The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joins the South East Asian Journalist Unions (SEAJU) in calling for all charges against Thai journalist Chutima Sidasathian and Australian journalist Alan Morison to be dropped immediately. The IFJ and SEAJU said all the prosecution of the journalists from online news website phuketwan.com for criminal libel and violation the Computer Crime Act (CCA) is a gross violation on freedom of expression and the rights of all media in Thailand.
Chutima Sidasathian and Alan Morison will face a three-day trial commencing tomorrow, July 14. Criminal defamation charges were laid against the two journalists on April 17, 2014, under articles…
The European Parliament’s initiative report to make proposal to reform EU copyright/authors’ rights law fails to improve the contractual position of authors and performers.
The report adopted in the plenary session yesterday in Strasbourg was drafted by German Eurodeputy Julia Reda and is the result of months of lobbying and heated debates in the hemicycle. The adopted text makes a number of proposals to amend authors' rights legislation in the EU as a contribution to the European Commission’s upcoming revision package on authors’ rights to be issued by the end of 2015.
While the adopted text makes a specific call for improvements of the contractual position…
On the second anniversary of the murder of Dagestani journalist Akhmednabi Akhmednabiyev, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), together with other media freedom organisations, has signed a joint letter this week calling for the investigation into his murder to be urgently raised from the regional level to the federal level.
Akhmednabi Akhmednabiyev, deputy editor of independent newspaper Novoye Delo and a reporter for online news portal Caucasian Knot, was shot dead on 9 July 2013 as he left for work in Dagestan, a region of the Russian Federation. He had actively reported on human rights violations against Muslims by the police and Russian army and had been subject to…
The European Parliament’s initiative report to make proposal to reform EU copyright/authors’ rights law fails to improve the contractual position of authors and performers.
The report adopted in the plenary session yesterday in Strasbourg was drafted by German eurodeputy Julia Reda and is the result of months of lobbying and heated debates in the hemicycle. The adopted text makes a number of proposals to amend authors' rights legislation in the EU as a contribution to the European Commission’s upcoming revision package on authors’ rights to be issued by the end of 2015.
While the adopted text makes a specific call for improvements of the contractual position…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has learned with great sadness the death of its Italian affiliate (FNSI) President Santo Della Volpe, who passed away on Thursday 9 July at the age of 60. The IFJ sent its most sincere condolences to his family and FNSI members.
His funeral will take place on Saturday morning in Rome.
The FNSI today payed tribute to him.
For more information, please contact IFJ on + 32 2 235 22 16
The IFJ represents more than 600,000 journalists in 134 countries
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The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joins its Australian affiliate the Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance (MEAA) in condemning the charges and the impending court case against Australian journalist Alan Morison and Thai journalist Chutima Sidasathian, both of the online news web site phuketwan.com.The IFJ and MEAA today called on the Thai Government to immediately drop all charges against the pair.
The charges relate to the reproduction on phuketwan.com of a single paragraph from a Reuters special report on Rohingya boat-people published in July 2013. Reuters subsequently won a Pulitzer Prize for the investigation in 2014.
The journalists were charged with criminal…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and the Bangladesh Manobadhikar Sangbadik Forum (BMSF) deplore the murder of a journalist on July 8, 2015. The IFJ demands immediate action to end the attacks and killings of journalists in Bangladesh that have seen freedom of expression deteriorate in 2015.
Abu Sayem, a 35-year-old correspondent of the Bangla-language Samakal daily, was critically injured in a stabbing attack at his home on Tuesday, July 7 and he succumbed to his injuries at a hospital in Dhaka on July 8. His father was also wounded in the attack.
According to reports, a man attacked Sayem and his father, Abul Khayer Mollah, when he broke into their…
The body of the journalist with the TV station Teleport, was found inside his home in the northern city of Puerto Cortés. He had been stabbed to death.
In February, he filed a report with the police about a death threat but had continued working. He also helped produce programmes promoting tourism in Puerto Cortés and was an LGBT community activist.
Source: RSF
The radio and TV journalist was gunned down by suspected contract killers in his home in the western town of Copán Ruinas. Witnesses said the gunmen shot him once at the door of his home and then followed him inside to finish him off as his mother looked on.
Source: RSF
The manager of Canal 67, a local TV channel , was shot dead by suspected contract killers on a motorcycle while driving his car in Taulabe, in the central department of Comayagua, on 3 July.
The police said 29 bullet impacts were found in his car and that the motorcycle used by the hitmen was found abandoned 3 km from the scene.
Source: RSF
El proyecto conjunto de FIP y FEPALC para América Latina y el Caribe de capacitación en negociación colectiva tiene como objetivo el fortalecimiento de los sindicatos en sus procesos de negociación.
Tras observar las necesidades, características particulares y desafíos de la legislación en cada país, dentro del proyecto regional está prevista la realización de distintos talleres nacionales a lo largo de tres años.
Los talleres ejecutados durante el año 2014 se realizaron en Costa Rica, Panamá, Chile, Venezuela y México.
Durante la segunda mitad del año 2015, los talleres correspondientes a la segunda etapa se realizarán en Perú, República Dominicana, Paraguay y Brasil.
The European Parliament is likely to adopt an initiative report that could potentially hamper the right of press photographers to take photographs in public spaces, the International and the European Federation of journalists (IFJ and EFJ) have warned.
The report, drafted by German eurodeputy Julia Reda, makes a number of proposals to amend authors' rights legislation in the EU as a contribution to the European commission’s upcoming revision package on authors’ rights to be issued this fall.
The current draft report includes an amendment that requires prior authorisation for taking photographs of works located in public spaces for commercial purposes, thus overturning…
The IFJ and FEPALC joint project for Latin America and the Caribbean countries on training in collective bargaining aims at reinforcing the bargaining capacity of the unions.
While taking great care of the local requirements, specificities and legal challenges, the regional project intends to organise various national workshops over a 3-year period.
In 2014, workshops were held in Costa Rica, Panama, Chile, Venezuela and Mexico whereas in the last six months of 2015, they will be held in Peru (2-3 September), Dominican Republic (14-16 August ), Paraguay (17-18 July 2015) and Brazil (date to be confirmed).
The IFJ and FEPALC joint project for Latin America and the Caribbean countries on training in collective bargaining aims at reinforcing the bargaining capacity of the unions.
While taking great care of the local requirements, specificities and legal challenges, the regional project intends to organise various national workshops over a 3-year period.
In 2014, workshops were held in Costa Rica, Panama, Chile, Venezuela and Mexico whereas in the last six months of 2015, they will be held in Peru (2-3 September), Dominican Republic (14-16 August), Paraguay (17-18 july) and Brazil (date unknown).
"Wherever there are exceptions they must be with fair remuneration – and with capacity-building to ensure that remuneration is fairly distributed to authors and performers" said Mike Holderness, IFJ/EFJ chair of the Authors' rights Expert group at the latest Standing Committee on Copyright and Related rights of the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) convening in Geneva from 29th June to 3rd July.
Read the full speech here.
The eighth issue of IFJ Focus on Safety is out now! The action- packed month of June saw the launch of IFJ/EFJ safety handbook for Russian and Ukrainian journalists in Vienna, the appeal to the UN Security Council for the protection of journalists in Yemen and the strong participation at the debate on the report of the UN Independent Commission of Inquiry into violations of humanitarian law during the 2014 summer conflict in Gaza.
The 2015 European Games in Baku, Azerbaijan were also of interest to the IFJ/EFJ which provided safety tips for journalists through an expert media advisory issued ahead of the Games. The media crisis in Burundi remained a key priority and the IFJ…
The 19-year-old cameraman for Al-Jazeera was shot dead in Southern Syria last 26 June by government forces while covering the fighting in Daraa province. A statement by Al- Jazeera said that Al-Asfer had already lost his father and brother in the fighting and had himself been previously injured while covering the clashes as a stringer for the cable TV network. He became the fifth Al Jazeera media worker to be killed in Syria since the outbreak of violence in 2011.
The International Federation of Journalists strongly criticizes the harassment of three media outlets by the Chinese Securities Regulatory Commission. The IFJ calls on the Chinese government to take immediate action to end such action and behavior.
On July 4, the Chinese Securities Regulatory Commission announced that the Commission will cooperate with Public Bureau to clamp down false information online. The Commission claimed that some people attempted to manipulate the stock market by spreading rumors and false information online. The Commission said that they would therefore work with the police and regulatory bodies to end fake reporting and information and punish those…
IFJ and EFJ call on Emmanuel Hoog, AFP President, to stop cancelling unilaterally 117 collective agreements currently operating in the organisation.
Read declaration in French.
A study led by the Belgian association of professional journalists (AJP) on diversity and equality shows that women make less than 18% of people interviewed in French speaking dailies, which is 5 times less than men.
The new figures show no progress in this field since the last survey conducted in 2011 by AJP. The figures also score below global figures which estimate the presence of women in the news to 24% across all media.
Women are not often quoted in information related to sports (7%), politics (18%), environment (16%) or in larger analysis. The study shows also that women have greater presence in areas such as education (37%), health and well-being (36%) or…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joins its affiliates the Sri Lankan Working Journalist Association (SLWJA) and the Free Media Movement (FMM), along with the Sri Lanka Press Institute (SLPI), in strongly objecting and condemning the Sri Lankan President’s decision to reactivate the controversial Press Council.
On July 2, 2015 Sri Lanka’s President, Maithripala Sirisena, reactivated the country’s Press Council by appointing new members by his executive decision. The Council is established under the 1973 Press Council Law that provides wide ranging punitive powers to the body including imprisoning media personnel.
The Council, which had been used by the previous government…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has joined its Mexican affiliate, el Sindicato Nacional de Redactores de la Prensa (SNRP), in condemning the killing of two journalists in Oaxaca and Veracruz, the two Mexican states with the highest toll of killed reporters in the country.
Read the full article (in Spanish).
For more information, please contact IFJ on + 32 2 235 22 16
The IFJ represents more than 600,000 journalists in 134 countries
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La Federación Internacional de Periodistas (FIP) se une al Sindicato Nacional de los Trabajadores de la Prensa (SNTP) en el reclamo ante los asesinatos del reportero gráfico Newton González, asesinado el 1º de Julio de 2014, y del periodista Blas Olivo, muerto el 12 de abril del presente año, requiriendo a las autoridades correspondientes la toma de las medidas necesarias para evitar que estos hechos queden en la impunidad.
El periodismo latinoamericano ha tenido que lamentar en el curso del último año el recrudecimiento de la violencia contra los trabajadores de medios en República Dominicana y una peligrosa impunidad en la búsqueda de responsables: el crimen del reportero gráfico…
Dans la région Asie-Pacifique, seuls 3 sur 10 employé(e)s sont des femmes. Le lundi 22 juin, la FIJ, l’UNESCO et UNWomen ont procédé à Bangkok au lancement du rapport intitulé Dans l’actualité : défis et aspirations pour les femmes journalistes en Asie et dans le Pacifique.
Le rapport décrit les défis et les aspirations des femmes journalistes au Cambodge, en Inde, en Malaisie, au Népal, au Pakistan, au Sri Lanka et au Vanuatu, les sept pays sur lesquels a porté la recherche. La recherche s’est déclinée en une enquête en ligne, des entrevues et des études de meilleures pratiques mettant en lumière les défis et les succès enregistrés dans toute la région.
Pour lire « Inside the…
The 3-year project should train journalists and media workers in order to develop safety conditions, labour rights and trade union rights in the country, and obtain the recognition of the union – SNRP – at federal level which would empower it to play a major role in the press freedom protection and the defence of the journalists’ rights in Mexico.
The first phase of the project implementation should start in the second half of 2015.
A seminar on gender equality will be held in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on 4 and 5 September as part of the 3-year project dedicated to the promotion of gender equality through actions of the Latin American unions of journalists.
Representatives from the whole region will be involved in this phase of the project , the main objective of which will be to debate and work on this urgent requirement to advance gender equality in our industry, to identify the persisting stereotypes and the still prevailing role division between men and women.
On 9-10 July in Lima, Peru, the IFJ Latin America Regional Office will join a meeting organised by the Trade Union Confederation of the Americas (TUCA), where communication representatives from all America will participate. The purpose of this meeting is to establish communication strategies in a network gathering workers' organisations throughout the Americas.
Eleven journalists’ unions from the Arab World and the Middle East (AWME) met in Tunis on 3-4 June to review the current legal and structural status of journalists’ unions in the region, with the aim of developing a coherent regional trade union strategy. The discussions focused on the unions’ efforts to strengthen their members’ social and professional rights through collective bargaining.
IFJ affiliates in the region expressed a strong need for support in developing planning, bargaining skills as well as in benefitting from technical expertise in this area. The unions decided to establish a “ Union Organising and Collective Agreements Working Group” to strengthen organisational…
Two workshops and a seminar on press freedom were held in Paraguay (both in the capital and in the interior) in April and May. The objective was to set up fora to discuss, debate and organise journalists and other media workers with a view to improving their safety and protection which are essential to fully exercise the freedom of expression and thereby strengthen democracy.
A large number of union members from various regions and a broad range of media participated in the events.
Two of the most significant achievements were the publication of a safety protocol by the National Union of Journalists in Paraguay (SPP) and the launch of discussion platforms where other media workers will…
The European Commission will release this fall its Copyright review package, an important document aiming at amending current EU legislation in the field of copyright/authors’ rights.
In the meantime, an initiative report by Pirate party member Julia Reda led to heated debates in the hemycle by threatening to widen exceptions to copyright/authors’ rights, thereby preventing authors from additional remuneration in situations when their work is used without their authorization. An amendment to the initial report sujects the taking of photographs of works located in public spaces to the authorisation of their author, when the photograph is used for commercial purposes.
The report…
The EFJ released a special edition newsletter focusing on recruitment news in the framework of the EU funded project Rights and Jobs in Journalism.
The newsletter highlights key trends, tips and best practices in recruitment and union services shared by the EFJ affiliates in a workshop held by the Danish Journalists’ Union (DJ) on 11 – 12 May in Copenhagen, Denmark. Read the top 10 tips from our membership on recruitment and servicing membership here.
Together with other media organisations the EFJ called on members of the European Parliament (MEPs) to amend a draft European Directive on trade secrets that could prevents journalists from exercising their rights to freedom of expression and hamper the rights of citizens to be informed.
The draft text passed by the Parliament on 16 June includes ambiguous wording, which require journalists to make “legitimate use” of the information they have acquired. The EFJ together with a group of media organisations warned that the current text does not provide legal certainty for journalists and could lead to self-censorship if journalists are uncertain whether their rights to process and use…
On 2 June, one hundred delegates and observers representing 49 journalist’s organisations in 35 countries attended the Annual Meeting of the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) hosted by the Trade Union Media of Montenegro (TUMM) in Budva, Montenegro.
The meeting was also attended by high-level speakers representing the European Commission, the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe, South East Europe Media Organisation and the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung. Tomislav Kezarovski, a Macedonian investigative journalist who was persecuted by the authorities, gave an inspirational speech to the audience and thanked the EFJ and its affiliates for their support during…
In June, the IFJ submitted a number of submissions to the National People’s Congress Standing Committee regarding the National Security Law and the Overseas Non-Governmental Organisations Management Law which are in the second review draft process. The submissions, submitted by the IFJ as well as the Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA) and the International Commentators Association (ICA) highlighted a number of concerns including endangering local and foreign media operating in China.
The IFJ expresses its deep concerns regarding many vague definitions, as well as a lack of adequate protection of press freedom, freedom of expression and access to information. It suggests for more…
As part of the IFJ-International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) partnership in the promotion of journalists’ safety, the International Federation of Journalists took part in a training on reporting armed conflicts organised by the ICRC regional delegation in Dakar, Senegal. During the three-day training, which brought together twenty –three journalists from 12 countries, the IFJ contributed expertise on practical aspects of journalists’ safety, reporting on armed conflict and international criminal justice as well as ethics in war coverage.
The IFJ is monitoring the situation of journalists in the current political crisis in Burundi, after attacks and threats against journalist as well as the closure of all independent media which sent journalists in exile or in hiding.
At least 40 journalists, including leaders of the Burundi Union of Journalists - an IFJ affiliate - have fled the country to neighbouring countries. The IFJ has led efforts in Europe and Africa to raise awareness of their plight and mobilised the support for their protection (http://www.rtbf.be/info/monde/detail_burundi-une-democratie-en-peril?id=8997015). Through its International Safety Fund, the IFJ spend over 10.000 Euro in assisting journalists under…
World Press Freedom Day of 3 May was an opportunity for the IFJ regional office in Latin America to assess the state of press freedom in the region and to conclude that it had lost ground in Latin America and the Caribbean countries. The report highlights the most vulnerable areas to work as a journalist.
Read more: http://goo.gl/6yTizq
In the Asia Pacific region, only 3 out of every 10 news staff are women. On Monday 22 June the IFJ, UNESCO and UNWomen launched Inside the News: Challenges and Aspirations for Women Journalists in Asia and the Pacific in Bangkok. The report documents the challenges and aspirations for women journalists in Cambodia, India, Malaysia, Nepal, Pakistan Sri Lanka and Vanuatu, the seven countries in which the research took place. The research included an online survey, interviews and best practices case studies highlighting the challenges and successes from across the region.
Read Inside the News http://www.ifj.org/uploads/media/Inside_the_News_FINAL_040615_UNESDOC.pdf
Read the release here:…
Safety handbook for journalists in Ukraine
The IFJ and the EFJ launched a handbook on the safety of journalists in Ukraine aimed at documenting the lessons and experiences of the Ukraine conflict for journalists.
It details the range and scope of restrictions on journalists’ rights experienced by both Ukrainian and Russian reporters during 2014 including freedom of movement, detentions, threats, assaults and deaths. The handbook includes interviews of journalists and provides advice from journalists who went through the safety training programmes held by the IFJ, IMTUU and NUJU.
The handbook was prepared by IFJ affiliates, the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine (NUJU), the…
Safety handbook for journalists in Ukraine
The IFJ and the EFJ launched a handbook on the safety of journalists in Ukraine aimed at documenting the lessons and experiences of the Ukraine conflict for journalists.
It details the range and scope of restrictions on journalists’ rights experienced by both Ukrainian and Russian reporters during 2014 including freedom of movement, detentions, threats, assaults and deaths. The handbook includes interviews of journalists and provides advice from journalists who went through the safety training programmes held by the IFJ, IMTUU and NUJU.
The handbook was prepared by IFJ affiliates, the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine (NUJU), the…
The IFJ has launched a global campaigning calling for all charges against Zunar, a Malaysian political cartoonist to be dropped. Zunar has been charged with 9 counts of sedition for a cartoon and tweet he published in February.
He faces 43 years in jail if found guilty. The IFJ joined in the IFEX and 41 other international freedom of expression organisations to write to Malaysian Prime Minister, Najib Razak to withdraw charges against Zunar and abolish the Sedition Act (1948). Read the letter here. In addition, the IFJ launched an online global petition, aiming to reach 10.000 signatures, calling for immediate action for the release of the journalist.. Zunar will appear in court on 7…
The IFJ/EFJ campaign to release 7 imprisoned journalists and raise attention on Azerbaijan crackdown on press freedom ahead of the Eurolympic Games in Baku in June contributed to shed light on the poor record on press freedom in the country which is one of the leading jailers of journalists in Europe and Central Asia.
Activities included a hashtag campaign using #baku2015 #realbaku2015 to alert on the cases of the 7 imprisoned journalists, letters sent by IFJ and its affiliates to the Azeri president asking for the journalists’ release and the publication of safety guidelines ahead of the Games for journalists reporting on sports and other issues.
In a positive development ,…
Ongoing concerns about media freedom violations in Turkey
• The general elections in Turkey held in early June were particularly tense and difficult for local and international journalists based in the country. LINK The IFJ/EFJ expressed concerns over the state of press freedom in the country before and after the vote through publications and reports denouncing media freedom violations. All cases have also been reported by the organisations to the Council of Europe’s platform for protection and safety of journalists. - before elections: http://europeanjournalists.org/blog/2015/06/01/growing-pressure-on-journalists-in-turkey-before-the-elections/ - after elections:…
Ongoing concerns about media freedom violations in Turkey
• The general elections in Turkey held in early June were particularly tense and difficult for local and international journalists based in the country. The IFJ/EFJ expressed concerns over the state of press freedom in the country before and after the vote through publications and reports denouncing media freedom violations. All cases have also been reported by the organisations to the Council of Europe’s platform for protection and safety of journalists. - before elections: http://europeanjournalists.org/blog/2015/06/01/growing-pressure-on-journalists-in-turkey-before-the-elections/- after elections:…
“The International Press card gets you where the story takes you”.
The IFJ launched a campaign to promote the International Press Card (IPC), a global press pass delivered by the Federation and widely recognised by public officials in more than 134 countries. The IPC is not only about safety and recognition of professional journalists; it is also a symbol of solidarity amongst media professionals and a commitment to the ethical standards that the IFJ abides by.
More about the IPC: http://www.ifj.org/press-card/
Contact your union to obtain your card!
Every week the International Federation of journalists (IFJ) is compiling a list of the top news articles from across the world in which it is mentioned.
1. New National Security Law in China suppresses media freedom
2. IFJ joins Iraqi affiliate to commemorate the 146th anniversary of Iraqi Journalism
3. Journalist shot and thrown out of a car in Assam, India
4. Government directive restricts media reporting in China
5. Protestas contra las Leyes Mordaza
6. TV journalist investigating Vyapam scam dies on assignment in India
7. Las federaciones internacional y europea de periodistas se oponen a las restricciones a los medios introducidas por la Ley…
The constant wet season downpours that drenched Yangon did not dampen the enthusiasm of the 20 journalists who turned up for the International Federation of Journalists leadership and managing unions training this week.
The 20 journalists attended the two-day course on behalf of the five organizations currently responsible for looking after the interests of Myanmar’s poets, writers, publishers and journalists.
In recent months Myanmar has become a hard place to be a journalist, poet or writer.
International human rights groups have warned that the country’s fledgling democratic reforms have stalled. New media laws have choked the initial promise of a free press, journalists have been…
The Council of Global Unions met on 12 June in Geneva and discussed a broad range of general issues, inter alia the conclusions of the last G7, the climate change impact and the very poor labour conditions on major construction sites in Qatar.
The Deputy General Secretary Anthony Bellanger represented the IFJ at the meeting which was held at the International Labor Organisation (ILO) headquarters in Geneva. It provided an opportunity to reaffirm the IFJ’s determination to play its proper role within the Council.
“The IFJ welcomes the Council’s decision to focus on future working conditions but I would like to emphasise we should plan for the future now,” said Anthony Bellanger. “Some…
“This card saved my life. I was on my way to interview a Minister when I was arrested by the police. They checked me for ages and were getting increasingly nervous until I had the bright idea to take out my card. They turned it upside down, really impressed by the document and eventually let me go.”
The African colleague who told me the story came to Brussels at the beginning of the year and took advantage to renew his card at the IFJ headquarters. He added at the time that he wanted to state how proud he was to bear witness to the relevance of the red card, created in 1927 at the IFJ Congress held in Dijon (France).
To be a journalist means to be accountable to the public at large.…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its regional organisation, the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), have joined their Spanish affiliates FAPE, FESP, FSC-CC.OO. and ELA-Gizalan in criticising the Public Security Law, also known as 'Ley Mordaza' (gag law), which came into force yesterday in Spain. These organisations say that the law introduces restrictions on media which amount to gagging clauses.
The Public Security Law makes a criminal offence “any unauthorised use of images or personal as well as professional data concerning police officers which may put at risk the safety of the officers or their families’.” Journalists or citizens who take pictures of…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) expresses strong concern for the National Security Law that was passed by the Chinese National People’s Congress yesterday, on July 1. The law was passed without giving any consideration to the submission made to the Standing Committee by the IFJ, Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA) and the Independent Commentators Association (ICA).
On May 6, the Standing Committee released the National Security Law (Second Review Draft) for public consultation. The IFJ said in its submission that the law, if enacted and implemented in its current form, would further suppress the media, access to information and press freedom. The IFJ, HKJA and ICA…
IFJ leaders joined last 27 June their member union in Iraq, the Iraq Journalists’ Syndicate (IJS), to celebrate the 146th anniversary of Iraqi Journalism in an impressive event which attracted hundreds of journalists, politicians, academics and media executive in Baghdad.
IFJ President Jim Boumelha and Executive Committe members Franco Siddi and Abdelnasser Najjar were hosted by Executive Committee member and president of the IJS, Moaiad Al Lamy, in a rare display of solidarity.
“It’s extraordinary,” said the IFJ president at the opening of the event, “that in these critical circumstances where the very future of the country remains under threat by the Islamic…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its affiliate the Palestinian Journalists' Syndicate (PJS) today called for accountability for the deliberate targeting of journalists during the Israeli military offensive in the Gaza strip of the 2014 summer.
A joint IFJ and PJS delegation, made of IFJ President Jim Boumelha, PJS President Abdalnasser Najjar and Vice President Naser Abubaker, took part in the debate on the report of the UN Independent Commission of Inquiry on the 2014 Gaza conflict which was presented today to the 29th Session of the United Nations Human Rights council in Geneva.
The Commission chairperson Ms. Mary McGowan said that the…
Several journalists and press photographers were prevented last 28 June from doing their job while covering the use of tear gas and water cannon by the police against demonstrators before the starting of the LGBTi Pride Parade in Instanbul.
The 13th edition of the Istanbul LGBTi (Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex) Pride Parade was authorised and scheduled to start on Sunday at 5 pm at Taksim Square but the demonstration had “suddenly been banned by the Istanbul Governor’s Office using the month of Ramadan as the reason without any announcement,” according to the Istanbul LGBTI Pride Week Committee.
Tear gas, water cannon and rubber bullets have been used…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joins its affiliate the National Union of Journalists – India (NUJI) in strongly criticizing the attack on journalists from a local television channel by local police in Bhubaneswar, Odisha of India on Monday.
According to reports, Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel brutally attacked reporter, Stayajit Sena and cameraperson, Sankarshan Patra from Kanak TV and detained them for five hours after they filmed RPF action against protesters at a local railway station. Passengers were protesting delays by sitting on the tracks and blocking trains from departing.
A local RPF team used force to remove the protesters from the track during…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) expresses strong concern for a directive issued by China’s media regulator on June 19, restricting reporting about China’s Stock Exchange.
According to the BCC, the directive was issued by the State Administrative Press Publication Radio Film and Television (SAPPRFT) demanding all media to limit coverage of the stock exchange to prevent fluctuations in the market. The directive, which included Xinhua News Agency and China Central Television said that reports must be balanced, objective and rational to guide the market, however that all reports are strictly required to use information provided by the local authority.
The directive…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) deplores the brutal murder of a Pakistani journalist in Jaffarabad in Balochistan province on Sunday June 28. The IFJ calls on the Pakistani government to take immediate action to bring the assailants to justice and end the culture of impunity in Pakistan.
Zafarullah Jatak was asleep when unidentified gunmen forced their way into his home and opened fire. Jatak was killed instantly and the assailants fled the scene. Zafarullah Jatak was working as a correspondent for the Quetta-based, Urdu language daily, Intekhab when he was murdered.
Police are yet to ascertain the motive behind the targeted killing and have registered a case against…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is deeply saddened by the news of the death of Mohammed al-Asfer, 19 year old Al Jazeera cameraman who was shot dead in Southern Syria last 26 June. Al-Asfer is the fifth Al Jazeera media worker to be killed in Syria since the outbreak of violence in 2011.
"The death of Mohammed Al-Asfer is profoundly troubling," said IFJ President Jim Boumelha. "He was only 19 and prepared to risk everything to report the conflict that has destroyed his country."
Al-Asfer was killed by Government forces while covering the fighting in Daraa province. According to Al Jazeera reports, Al-Asfer had already lost his father and…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its affiliate the Palestinian Journalists' Syndicate (PJS) today called for accountability for the deliberate targeting of journalists during the Israeli military offensive in the Gaza strip of the 2014 summer.
A joint IFJ and PJS delegation, made of IFJ President Jim Boumelha, PJS President Abdalnasser Najjar and Vice President Naser Abubaker, took part in the debate on the report of the UN Independent Commission of Inquiry on the 2014 Gaza conflict which was presented today to the 29th Session of the United Nations Human Rights council in Geneva. The Commission chairperson Ms. Mary McGowan said that the inquiry looked…
A delegation formed by the IFJ President, Jim Boumelha, and the Palestinian Journalists' Syndicate (PJS)’s General Secretary, Abdal Nasser Najjar, holds today in Geneva an interactive dialogue with the United Nations independent international commission of inquiry about violations of international humanitarian law during the Gaza conflict in 2014. So far, 19 journalists have lost their lives and over 350 have been injured, according to IFJ statistics.
During the discussions, the IFJ and the PJS welcomed the work of the UN commission in investigating the violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law in the Occupied Palestinian Territory,…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has today launched an international campaign to promote the International Press Card (IPC), a global press pass delivered by the Federation and widely recognised by public officials in more than 134 countries.
“Telling the truth too often comes at a price and journalists deserve the best protection when travelling overseas as well as when reporting on the ground,” says IFJ President Jim Boumelha. “The IFJ International Press card is an instantly and internationally recognisable professional identification . It has helped many of our colleagues get out of tricky situations in dealing with soldiers, police or officials.”
First launched in…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) criticises the Xinjiang authorities who recently persecuted the family of a Uyghur journalist who was working for the US Congress-funded Radio Free Asia.
According to reports, Shawket and Rehim, brothers of journalist Shohret Hoshur, have been detained by Xinjiang authorities since August 2014. Hoshur said that his two brothers were not politically active and worked on businesses in Urumqi. He said that he believe his brothers that they were been detained due to his work as a journalist and reporting on sensitive topics in Xinjiang. In recent days, the two brothers were charged with endanger state security and the case will be heard on…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joins its affiliate the Federación Argentina de Trabajadores de Prensa (FATPREN) in condemning the dismissals of Carolina Cohen and Santiago Rey (ANB - Agencia de Noticias Bariloche) and Lucas Livchits y Brian Majli (Minuto Uno - Ciudad de Buenos Aires). The federations highlight the union activists' status of three of the dismissed and ask labor authorities to suspend the decision.
Read full release in Spanish.
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its regional organisation the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) have together condemned the actions of Armenian police who attacked and briefly detained at least 10 media workers who were covering a demonstration on 23 June in Armenian capital, Yerevan. The two organisations have asked the authorities to investigate the incidents and punish the perpetrators.
According to media, at least 10 media workers were assaulted and briefly detained by police officers who destroyed phones, cameras, laptops and video equipment of many journalists. They also confiscated the memory cards of those who had filmed the crackdown against…
The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP), an IFJ affiliate, said Jonathan Oldan who worked as assistant cameraman with CNN Philippines was shot dead in Cavite, in the central Philippines.
The Union quoted local police as saying that Oldan was shot four times in the head by unidentified gunmen. The victim was assigned to cover the Department of Justice and Supreme Court news beats in the local area.
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and the South East Asia Journalists Unions (SEAJU) strongly criticizes the charges filed against 17 journalists in Myanmar by the government. The IFJ calls on the government to immediately drop the charges against the 17 journalists and expresses strong concern for the deterioration of press freedom in Myanmar in recent months.
Earlier this week, 17 journalists from Eleven Media Group were charged with contempt for its news coverage of the trial of five senior members of the same media organization. The Ministry of Information filed the charges against the journalists arguing that the newspaper was unfairly insisting on the innocence of…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joins its affiliate the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) in condemning the shooting murder of an assistant cameraman and driver in Cavite, in the central Philippines.
This morning at 5.15am, Jonathan Oldan, driver and assistant cameraman with CNN Philippines was shot dead in Imus in Cavite.
According to local police, Oldan was shot four times in the head by unidentified gunmen. The victim was assigned to cover the Department of Justice and Supreme Court news beats in the local area.
The IFJ and NUJP express condolences to the family and colleagues of Jonathan Oldan.
The IFJ calls on the Philippines government to…
The Chadian authorities expelled, by force and without explanation, Laurent Correau, RFI correspondent, who came to make a series of reports on the ground ahead of the trial of Hissène Habré, a project for which he had made contact with the Chadian authorities at the time of his arrival.
Two men presenting themselves as officers of airline and border police came to apprehend Laurent Correau while he was dining at his hotel with Reed Brody, the deputy spokesperson of Human Rights Watch. In the discussion that followed, the two Chadian officers slapped Reed Brody and Laurent Correau. The latter was driven to the airport and sent back to Paris in a plane without being able to contact…
The International Federation of Journalists strongly criticises a group who verbally abused, threatened and attempted to attack media who were reporting on the “Dog Meat Festival” in Yulin, in the Guangxi Autonomous Region in China.
On 22 June, a small group of animal rights activists, university students and media personnel tried to attend the “Dog Meat Festival” In Yulin, Guangxi, which in recent years has been at the centre of a controversial debate in China. It was reported that journalists from CNN, Apple Daily and other media outlets were harassed several times by an unidentified group while performing their duties.
According to reports, their cameras were blocked, while a…
GENERAL SECRETARY POST
Job Description
The Executive Committee of the International Federation of Journalists is seeking to appoint a full-time General Secretary, based in Brussels for a period lasting up to 31st December 2019.
The General Secretary must have the following skills:
1. Experience and knowledge of trade unionism, with proven ability to lead and inspire and with considerable knowledge of trade unionism.
2. Experience and knowledge of journalism and broad issues connected with media and journalists worldwide.
3. Experience of leading campaigns and negotiating with institutions and partners.…
