alleged attack in Camiguin Island,
in the Southern Philippines…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is deeply concerned
that the Central Propaganda Department in China has banned reports of protests and
explosions in different areas of China in recent
days.
The first relates to the May 10 death of Mergen, an organiser of the
Mongolian herders of Right Ujimchin Banner in
Southern (Inner) Mongolia,
who was killed when he was part of a group attempting to block a coal hauling
truck heading into the herders’ grasslands at Ujimchin, in the
Inner Mongolia autonomous region. Southern
Mongolian Human Rights Information Center (SMHRIC) reported that Mergen’s body
was dragged under the wheels of the truck…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ)
today called on authorities in the Argentina capital, Buenos Aires , to
reconsider their decision to close down the office of the Federación Argentina
de Trabajadores de Prensa (FATPREN), an IFJ affiliate, on allegations of organising social functions on the premises
without proper authorisation.
"The decision of the city authorities to close down
an office over a function which would last only a few hours beggars belief,"
said Jim Boumelha, IFJ President. "Our members have made it clear that there
was no need to seek special permit as the event did not cause any inconvenience
to the public. We urge the…
The International Federation of Journalists
(IFJ) today accused forces loyal to Hameed al Ahmar, a Yemeni tribal leader, of
endangering the safety of staff at Saba news agency after their attack on
Monday which left two journalists injured and many more colleagues in a state
of shock. The attack took place as the al Ahmar's forces
launched their offensive against the government army, taking over some
government building, including the Ministry of Commerce and Planning and the
Yemeni Air Line offices which were burned down. The attack on the news agency
lasted several hours and stopped only after the intervention of the Yemeni
Journalists Syndicate (YJS), an IFJ affiliate who…
The International Federation
of Journalists (IFJ) today joined its affiliate in Bahrain, the Bahrain
association of Journalists (BJA) in condemning the savage beating and inhuman
treatment of reporter Nazeeha Saeed who was arrested on 22 May over the story
she had filed about the repression of anti-government protesters. The female reporter,
who was covering the uprising for France24 and Radio Monte Carlo in the of
Douar el loulou area , suffered severe injuries at the Rafa police station where she was badly
beaten by her interrogators. She also bore torture marks, according to the reports.
"We are appalled by this senseless and cruel treatment of a working
journalist and…
Today the European Federation
of Journalists (EFJ), the European group of the International Federation of
Journalists (IFJ), firmly condemned the assassination attempt against Mutlu
Esendemir, Editor-in-chief of Kanal T, who was left injured by an explosion
on his car ."This is a frightening
attack against freedom of the press" said EFJ President Arne König.
"We support Esendemir in his recovery and we expect that people who
perpetrated this crime will be brought to justice".Esendemir was injured around
1.00 am on 12 May when an explosive device attached to his car was triggered. The police is currently investigating the
case.According to the EFJ
affiliate, Basin…
The International
Federation of Journalists (IFJ) calls for an immediate investigation into an
arson attack on a government-owned radio station in Tabuk, in Kalinga province
in the northern Philippines,
on May 24.
IFJ affiliate the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) reports that three unidentified men threw
home-made gasoline bombs at the premises of dzRK Radyo ng Bayan, part of the
Philippines Broadcasting Service, at about 1am on Tuesday. Security guards on
duty were able to extinguish the blaze before it spread.
“Local police must conduct a full
investigation into this attack on the installations of a government-owned media
outlet…
On 24th May, Commissioner Michel Barnier presented the European Commission Communication for a "Single Market for Intellectual Property Rights Boosting creativity and innovation to provide economic growth, high quality jobs and first class products and services in Europe". http://ec.europa.eu/internal_market/copyright/docs/ipr_strategy/COM_2011_287_en.pdf
The document aims at creating a "comprehensive framework for digital copyright" and calls on authors to receive a fair return when others use their work. It calls on a European framework for online licensing to enable a wider range of online services available in more than one country. The document includes…
The International
Federation of Journalists (IFJ) calls for the immediate withdrawal of accusations
of contempt against a union leader and widow of a victim of the massacre of 58
people in the southern Philippines
on November 23, 2009.
“The IFJ is concerned that the
allegations against Rowena Paraan and
Monette Salaysay are being used to silence witnesses, advocates and families of
victims of the massacre,” IFJ Asia-Pacific
Director Jacqueline Park said.
The National
Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP), an IFJ affiliate, urged press freedom
advocates and the families of the massacre victims to “remain steadfast” in
their…
The International
Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today condemned the raid and robbery at the
main office of its Somalia affiliate, the National Union of Somali Journalists
(NUSOJ) as well as continued threats against members and the leadership of the
union. NUSOJ says four men
armed with AK-47 guns and two male accomplices raided the union main office at
Taleex street in Mogadishu where they told the security guard that they are
NUSOJ staff to gain entry. After opening the door, they disarmed the security
guard and ordered him to move aside. Once inside, they took documents of the
union which were on the shelves and 4 computers before escaping in a Toyota
pickup. The security…
The International
Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joins the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists
(PFUJ) in urging Pakistan’s Interior
Minister, Rehman Malik, to request that provincial governments provide status
reports on investigations into attacks against journalists in Pakistan.
“The IFJ calls on Minister Malik and
his provincial counterparts to conduct an urgent appraisal of investigations by
local authorities into the murders of journalists, and to make public a report
stating the progress of such investigations,” IFJ
Asia-Pacific Director Jacqueline Park said.
The call comes as the PFUJ and its
constituent district unions step up…
The International
Federation of Journalists (IFJ) condemns the arrest of Tarakant Dwivedi, alias Akela, under India’s
Official Secrets Act, after he reported on poor security conditions in the
Chhatrapati Shivaji Railway Terminus (CST) in India’s western metropolis of
Mumbai.
CST, which is a hub of both suburban
and long-distance railway traffic, was among the first targets to be hit in the
terrorist attack on Mumbai on November 26, 2008. More than a third of the 164
people killed during the three day-long siege of Mumbai perished at this
location.
Soon afterwards, the Government Railway
Police (GRP), which is tasked with maintaining security at all…
EFJ Focus is a monthly bulletin of the European Federation of Journalists, produced by the Secretariat in Brussels.
The newsletter is now 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 UK's current IP system is falling behind what is needed, especially in the area of copyright" said Professor Ian Hargreaves in its review of Britain's Intellectual property law.While Hargreaves' Review strictly rejects the introduction of a US fair use doctrine in the UK legislation that would enable companies such as Google to aggregate news content without risk of being sued, the Review calls on private copying exception without compensation for right holders and suggests extended collective licensing systems for vast licensing of orphan works with no reference to a strict enforcement of moral rights and the right for authors to be…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today cautiously welcomed the decision by Twitpic, a picture posting service, to amend its rights-grabbing terms. On Friday, Twitpic founder Noah Everett issued an apology for seemingly claiming copyright on images uploaded on its website. In a statement , Everett announced that Twitpic had changed its terms and conditions stating that "users retain all copyrights" to their photos and videos following the protest by Twitpic users and copyright disputes."This is an encouraging sign in the battle to defend authors' rights, " said Jim Boumelha, IFJ President. "While we welcome…
Today the European Federation
of Journalists (EFJ), the European group of the International Federation of
Journalists (IFJ) supported journalists on strike in Greece against the
austerity measures.Journalists and media workers
in Greece are to hold a 24-hour strike on May 11, taking part in the general
strike declared by the country's unions in protest to the government's new
round of austerity measures. Journalists in Greece ask
colleagues in Europe and all over the world to support their struggle for:- The signing of adequate collective agreements- The renewal of a collective agreement (effective as of the year 2009) at the
public broadcaster ERT- The protection of labour…
Journalists and newspaper publishers finally won the battle against the internet search giant, Google, as the Belgian Court of Appeal confirmed that Google News violated the copyright of Belgian newspapers by posting extracts of news on the Google News web site without their permission.
"This is a major victory for journalists," said the Collecting Society for Journalists in Belgium (SAJ). "This case could have broad implications for indexing news by search engines".
Under the ruling, Google can no longer offer links to articles or post extracts of articles or photographs from French-and-German-language newspapers in Belgium. Google has to remove copyrighted…
The International
Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joins its affiliate the Alliance of Independent
Journalists Indonesia (AJI) in demanding an end to tolerance for increasing violent
attacks on media personnel in Indonesia.
The
call came with news of an attack on two journalists in Surabaya
City, East Java,
on May 7, allegedly perpetrated by police. Lukman, of Trans 7 TV, and Septa Rudiyanto were covering a peaceful but
banned protest by Falun Gong followers. Journalists were not permitted to
report the incident when police detained some protesters.
According to Lukman, police ordered the journalist to leave and
assaulted him. “Police in uniform beat my…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) calls
for restraint on the part of the State authorities in the Maldives as
protests against rising prices in the capital Male have been allegedly met with
excessive force, injuring a number of journalists in the process.
According
to the Maldives Journalists’ Association (MJA), an IFJ affiliate, protests
against rising prices of essential commodities began in the island nation on
May 1 and have continued under the leadership of the main opposition party.
A number
of journalists from the print and electronic media, according to the MJA, have
suffered injuries of various degrees of seriousness while…
The International
Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joins Australia’s Media Alliance in calling
on Fairfax Media to fairly consult its journalists in an effort to avoid axing
hundreds of jobs and outsourcing sub-editing at its leading metropolitan
newspapers.
Fairfax announced plans on May 3
to outsource the jobs of 90 sub-editors
working on news, business and sports content at The Sydney Morning Herald, The
Age in Melbourne, and The Canberra
Times, and an additional 200 jobs in pre-press, production and advertising.
The proposal to outsource jobs to
Pagemasters, a subsidiary of Australian Associated Press (AAP), extends a long
series of mass job-shedding…
London based photographers
staged a Flashmob outside the city hall in London on World Press Freedom Day to
denounce arbitrary restrictions on their work in the city where banning of photography
in many public spaces is enforced by private security guards. The event was
organised by the ‘I am a Photographer Not a Terrorist (PHNAT) campaign group which
is supported by the National Union of Journalists in Great Britain and Ireland (NUJ) and
its London Photographers' Branch. "The ban on
photography is an arbitrary measure which frustrates photojournalists' work and
our colleagues are rightly dismayed that it is still in place, "said IFJ
President Jim Boumelha. " The event in…
The
International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today backed the appeal of its
affiliate in Colombia, the Federación Colombiana de Periodistas (FECOLPER)
for a silent march throughout the country on World Press Freedom Day to
denounce continuing threats against journalists and to call on the government
to provide them with protection. The appeal followed recent threats made against
FECOLPER President Eduardo Márquez, and other journalists who were targeted by
the Black Eagles, an armed paramilitary group in Colombia. "We support the march which is
both a message of defiance to those who threaten journalists and a reminder of
the Colombian government's duty…
The International
Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is deeply concerned for the welfare of a junior
magazine journalist who has been missing for three days in China.
Zhang Jialong, 23, who joined Caijing magazine as an intern journalist
less than a year ago, disappeared on April 28, according to reports.
The journalist was reportedly
at dinner when he was approached by a person who claimed to represent Beijing police and asked
Zhang to depart with him. Zhang has not made contact with family, friends or
his employer since.
Zhang’s family has uploaded a
missing person notice on a social networking website,…
The Federation of African Journalists (FAJ), ARTICLE 19 and the Eastern Africa Journalists Association (EAJA) expressed great concern over the appalling climate of insecurity faced by journalists in Africa.
On behalf of the three advocacy organizations, Omar Faruk Osman, president of the Federation of African Journalists (FAJ) and the Secretary General of the Eastern Africa Journalists (EAJA) delivered on Saturday, 30 April, a joint statement to the ongoing 49th Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) in Banjul.
The Statement highlighted that Journalists and media workers continue to be the subject of dangerous and…
The International
Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joins the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists
(PFUJ) in welcoming prompt action by police in Pakistan
to arrest bank security staff who attacked and illegally detained television
news crews in Islamabad
on April 27.
The PFUJ, an IFJ affiliate, reports
that security personnel at Zarai Taraqiati Bank (ZTBL) assaulted and detained Samar
Abbas and Asif Mirza, of Dawn News, and Wasim Malik and Liaqat Abbasi, of Samaa
TV, as they reported on an investigation by Pakistan’s Revenue Department into
a debt owed by the bank to the Employees Old-Age Benefits Institution (EOBI).
As an EOBI team sought to act on…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ)
strongly condemns a court order today to suspend operations of Lanka-e-News in Sri Lanka.
The Pugoda Magistrate’s court ordered
the suspension of online news organisation Lanka-e-News until a contempt case against one
of its journalists, Shantha Wijesooriya, is concluded, the Lanka-e-News website reported before the
suspension took effect.
Wijesooriya was arrested by Kirindiwala
police at the Lanka-e-News offices on April 25 and charged
with contempt of court.
The charge is connected to a report
published by Lanka-e-News on April 19 which said that a
Pugoda magistrate was detaining two…
To mark International Copyright Day on April 23 the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) calls on media organisations to put an end to rights-grabbing contracts that deprive journalists of a major part of their income and influence over the use of their work."The increasing abuse of buy-out contracts whereby media employers require the total ownership of journalists' authors' rights is a great threat to our profession", says Beth Costa, IFJ General Secretary. "Journalists are often faced with a take it or leave it situation when offered buy-out contracts. We demand the end of these contracts because they are unfair, imbalanced and contravene authors' rights legal…
The International
Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is deeply worried for the welfare of journalist
Wen Tao, artist Ai Weiwei and other people missing in China since April 3.
Wen, 38, who was dismissed from the online portal Global
Times English, which is associated with the government-run People’s Daily,
was reported missing on April 3.
On the same day, his colleague Ai Weiwei was detained by
immigration officers at Beijing international
airport as he was about to depart for Hong Kong.
Before he disappeared, Wen reported that the
editor-in-chief of Global Times had requested he no longer work for the outlet.
This…
EUROPE:
Great Britian and Ireland
http://www.holdthefrontpage.co.uk/index.shtml
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/greenslade
http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/
http://www.journalism.co.uk/
France:
http://www.revue-medias.com/
http://mediawatch.afp.com/
http://novovision.fr/
http://crisedanslesmedias.hautetfort.com/
http://atelier.rfi.fr/
Germany:
"kressexpress" gives daily information about developments in the Germn media…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ)
condemns a decision by Malaysian newspaper Utusan Malaysia to
find journalist and union leader Ha’ta Wahari guilty of accusations of
“tarnishing the image” of the paper.
In a
hearing on April 14 that lasted only 15 minutes, a domestic inquiry by the
paper’s management deemed Wahari “guilty” of eight accusations against him.
Wahari,
an employee of the paper and president of IFJ affiliate the National Union of
Journalists of Malaysia (NUJM), was also
found “guilty” of revealing the “company secrets” of his employer, which is
owned by UMNO, the dominant…
The Federation of African Journalists (FAJ) is concerned by the alarming escalation of attacks against journalists by members of the ZANU PF and MDC-T, the main partners in Zimbabwean coalition government.The FAJ says that some senior politicians in both parties are using inflammatory language which is likely to expose journalists to violence. The Federation cites the comments by Nelson Chamisa, the spokesperson of the Movement for Democratic Change led by Prime Minister, Morgan Tsvangirai, who recently verbally abused freelance journalist Nkosana Dlamini at a press conference held at the party's headquarters, Harvest House, recently. Chamisa reportedly accused Dlamini of…
The
International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today called on Syrian
authorities to release journalist Mohamad Zaid Mastou, who was arrested on 6
April in Damascus by security agents and taken to an undisclosed location. "The
manner of his arrest and the lack of information about his whereabouts raise
concerns for his safety and wellbeing," said Jim Boumelha, IFJ President. "The
Syrian regime must be in no doubt that the world is watching and this latest
case of repression of press freedom will not go unnoticed." The
IFJ has learned that Mastou, a Norwegian national of Syrian Kurdish origin, was
in Syria covering the anti-government protests for the Arabic TV Al Arabiya's…
The popular American news site, Huffington Post, faces $105m lawsuit from a group of bloggers who contributed free content to the website over the years and did not receive any payment after AOL bought the Post for the $315 sale earlier this year.
The class action lawsuit was led by the American writer and trade unionist, Jonathan Tasini, who was among the 9,000 unpaid bloggers, contributed to the news site.
Read complaint here
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joins
its affiliate the Free Media Movement (FMM)
in expressing concern over increased hostilities toward Tamil-language
newspaper Uthayan, based in Jaffna in Sri Lanka’s Northern Province.
The FMM reports that Jaffna Municipal Council has ordered
its officials not to invite Uthayan journalists
to cover official events or provide them with any information such as media
releases.
Officials are also reported to have prohibited
all government offices and departments from subscribing to or purchasing the
newspaper. The ban extends to libraries in the city, where Tamil-language
speakers constitute a majority.…
The International Federation of
Journalists (IFJ) welcomes the announcement by its affiliate the National Union
of Journalists of Malaysia (NUJM) of
an action plan to form an independent media council in Malaysia.
At a meeting held in Kuala Lumpur on April 8 organised by the NUJM and the Global Forum for Media Development
(GFMD), working journalists, union leaders, civil society activists and members
of press councils in India, Indonesia and Australia
discussed potential self-regulation mechanisms for Malaysia’s media. An action plan
calling upon the NUJM to play a
leading role in establishing a media council was unanimously endorsed by…
The International Federation of Journalists
(IFJ) today backed the call by its affiliate in Brazil, the National Federation
of Journalists (FENAJ) for the restoration of the requirements for professional
qualification in order to practice journalism. FENAJ marked the Brazilian
Journalists Day yesterday by reiterating its support for proposals for
constitutional amendments (PECs) before the National Congress, which restore journalism
training and diploma for aspiring journalists. "We support these demands which are in the best
interests of the profession and journalists," said Jim Boumelha, IFJ President.
"The professional qualification brings young talents to the industry…
EFJ Focus is a monthly bulletin of the European Federation of Journalists, produced by the Secretariat in Brussels.
The newsletter is now available in English and German. French will be available soon.
Further Information: Tel: 32-2-235.22.15/02 Fax: 32-2-235.22.19E-mail: [email protected] and [email protected]
EFJ Focus is a monthly bulletin of the European Federation of
Journalists, produced by the Secretariat in Brussels.
The newsletter is now available in English and German. French will be available soon.
Further
Information: Tel: 32-2-235.22.15/02Fax: 32-2-235.22.19E-mail:
[email protected] and [email protected]
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) welcomes
the release of editor Bennett Rupasinghe from detention in Sri Lanka but renews its call for authorities
to step up their investigation into the arson attack on his news outlet, Lanka-e-News.
In the Kaduwela Magistrates Court on April 7, Magistrate Jayaki de Alwis refused a police request to extend
Rupasinghe’s detention for another two weeks.
Rupasinghe,
68, was released on cash bail of LKR 10,000 and personal bail of LKR 300,000
(USD 2700), after being detained at Welikada prison in Colombo since March 31.
Rupasinghe,
who denies accusations of making threatening…
The International
Federation of Journalists (IFJ) renews its call for the immediate release of Lanka-e-News news editor Bennett Rupasinghe,
who was arrested in Sri Lanka on March 31.
Rupasinghe’s arrest follows an arson
attack on Lanka-e-News which destroyed the website’s
premises in Malabe, near Colombo,
on January 31.
The IFJ also holds fears that efforts
may be made to implicate Rupasinghe’s colleagues Shantha Wijesooriya and Sanjaya Dassanayake in
the attack, after state-run media published reports
on the incident which the journalists say are defamatory and false.
According to IFJ affiliate the Free
Media Movement (FMM),…
International press freedom
organisations today called on Philippine President Benigno Aquino III to direct
his administration to provide the necessary resources and support to ensure the
swift prosecution of suspects accused of murdering journalists and media
workers.
Marking 500 days since the November
2009 massacre of 58 people, including 32 journalists and media workers, in the
southern island of Mindanao, Philippine and international organisations jointly
expressed their outrage and deep concerns at the continuing delays in
prosecuting key suspects in the Mindanao massacre and other media killings in
the Philippines.
“The
atrocity in Ampatuan Town,…
Three quarters of all news journalists are men while women make up just a
third of journalists covering business and politics, according to new
research conducted by Echo Research.
Read more
Three quarters of all news journalists are men while women make up just a third of journalists covering business and politics, according to new research conducted by Echo Research.
Read more
The IFJ joins its affiliate the Free
Media Movement (FMM) in calling for the immediate release of Lanka-e-News news editor Bennett Rupasinghe,
who was arrested on March 31 on charges related to an arson attack on the news
portal’s office earlier this year.
In the early hours of January 31, unknown arsonists
destroyed the Lanka-e-News offices in Malabe, near the
capital Colombo,
causing around USD 135,000 worth of damage. At 2:30am the same night, Rupasinghe, 68,
received a call from an unknown person threatening to kill him if he did not
stop his work.
Police arrested two suspects soon after the incident but
the men were released on bail because police…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today condemned the
bomb blast in the Iraqi city of Tikrit in which 57 people died including
at least one journalist. Sabah al-Bazi, a freelance journalist who worked for Iraqi TV, Al Arabiya and various news
outlets including Reuters and CNN was killed with others on Tuesday
when bombs exploded as security forces stormed a government building in the
city where gunmen were holding people hostages, including members of the
provincial council who had gathered for a meeting and journalists covering the
event, reports say. "We condemn this barbaric act which has claimed so many innocent lives,
including that of a working…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today joined its affiliate in Argentina, la Federación Argentina de Trabajadores de Prensa (FATPREN) to support the action by graphic designers at one of the country's leading newspapers, El Clarín, who stopped the distribution of the paper on Sunday to demand decent work conditions and payment of their arrears."We support the workers' action to enforce their legitimate demands for decent work conditions and regular payment of wages," said Jim Boumelha, IFJ President. "It is imperative to resist media owners' attempts to roll back progress achieved by the unions in the region in defending the rights and interests of…
The International Federation of
Journalists (IFJ) is deeply concerned by continuing reports of the harassment
and violent intimidation of journalists in Dantewada district in the Bastar
region of Chhattisgarh state in central India.
Since the active denial of access to
the site of a developing story early last week, which the IFJ noted
with concern, sources in Chhattisgarh have revealed that there has been a
sequence of incidents in which journalists seeking to travel to the scene of a
purported armed encounter between security forces and Maoist insurgents have
been blocked and assaulted, reportedly with the sanction of the
police.
Following initial…
The International
Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joins its affiliate the National
Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) in calling on
authorities in the Philippines
to promptly investigate the murder of radio anchor Maria Len Flores Somera on
March 24.
Somera, an
anchor with dzME radio station, was shot dead near her home in Malabon, a
district of Manila. Somera was on her way to host her daily program Arangkada
Kinse when she was ambushed by a man at around 9:45am, according to local media
reports. Other reports claim two men were involved in the attack. Somera, 44,
was rushed to the Valenzuela
General Hospital
and pronounced dead on arrival.…
The International Federation of Journalists
(IFJ) and the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) today welcomed a "long
overdue" decision to investigate former Ukrainian leader Leonid Kuchma over the
murder of journalist Georgy Gongadze who was killed in 2000. The investigation follows the arrest two years
ago of former chief of the interior ministry's surveillance
department Olexiy Pukach who admitted to
killing the journalist and claimed other senior politicians were involved. This
move follows a decade-long campaign by the IFJ/EFJ and its affiliates,
Gongadze's family and press freedom campaigners."This decision is long overdue but it is welcome
recognition that it is time…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today condemned the actions of the Somali Transitional Federal Government officials over attempts to interfere in the internal affairs of the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ). According to a statement issued by NUSOJ, "Personnel at the Ministry of Information, Post and Telecommunications were directly involved in an unsuccessful and illegitimate attempt for the Banadir Regional Court to stop the General Assembly" which took place in Mogadishu from 14 - 15 March 2011. NUSOJ reported that the Ministry of Information made false allegations to the office of the Attorney General in order to confiscate the…
Today the International Federation of
Journalists (IFJ) and its regional group the European Federation of Journalists
(EFJ) expressed their support to the struggle of journalists at the Croatian
newspaper Vecernji list who will go on strike to defend their labour rights. Journalists of the Croatian daily paper Vecernji
list, owned by Austrian media corporation Styria, will go on strike on 23
March to protest the management's refusal to sign the collective agreement.
This will cancel the existing Collective Agreement which has been renewed for
the last 15 years. "The collective Agreement for journalists and
other media workers at Vecernji list was the first…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today condemned the
escalation of violence against media in Bahrain after photographer Mohammed Almoukhraq
was assaulted by security forces while covering anti-government protests in the
capital, Manama on Sunday. Last night, the Al-Wasat newspaper headquarters were also attacked. "These incidents illustrate a crisis
for media and democracy in Bahrain," said IFJ President, Jim Boumelha. "The
government must give guarantees that journalists will be able to operate freely
and safely despite the Declaration of a State of Emergency." According to Bahrain Journalists Association (BJA), an IFJ affiliate,
photographer Almoukhraq was set…
The International Federation of Journalists says that intemperate rhetoric against journalists from Libyan leader Colonel Gaddafi is partly responsible for the shocking assault and torture of a BBC news team which was detained on Monday by Libyan security forces as they attempted to reach the battle-torn city of Zawiya.
The BBC said that the three members of the team were beaten with fists, knees and rifles, then hooded and subjected to mock executions during their 21-hour ordeal in the hands of Libya's army and secret police.
The detention took place the day after Gaddafi accused the international media of misleading people about events in Libya. Earlier his son Saif Gaddafi criticised…
Today, the 8th of March 2011, marks 100
years since the first celebration of International Women's Day, but the
struggle for women's rights remains a battle to be won, particularly for women
in the media says the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ). Despite
winning the right to vote and, in many countries, legal emancipation, women
continue to be the worst affected by recession, poverty and social dislocation.
Around the globe they are expected to maintain a double role as breadwinners
and home-makers. Female journalists struggle to overcome discrimination
at all levels and are targets of violence, threats and repression simply for
doing their job. The…
March 8, 2011
Ms Navanethem Pillay
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)
Palais des Nations
CH-1211 Geneva
10
Switzerland
Via email: [email protected]
Re: China’s Abuse
of Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Dear Ms Pillay,
We are writing to express our grave concerns regarding
the latest suppression of press freedom in China, which began on February 20, 2011.
We understand that China has a different understanding
about press freedom and its roles and responsibilities. However, the State
Council of the People’s…
The International
Federation of Journalists (IFJ) welcomes reports that a habeas corpus petition
submitted by the family of missing Lanka-e-News cartoonist and columnist Prageeth Eknaligoda will be considered by a court of
appeal in Sri Lanka on May 26.
Eknaligoda’s wife Sandhya filed
the petition with a Colombo
court in August 2010, after six hearings into the case of Prageeth’s
disappearance on January 24, 2010 yielded no significant progress. Senior State
Counsel Sameendra Wickrama confirmed that objections to the petition had
already been filed and encouraged the petitioners’ counsel Krishmal
Warnakulasuriya to file counter-objections, according to…
The International
Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joins with the Pacific Freedom Forum (PFF) in
condemning a brutal attack by a group of men on Vanuatu Daily Post publisher Marc Neil-Jones
on March 4 which was allegedly organised by cabinet minister Harry Iauko.
Neil-Jones was left shaken and with visible injuries after
he was struck to the head from behind, kicked, and strangled by his attackers during
the brazen assault at his desk inside the Daily
Post office, the newspaper reported on March 5.
Iauko allegedly led the group of men into the office and screamed
abuse and threats during the assault and threatened the newspaper’s editor
Royson Willie with assault. The…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its European
group the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) today condemned Turkish
police raids into the homes of nine
journalists this morning in Istanbul, saying they represent a serious violation
of the confidentiality of journalists' sources. According
to the Turkish Journalists' Syndicate, an EFJ/IFJ affiliate, police raided and
searched the homes of nine journalists, Ahmet ??k, Nedim ?ener, Do?an Yurdakul,
Mümtaz ?dil, ?klim Bayraktar, Sait K?l?ç, Müyesser Y?ld?z, Yalç?n Küçük and Ayd?n B?y?kl? who
are under police supervision and facing
arrest. Police also…
The International
Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is dismayed by irresponsible comments made by
the Foreign Ministry of China, after a series of incidents in which journalists
were targeted when covering “jasmine revolution” protests in the country during
February.
In a regular press conference on March 1, Foreign Ministry
spokeswoman Jiang Yu accused journalists of breaching reporting restrictions put
in place by police for Sunday protests in Beijing
and Shanghai on
February 20 and 27. Jiang further said that journalists must “cooperate” with
police officers. When Jiang was asked to identify the restrictions that
journalists had supposedly breached, she…
The International Federation of
Journalists (IFJ) is alarmed that suspended Autonomous Region in Muslim
Mindanao (ARMM) governor Zaldy Ampatuan is attempting to be removed from the
list of suspects who are facing trial for carrying out the November 23, 2009
massacre in the Philippines
of 58 people, including 32 journalists and media workers.
The Philippines Court of Appeals
will soon decide on a petition for “certiorari” or judicial review, filed by Zaldy
Ampatuan. If it is successful he will be freed from jail and avoid facing trial.
“This is a crucial moment in the
trial of the Ampatuan Town Massacre suspects,” IFJ
Asia-Pacific…
The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) today launched a call for a
wide-ranging debate about ethical journalism, human rights protection and a new
vision of media regulation to strengthen democracy in Europe. The call was made by the EFJ General Secretary, Aidan White, in a
lecture on Ethical Journalism and Human Rights organised by Thomas Hammarberg, Commissioner
of Human Rights of the Council of Europe Referring to the economic and structural crisis in media which threatens
to overwhelm journalism in Europe, White told an audience at the European
Parliament that journalism as a public good was a theme being taken up by
journalists' groups across the continent. "It is time…
Diageo,
the world's leading premium drinks business, is today launching its annual
Africa Business Reporting Awards. Initiated by Diageo in 2004, the awards
recognise excellence in business journalism about Africa with a view to
strengthening and encouraging more coverage within Africa in a drive to
increase the continent's share of voice in the international media. The Awards
have grown year on year and in 2010 attracted over 700 entries from more than
25 countries. The
number of categories was extended last year with sector-specific categories to
reflect the important role that various industries play in economic
development. African media is increasingly…
