The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) learns with great
concern from its affiliate, the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ),
that 20 journalists and media workers suffered injuries of varying degrees of
severity in the lethal bombing at the headquarters of Pakistan’s military intelligence establishment
in Lahore on
May 27.
“The IFJ condemns this horrific terrorist attack which has taken a huge
toll of innocent civilian life,” IFJ General Secretary Aidan
White said. “At the same time, we extend our solidarity to Pakistan’s
journalists, who find themselves increasingly caught in the crossfire of
escalating conflict in the…
The European Federation of Journalist (EFJ), the European group of the
International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), today strongly protested against
proposals for the draft legislation in Finland which would compel
journalists to reveal their sources in certain criminal cases. "This
bill is unbelievable. Protection of sources is a cornerstone of independent
journalism and the free flow of information. Journalists have to be certain
that media freedom is secured and journalists' sources have to be sure that
their protection is guaranteed. Otherwise, the media are incapable of performing their
duty in a democratic system," says Arto Nieminen, Chairman of the Union of…
Agenda for the Conférence
FR
EN
ES
IFJ 2001 gender action plan
EN
FR
ES
Declarations
Brussels Declaration (EN)
Déclaration de Bruxelles (FR)
Declaracion de Brusselas (ES)
Declaracion sobre latina america(ES)
Declaration on Latin America (EN)
Speeches
Jim Boumelha, IFJ
Alton Grizzle, UNESCO
Lavinia Mohr, WACC
Stéphane Hoebeke, RTBF
Colleen Lowe Morna, Genderlinks
Nadezhda Azhgikhina, RUJ
Marieke Koning, ITUC
Agenda for the Conférence
FR
EN
IFJ 2001 gender action planENFRES
Declarations
Brussels Declaration (EN
Declaracion de Brusselas (ES)
Declaracion sobre latina america(ES)Declaration on Latin America (En)
Speeches
Jim Boumelha, IFJAlton Grizzle, UNESCOLavinia Mohr, WACCStéphane Hoebeke, RTBFColleen Lowe Morna, GenderlinksNadezhda Azhgikhina, RUIKMarieke Kining, ITUC
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is launching an emergency
appeal to provide emergency financial support to more than 100 journalists and
their families who were forced to flee the intense conflict in northern Pakistan in
late May 2009.
The specific objectives of this internal appeal are to enable the PFUJ and the
Khyber union to: · Offer emergency assistance to an overwhelming number of journalists and their families who have lost their homes,
possessions and livelihoods. · Organise immediate accommodation alternatives for affected families currently sheltering in tents in North-West Frontier Province (NWFP). · Organise short-term…
For the attention of:
Honourable Mr Asif Ali
Zardari
President
Islamic Republic of Pakistan
c/- Office of the Secretary General
Mr M. Salman Faruqui
Fax: +92 – 51
–…
Journalists from Pakistan’s print and electronic
media rallied nation-wide on Monday under the banner of the Pakistan Federal
Union of Journalists (PFUJ), an affiliate of the International Federation of
Journalists (IFJ), to call attention to the continuing crises of livelihoods,
job security and physical safety in their profession.
Protests were held in all the major cities of
Pakistan, including Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar, Faisalabad, Gujranwala and Bahawalpur.
The PFUJ condemned the continuing failure of
media owners to implement the Seventh Wage Award, despite the lapse of seven
years since it was notified. With the…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today condemned in the strongest possible terms, the murder of Abdirisak Warsameh Mohamed, known as Gado' O, journalist of Radio Shabelle, based in Mogadiscio who was shot dead on Thursday, May 21, 2009 near Bakara market in Mogadishu.
“We firmly condemn the murder of our colleague and demand that the murderers be identified and brought to justice,” declared Gabriel Baglo, Director of IFJ Africa Office. “The unrelenting killings of journalists in Somalia constitute an attempt to intimidate and silence the press in Somalia.”
According to the director of Radio Shabelle, Mukhtar Mohamed Hirabe, Abdirisak was shot in…
The
International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has today welcomed the decision
of the World Health Organisation (WHO) to lift the five- year ban on Taiwanese journalists who will now be able cover the
World Health Assembly from 18-22 May in Geneva. The
Association of Taiwanese Journalists
(ATJ), an IFJ affiliate, said that the WHO has given accreditation to its
members to cover this year's World Health Assembly in Geneva. However, the journalists will be
issued with the WHO green press cards instead of the UN blue ones and will not have
access to press facilities. "We
welcome the decision of the WHO to lift this discriminatory ban on Taiwanese journalists,' said Aidan White,…
Journalists have launched a
European-wide campaign to confront a growing economic and professional crisis in
media which they say threatens to weaken democracy across the
region.The annual meeting of the
European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), bringing together leaders of unions and
associations from 25 European countries, ended their meeting in Varna, Bulgaria
on 17 May with the adoption of a comprehensive declaration - Journalism in
the Vanguard of Change - and an appeal to candidates in the upcoming
elections to the European Parliament to give priority to the defence of quality
journalism in Europe.In a stark warning
to policymakers, the EFJ states: "There is no…
Journalists' leaders from across Europe have pledged support for
journalists and media staff in a strike which is at the heart of a struggle for
union rights and for press freedom in Turkey. The annual meeting of the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), held
in Varna, Bulgaria at the weekend applauded the action of journalists in
membership of the Journalists' Union of Turkey (TGS) who have been on strike at
ATV television and Sabah daily newspapers and magazines group since 13 February
this year. The significance of the battle is not lost on journalists in Europe
where many union groups are fighting for basic rights. This is the first media
strike to hit Turkey for almost…
The
European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) has demanded that the Turkish
government and the authorities in the north of Cyprus
renew their investigation into the killing of journalist Kutlu Adali who is
thought to have been targeted by Turkish security agents or unknown assassins
of the administration in the northern part of Cyprus. Adali,
a political columnist with the leftist daily Yeni Duzen who opposed the
division of Cyprus,
was shot dead outside his home in the island's divided capital of Nicosia on July 6, 1996.
He had received work-related threats prior to his murder. The
EFJ meeting of journalists' leaders in Varna,
Bulgaria, at
the weekend responded to an appeal…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) condemns
attempts by officials in China
to obstruct contact between journalists and mourners ahead of the anniversary
of the 1989 Tiananmen Square
massacre on June 4.
Jiang Qisheng,
vice-chairman of Independent PEN, told the IFJ he had been repeatedly obstructed
or prevented from making contact with journalists or people connected to
victims of the massacre.
On May 18, a security officer reportedly instructed
a café owner in Beijing to refuse service to
Jiang and a Hong Kong journalist to prevent an
interview from taking place. Despite changing locations,
the interview was watched by security…
The European Federation of Journalists which was meeting this weekend in Varna, Bulgaria to discuss the economic and professional crisis that is threatening to overwhelm traditional media in Europe has condemned the European Commission and its President Jose-Manuel Barroso for fostering a culture of "self-interest and neglect" in its treatment of media.
The EFJ, Europe's largest journalists' group, says the Commission has shown little interest in confronting the potential crisis for information pluralism and democracy in Europe as newspapers and audiovisual groups - including public broadcasters - struggle to cope with an unprecedented firestorm of problems which has seen tens of…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has condemned today the threats and intimidations against journalists in Somalia after the head of an Islamic militia group in Somalia warned journalists against reports which are critical of the movement.
“We condemn this climate of terror and intimidation against journalists in Somalia,” said Gabriel Baglo, Director of IFJ Africa Office. “It is against press freedom and ethical journalism to interfere in journalists’ work.”
According to media reports the Emir Sheik Muktar Abdirahman (Abu Subeyr) of the islamist Al Shabaab militia yesterday warned the journalists against any information which would be…
The European Federation of
Journalists at the eve of its Annual Meeting in Varna (Bulgaria) on 15-17 May - Managing
Change: Journalists Respond to the Media Crisis - supports the ETUC campaign
"Fight the Crisis: put the people first", which includes four European days of
action from 14 to 16 May 2009.
The EFJ and its members at national
level support the ETUC demands for a "new social deal in Europe" and a recovery strategy to end the current
recession that puts people first. The EFJ has been monitoring the drastic changes
in the media sector and its impact on journalism and democracy.
In
response to this challenging environment the EFJ believes that…
The
International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its European group, the
European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) today joined their affiliate, the
National Union of Journalists in the UK and Ireland
(NUJ), in condemning the secrecy of
a preliminary hearing at a court in Belfast dealing with an application
submitted by the Police Service in Northern Ireland
(PSNI) to force Belfast journalist Suzanne Breen to hand over confidential
material. Judge
Tom Burgess heard the evidence which was not made available to Ms Breen or her
legal team and ruled that he "was minded to grant the application" but said he can
still change his mind when he hears the full case which is…
(NUJ) The NUJ has expressed concern that the
Equality Bill - being debated in the UK Parliament today - will not do enough
to stop pay discrimination in the private sector. When the union does workplace surveys women journalists almost always come
out as earning far less than their male colleagues. But the government refuses to make employers publish pay audits and act on
them. Jeremy Dear, NUJ General Secretary, said: "Unfortunately the Equality
Bill does not contain the key reforms needed to close the gender pay gap in the
private sector. Source: http://www.nuj.org.uk/innerPagenuj.html?docid=1225
(NUJ) The NUJ has expressed concern that the Equality Bill - being debated in the UK Parliament today - will not do enough to stop pay discrimination in the private sector.
When the union does workplace surveys women journalists almost always come out as earning far less than their male colleagues.
But the government refuses to make employers publish pay audits and act on them.
Jeremy Dear, NUJ General Secretary, said: "Unfortunately the Equality Bill does not contain the key reforms needed to close the gender pay gap in the private sector.
Source: http://www.nuj.org.uk/innerPagenuj.html?docid=1225
The International Federation of
Journalists (IFJ) joins the widow of Sri Lankan journalist Lasantha Wickrematunge
in calling on Sri Lanka’s
power-holders to take immediate action to conduct a full, fair and independent investigation
into the murder of the senior newsman.
Sonali
Samarasinghe Wickrematunge, also a journalist, has publicly released a letter she
wrote to Sri Lanka’s President, Mahinda Rajapakse, on April 24 voicing her grave
concerns at the Government’s failure to investigate the January 8 murder of her
husband.
Lasantha, editor of the Sunday Leader, was killed by gunmen who
ambushed his car and shot him several times in central…
The International Federation of
Journalists (IFJ) joins a call by journalists representing 12 Pacific nations for governments of the region to defend and promote freedom
of the media in the Pacific, in line with their international obligations under
Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
The call was made by 40 journalists and media workers from across the Pacific
at the inaugural meeting of the Pacific Freedom Forum (PFF) in Apia, Samoa, from May 6 to 8.
The “Project XIX: Courage Under Fire” seminar, which included a two-day workshop on freedom
of expression and media rights reporting and monitoring delivered by the IFJ, sought
to…
Union members at The Boston Globe, one of America's leading newspapers, threatened with closure in the current media crisis, have reached a deal with management to keep the title alive.
The Boston Globe, which is owned by The New York Times Company has lost 30 percent of its advertising income in the first months of 2009 and was facing collapse.
Now an agreement with The Newspaper Guild-CWA, an IFJ affiliate, has given the paper a lifeline and saved hundreds of jobs.
According to reports, the agreement includes the end of lifetime job guarantees, steep pay cuts and the phasing out of the company's contributions to retirement plans for employees. This package is the latest effort…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and partner
organisations from the South Asia Media Solidarity Network (SAMSN) joined a
declaration in Kathmandu, Nepal, condemning the rapid deterioration in conditions
for free media in South Asia.
The declaration, which was adopted at a two-day meeting of media
practitioners from South Asia hosted by UNESCO, the Federation of Nepali
Journalists (FNJ) and the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for
Human Rights (OHCHR) to mark World Press Freedom Day on May 3, affirmed that free
media institutions are an essential part of efforts in all South Asian
countries to build a truly democratic and representative…
The International Federation of Journalists(IFJ) has expressed its support for a report published by the Syndicat National des Journalistes Tunisiens (SNJT), an IFJ affiliate, to mark World Press Freedom Day which highlights poor working conditions of Tunisian journalists. "This report portrays a worrying situation which needs urgent attention," said Aidan White, IFJ General Secretary. "We applaud the efforts of our colleagues to improve the conditions of journalists and will resist any attempt to deny their right to speak out."The report released by the SNJT criticised in particular the lack of Government action on a pledge to regularise the situation of hundreds…
The International Federation of Journalists and its regional group, the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) today condemned the decision of the Helsinki Court of Appeal in Finland against a photographer who took pictures of a protest demonstration during the Asia - Europe trade summit meeting in Helsinki on September 9, 2006.
On the eve of the World Press Freedom Day 2009, the Helsinki Court of Appeal in Finland April 30, confirmed the conviction by Helsinki District Court in December 2007 against staff photojournalist Markus Pentikäinen of the Finnish weekly Suomen Kuvalehti who…
The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), Europe's largest
organisation of journalists, today sends a strong support to its
journalists affiliates in Turkey following a two-day conference to defend
press freedom and freedom of speech.
"There is no real freedom of speech in Turkey", says Arne König, EFJ
president. "During these two days, we have witnessed many examples of
journalists and media workers being intimidated and the control public
authorities exercise over the media. Our colleagues can no longer work
under such pressure. Turkey must give evidence of its commitment towards
freedom of speech in its…
The
International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is greatly concerned at the
decline in press freedom in Afghanistan
over the past year, noting that there have been 115 incidents of violence
against media personnel, including the killings of five journalists.
The
IFJ’s concerns were raised as the Afghan Independent Journalists’ Association
(AIJA), an IFJ affiliate, marked World Press Freedom Day yesterday by calling
international attention to the dangers and restrictions challenging free media
in Afghanistan,
including the continuing imprisonment of journalists Ahmad Ghows Zelmay and
Sayed Parvez Kambakhsh.
AIJA
said its research over the past year…
See Video Here: www.for-freedom.cc
The following movie has been made to
commemorate the lives of more than 800
journalists and media workers who have lost their lives as a result of their work since United Nations
first established May 3 as the World Press Freedom Day, in 1993. Be it in Iraq, Burma, Russia,
Uzbekistan or Colombia,
reporters and media workers throughout the world are subject to daily repression.
They are threatened or killed because of their investigations into corruption,
violence and discrimination. In December 1993 the UN General Assembly made May 3 the day of World Press
Freedom, honouring the demands of the UNESCO "Windhoek Declaration"
Where…
The International Federation of
Journalists (IFJ) welcomes a statement issued by the President of the United States,
Barrack Obama, highlighting the fundamental importance of press freedom in
defending other freedoms and rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights.
Mr Obama drew
attention in his statement on May 1, ahead of World Press Freedom Day on May 3,
to the “distressing reality” of journalists jailed or harassed for the content
of their work, including senior Sri Lankan journalist J.S. Tissainayagam.
Tissainayagam is currently on trial in
Colombo accused
of terrorism for the content of his writing.
For the…
On International Labour Day, the
International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is concerned by reports that media
outlets in China and Hong Kong are using the excuse of the global financial
crisis to lay off workers and reduce their benefits despite maintaining good
revenue flows.
The IFJ urges media businesses in China to refrain
from staff cuts and reductions in workers’ benefits, and to recognise that decent
working conditions are essential for providing a quality news service.
Press freedom is also a significant
factor in promoting quality media. As World Press Freedom Day approaches on May
3, the IFJ also reminds governments at all levels in China of…
The European Federation of Journalists today condemned the sacking of a leader of its member organisation in Ukraine because of his trade union activities.
Sergey Goos, Vice President and leading activist in Ukraine’s Independent Media Trade Union (IMTU), was sacked from his job at the Ukrainian Tyzhden, a Kiev-based investigative magazine after leading negotiations for a collective agreement to regulate salary and editorial rights.
“Sergey Goos is a committed trade unionist who has dedicated many years to building the journalists’ union and defending the rights of Ukraine journalists,” said Arne Konig, President of the European Federation of…
As
part of its World Press Freedom Day actions, the International Federation of
Journalists (IFJ) has announced a new agreement with the Brussels-based Vintu
Foundation to provide humanitarian assistance to families of journalists and
media personnel who are killed on duty. The
first agreement between the IFJ and the Vintu Foundation for Excellency in
Education and Journalism, founded by Romanian media owner Sorin Ovidiu Vintu, was
signed in 2007 when a special Fund was created to specifically assist families
who lose a breadwinner as a result of their work in the media. The agreement
was first renewed in 2008. "The
assistance provided under the Fund has proved over the last…
The
International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) says that hostile relations
between the Slovak government and some of the country's media may be about to
ease following a meeting in Bratislava
today between journalists' leaders and Prime Minister Robert Fico. A
delegation of the Slovak Syndicate of Journalists led by Aidan White, IFJ General
Secretary and of the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), pressed Mr Fico
to address the crisis facing journalism and to open up a new dialogue with
Slovak media. Responding
to suggestions that it was time for a change of approach, the Prime Minister offered
a new dialogue with journalists' leaders - particularly on how to change…
The
International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) welcomes the release of
Nadesapillai Vithyatharan, editor of the Tamil daily newspaper Sudar Oli,
after almost two months in detention in Sri Lanka.
Although no charges
were laid against Vithyatharan, officials of the Crime Branch of the Sri Lankan
police had requested a magistrate’s court on March 18 for an extension of his
detention, while his alleged involvement in an insurgent air raid on Colombo on February 20 was
investigated.
In ordering
the editor’s release on April 24, a court in Colombo took on board the admission by the
Crime Branch and other security agencies that there was no evidence…
Omar Faruk Osman, President FAJ Tuesday 21 April told a gathering of Human Rights Defenders in Kampala, Uganda, that journalists and media workers in Africa face series of threats ranging from safety and security, repressive laws, oppressive regimes, monopolies, bad labour practices and unfair competition.
The FAJ President further stated that the journalist, in reporting events including those that expose him/her to personal insecurity and most times injury or death, is now faced with even greater challenges “in the face of new threats occasioned by globalization, political power play and economic developments.”
Describing the safety of journalists especially…
The
International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has today welcomed the successful
safety training organised for Gaza Journalists which took place in Cairo from 20 to 22
April. The
training which was jointly organised by the International Institute for News
Safety (INSI) and the IFJ and hosted by the Federation of Arab Journalists
(FAJ) was attended by 18 journalists from the Gaza Strip. "Safety
training is vital for journalists working in hostile environments and nowhere
else are conditions as challenging to journalists as in Gaza," said Aidan
White, IFJ General Secretary. "We are delighted that our
colleagues have completed the training and grateful to the FAJ for having…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today called on the Central African Republican authorities and, in particular, the High Council of Communication (HCC), the official regulatory body of the media to lift the fifteen days suspension imposed against the daily newspaper, l’Hirondelle on April 20, 2009.
“It is an inappropriate decision which is aimed at muzzling this newspaper”, declared Gabriel Baglo, Director of IFJ Africa Office. “After having published the remarks of an army captain, l’Hirondelle also published the position of the government on the story in line with its duty to their right of reply.”
Following the…
The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), the largest organisation of journalists in Europe, today marked World Copyright Day by condemning the widespread use of unfair contracts by media employers that deprive journalists from their authors' rights."This situation seriously undermines our profession by grabbing journalists' means of earning and ignoring their right to be recognised as authors. It also undermines media quality by allowing media companies to recycle and reuse the work of journalists across different platforms" says Aidan White, EFJ General secretary.Together with its affiliates, the EFJ denounces in particular recent pressures in media companies such as Sanoma…
The
European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), the largest organisation of
journalists in Europe, today marked World
Copyright Day by condemning the widespread use of unfair contracts by media
employers that deprive journalists from their authors' rights."This situation seriously undermines our
profession by grabbing journalists' means of earning and ignoring their right
to be recognised as authors. It also undermines media quality by allowing media
companies to recycle and reuse the work of journalists across different
platforms" says Aidan White, EFJ
General secretary. Together
with its affiliates, the EFJ denounces in particular recent pressures in media
companies such as…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ)
today said that, ten years after NATO forces defied the protests of journalists
and human rights groups and bombed a television centre in Belgrade killing 16 media staff, the damage
from that unprecedented strike is still being felt. "When NATO forces decided to strike at the television
of station RTS in Belgrade
because they found its propaganda offensive they set a terrible precedent,"
said Jim Boumelha, IFJ President. "That attack opened the door to a decade of
attacks on media in conflict zones and has made journalism more dangerous than
ever." Boumelha says that NATO should admit its mistake on April 23rd 1999 when…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today called on the High Authority of Audio-visual and Communication (HAAC), the official regulatory body of the media in Togo, to lift the suspension of interactive emissions on radio and television stations in Togo.
“This decision is unacceptable and represents an attempt to prevent the local press from reporting on recent allegations of a “coup d’état” declared Gabriel Baglo, Director of IFJ Africa Office. “This is a grave violation on the freedom of expression”.
On Friday April 17 2009, the HAAC announced its decision to suspend, until further notice, all interactive emissions…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) demands the Propaganda Department of Sichuan Province explain new restrictions on media reporting on birth miscarriages.
A local journalist, who wishes to remain anonymous, told the IFJ that the April 17 order instructed all media to end all reporting on the frequency of miscarriages among women in Dujiangyan and an alleged connection to formaldehyde exposure.
Articles published in the local press in early March reported several cases of miscarriages by women living in temporary housing provided to victims of the 2008 earthquake in the province. The reports cited speculation that the cause may be linked to formaldehyde exposure in the…
The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), the regional group of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today expressed its outrage about the continuing complete lack of respect to basic trade union rights in Turkey, a candidate country to the European Union which is infringing on human and fundamental rights enshrined in the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, the Social Charter of the Council of Europe, and Conventions of the International Labour Organisation (ILO).
“We can no longer accept that trade union rights, especially the law on collective agreements and the right to industrial action, be considered as old fashioned not to be respected. This situation is…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) demands the
Propaganda Department of Sichuan Province explain new restrictions on media reporting
on birth miscarriages.
A local journalist,
who wishes to remain anonymous, told
the IFJ that the April 17 order instructed all media to end all reporting on
the frequency of miscarriages among women in Dujiangyan and an alleged connection
to formaldehyde exposure.
Articles published in the local press in early March reported
several cases of miscarriages by women living in temporary housing provided to
victims of the 2008 earthquake in the province. The reports cited speculation
that the cause may be linked to…
EFJ/FES Seminar: Recruiting
and Organising: Unions Challenges in Times of Media Crisis
Belgrade, 15-17 April, 2009
Conclusions
1. Journalists’
Unions and Associations Join Forces to:
- Coordinate
actions on issues of shared interests, such as the media crisis, organise joint
events on themes of importance to the journalistic community, present
common proposals to the government, raise awareness and reach out to the
public by presenting the challenges and problems of the profession in a concerted
manner;
- Act
together in the defence of independence of media ,focusing solely on
…
The International Federation of Journalists
(IFJ) condemns instructions to media issued by China’s Prison Bureau and Central
Propaganda Department that they must only report information distributed
through official channels.
The order,
dated April 10, prevents journalists
from reporting on the welfare, death
or injury of prison inmates unless the information is sourced from the Prison
Bureau. The Central Propaganda Department reportedly said such information could
be manipulated and used against prison authorities.
The addition of this topic to China’s list of banned topics
occurs shortly after the publication of news reports about the…
Leaders of Europe's political parties are uniting around a campaign launched by the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) to place the economic, social and democratic crisis in media at the heart of European Union policymaking in the coming years.After meetings with the leaders of the three largest party blocks in the European Parliament - the European Peoples' Party, the Socialist Group and the Liberal Alliance - the EFJ says that politicians are ready to confront the media crisis."When it comes to media there is no such thing as business as usual," said Aidan White, EFJ General Secretary. "Political leaders recognise it's time for radical action to help media meet the…
By RICHARD PÉREZ-PEÑA
(NYT) Taking aim at the way news is spread across the Internet, The Associated Press said on Monday that Web sites that used the work of news organizations must obtain permission and share revenue with them, and that it would take legal action against those that did not.
source: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/07/business/media/07paper.html?_r=1&hp=&pagewanted=print
The International Federation of
Journalists (IFJ) has called for the trial of an Iranian-American
journalist accused of spying to be ‘open, honest and respectful' of all her
rights under international law. The trial of Roxana Saberi began
yesterday behind closed doors in Tehran
and a verdict is expected within three weeks, says an Iranian
official. "To accuse a journalist of spying is
easily done," said Aidan White, IFJ General Secretary, "but it must be a fair
trail with evidence given in an honest and respectful manner in open court and
in line with international standards of jurisprudence." Ms Saberi faced her accusers before Iran's Revolutionary Court,
which handles…
The unprecedented clampdown on the
media in Fiji at the weekend
underscores the unwillingness of Fiji’s military leadership to uphold
long-promised democratic reform in the Pacific island nation, the International
Federation of Journalists (IFJ) said today.
“Press freedom in Fiji is in
tatters. The repressive actions taken against Fiji’s media at the weekend give
the lie to promises by the military government throughout the past year that it
would support press freedom and media professionalism as essential components
of the country’s return to democratic rule,” IFJ General Secretary Aidan White said.
“But now, the draconian…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has called on African journalists to beware the dangers of prejudice and discrimination facing gay people after a report that a journalists' group in Cameroon has put at risk colleagues by making public accusations of homosexuality in a country where the practice is forbidden by law.The IFJ says that the distribution by the Syndicat des Journalistes Employés du Cameroun (SJEC) of a controversial report in the biweekly Aurore Plus, which accuses a rival union leader of homosexuality, was a provocative and unacceptable action."In parts of Africa there is a level of intolerance of homosexuality which is unacceptable and this…
The
European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), the regional group of the
International Federation of Journalists, today condemned a warning issued by Robert
Fico, the Prime Minister of Slovakia,
over media coverage of what he says are trouble-making extremist groups in
neighbouring Hungary.
The
Prime Minister on Monday gave a blunt warning that the government might take action
against journalists covering groups which he says are promoting separatism and
trying to sow dissent within Slovakia's
minority Hungarian community. Fico said
his government might act to stop reporting that it considers damaging to
Slovakian national interest. The
EFJ accused him of sending an…
The
International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today called on United States President
Barack Obama to intervene over the injustice of journalists killed in Iraq at the hands of the US military. Marking
the sixth anniversary of United States
army attacks on media in Baghdad
on April 8th 2003, in which three journalists died, the IFJ says President
Obama must act to investigate a series of killings in the conflict which remain
unresolved.
In
a letter to the US
President, IFJ President Jim Boumelha,
says the April 8th attack by US forces on Baghdad's
Palestine Hotel, which was filled at the time with media staff, "has come to
symbolise impunity over attacks on…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today called on the Government of Niger to put an end to the intimidation and harassment of journalists allegedly accused of broadcasting “false reports” since April 1, 2009.
“This is more nor less a deliberate attempt of harassing and intimidating the Dounia media group and Le Courier newspaper whose only wrong is to have organized a debate about the visit of French President, Nicholas Sarkozy and published articles considered to be defamatory”, declared Gabriel Baglo, Director of IFJ Africa Office.
On April 6 Ali Soumana, director of the newspaper “Le Courrier” was arrested…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is alarmed
by the sackings of media personnel at television stations and newspapers across
Pakistan and calls on media
owners to treat their workers with respect and to abide by Pakistan’s
labour laws.
The Pakistan Federal Union of
Journalists (PFUJ), an IFJ affiliate, reports that hundreds of journalists and media
workers in all major cities of Pakistan
have been sacked with little warning since the beginning of the year. Many retrenched
workers have received no explanation or been told their retrenchment is due to “financial
constraints”.
Complaints about abrupt sackings
have been…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) demands an end to the
ongoing maltreatment of staff and editors of the Fiji Times after another intervention by police this week.
According to local media reports, three plain-clothes police produced a
warrant to search the offices of the Fiji
Times on April 3. They were looking for a document alleged to be in the
possession of reporter Reijeil Kikau and which reportedly contained a petition
signed by Ministry of Finance staff addressed to the Public Service Commission.
“The search warrant was a complete waste of time for the police and the
firm,” Fiji Times editor-in-chief
Netani Rika told the media.…
The EFJ drafted preliminary conclusions of a best practice review of collective
agreements in Europe (following replies to a
specific questionnaire sent to member unions in 2008). Member unions which did not reply to the questionnaire can ask the EFJ Secretariat for more information.The summary below has been drafted by the Labour Rights expert group (LAREG) and still needs to be completed.
Working Time and Holiday Regulationsa) Working time The 30 hours per week working time that is in effect in Greece for those employed by the Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation (ERT) is the shortest one of all in comparison with other European countries, most of which enforce a…
The International Federation of
Journalists (IFJ) joins the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) in
calling on Pakistan’s
Government to set up a high-level judicial commission, headed by a superior
court judge, to investigate the murder of journalist Musa Khankhel and ensure
his killers are brought to justice.
The call by the PFUJ, an IFJ
affiliate, is made in the interim report of a PFUJ team which recently visited Pakistan’s
troubled Swat valley to investigate the murder of Khankhel, after local
authorities failed to initiate their own inquiry.
“The IFJ is deeply disturbed by the
PFUJ’s findings, and the alarming failure of…
The
International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today called for an independent
investigation into the death of Sergey Protazanov, a journalist with
Grazhdanskoye Soglasiyel newspaper, who died on 31 March, reportedly after
being beaten up. According
to the editor-in-chief of Grazhdanskoye Soglasiye, Anatoliy Yurov, Sergey was
attacked two days earlier in the town of Khimki, near Moscow and died later of
his injuries. The attack was reported by the victim's wife to the police who
allegedly failed to record the incident, reports say. "It
is important that this tragic death is independently investigated and the
findings made public," said Aidan White,
IFJ General Secretary."…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today urged the authorities in Guinea Bissau to put an end to the threats and intimidations on journalists who have been targeted in relation to their work since the tragic events of the double assassination of the president of the republic and the army chief of staff on March 1st, 2009.
“We denounce these threats and intimidations which is an attempt to silence them from reporting on the tragic assassinations of President Nino Vieira and the Army Chief of Staff, Tagme Na Waie. That is against the principle of press freedom” declared Gabriel Baglo, Director of the IFJ Africa Office.
Since the…
The
International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) welcomes an agreement between staff
and management at South
Korea’s YTN to resolve a 259-day dispute
over editorial independence at the broadcaster.
On
April 1, staff representatives and YTN management concluded five days of closed-door
negotiations with a nine-point agreement, under which both sides will seek to
develop and implement a code for editorial independence at the broadcaster,
according to the Journalists’ Association of Korea (JAK).
“The
IFJ trusts that YTN’s management has acknowledged the primary importance of
editorial integrity and quality to journalists and media…
The following is the introduction by Aidan White, IFJ General Secretary, to the Global Unions' Publication
"Getting the World to Work- Global Union Strategies for Recovery" as a response to the world crisis. There is no
escaping the despair caused by recession and economic decline. Across the world millions of workers and
their families are suffering because they cannot keep their jobs and cannot get
work as the deepest recession since the 1930s begins to bite. The misery of mass unemployment
is felt everywhere. In the United
States job losses began in the first days of
2008 and accelerated after the financial crash in October with 3.3 million jobs
lost in the last…
The following is the introduction by Aidan White, IFJ General Secretary, to the Global Unions' Publication "Getting the World to Work- Global Union Strategies for Recovery" as a response to the world crisis.There is no escaping the despair caused by recession and economic decline. Across the world millions of workers and their families are suffering because they cannot keep their jobs and cannot get work as the deepest recession since the 1930s begins to bite. The misery of mass unemployment is felt everywhere. In the United States job losses began in the first days of 2008 and accelerated after the financial crash in October with 3.3 million jobs lost in…
The International Federation of Journalists
(IFJ) joins the Pakistan
Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) in calling on Pakistan’s
Government and media owners to address the extreme dangers confronting media
workers in the country’s most troubled regions and towns, including the
Federally Administered Tribal Areas, the Swat
Valley, Baluchistan and Peshawar.
The PFUJ’s Biannual
Delegates Meeting in Faisalabad at the weekend included
a long session on the safety concerns of media personnel, which the PFUJ said
was now the priority issue for Pakistan’s
journalists’ community.
Journalists at the
meeting spoke of their fear of death…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) calls on
authorities in South Korea
to immediately release YTN union chairman Jong-Myun Roh, who has been detained for
10 days since being arrested ahead of strike action at the broadcaster.
Roh was
arrested on March 22, the day before YTN staff were due to take strike action
as part of their long campaign to secure guarantees of editorial independence
at the broadcaster. Three other union members arrested on the same day were
quickly released.
According
to the Journalists’ Association of Korea (JAK), an IFJ affiliate, Roh
was transferred yesterday to a detention facility near Seoul.
Roh is…
