14 Feb 2013

UN / PROTECTION OF JOURNALISTS

An unprecedented rise in the number of journalists killed and imprisoned in the past year coupled with restrictive legislation and state censorship is jeopardizing independent reporting in many countries says a report released today by the Committee to Protect Journalists at the United Nations in New York. UNTV

Posted at: February 14, 2013 6:40 pm

Duration: 02:30

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TORY: UN / PROTECTION OF JOURNALISTS
TRT: 2.30
SOURCE: UNTV
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
 
DATELINE: 14 FEBRUARY 2013, NEW YORK CITY/ FILE

SHOTLIST:

FILE – 2011, UNITED NATIONS HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK

1. Wide shot, United Nations  Headquarters

14 FEBRUARY 2013, NEW YORK CITY

2. Wide shot, podium
3. Wide shot, reporters
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Rob Mahoney, Deputy Director, Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ):
"Some of the trends that we've noticed in these places is a high murder rate and entrenched impunity in the killing of journalists in countries like Pakistan, Somalia and, surprisingly, Brazil. On the use of restrictive laws to silence the dissent you can see it in Turkey, Ecuador and Russia."
5. Med shot, reporter
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Rob Mahoney, Deputy Director, Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ):
"Conflict is not accounted for most journalists deaths. I think it is about 28 percent of deaths. In fact, the biggest single factor behind the journalists deaths is murder, they are targeted. Journalists who are covering such things as corruption and politics, which annoy powerful people, have been murdered.  This  year we've seen 12 deaths in Somalia,  which is the second deadliest country for journalists in 2012 and not a single journalist murder has been prosecuted or investigated successfully in that country."
7. Wide shot, reporters and podium
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Rob Mahoney, Deputy Director, Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ):
"We think that it is absolutely essential that internet be kept free and open as a platform for journalism. Here is always more that any government can do, but, I believe, that we need the support of all Western governments and we need to keep them on their toes to make sure that they do speak up when there are press freedom violations and we are seek active engagement with the Obama's administration, with the new Secretary of State to make sure that our concerns about press freedom are central to US policy in the overseas countries."
9. Wide shot, reporters
10. SOUNDBITE (English) Rob Mahoney, Deputy Director, Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ);
"We hope that the fourth wave of legal reforms, that are planned, are applied and these old laws – some of which go back to Ataturk time - are reformed. That's the problem, because when you have an overzealous prosecutor or when you have the government, that  wants to silence a particular measure,  has an arsenal of these laws, it can call any act of journalism  criminal – that's is the problem, that's why Turkey needs to reform."
11. Med shot, photographer
12. Wide shot, podium

STORYLINE

The annual report 'Attacks on the Press', launched today (14 February)  by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) in New York , calls  the year 2012 "a sad year for press freedom", because of an unprecedented rise in the number of journalists killed and imprisoned. CPJ research shows that at least 232 journalists were in jail, 53 more than in previous year, and the highest since the organisation began the survey in 1990.

Presenting the report at the United Nations in New York, the Deputy Director of the CPJ Rob Mahoney said that seventy journalists lost their lives in the line of duty in 2012, a 42 per cent increase from 2011. More than 35 journalists have gone missing.

At the same time Mahoney underlined that war conflicts did not account for most journalist deaths.  He told reporters that the "biggest single factor behind the journalist deaths is murder", because "journalists, who are covering such things as corruption and politics, annoy powerful people". Mahoney pointed out to the situation in Somalia where during last year 12 journalists were murdered and "not a single journalist murder was prosecuted or investigated successfully."

He noted the use of restrictive laws to silence dissent in Turkey, Ecuador and Russia, as well as the imprisonment of large number of journalists, typically on anti-state charges, to threat critical reporting in Ethiopia, Vietnam, Iran, Syria, and Turkey.

Asked by reporters about the CPJ's efforts to ease the press freedom crisis in Turkey, Mahoney expressed hope that "the fourth wave of legal reforms, that are planned, are applied and these old laws – some of which go back to Ataturk time - are reformed." He stressed that "when you have an overzealous prosecutor or when you have the government, that  wants to silence a particular measure,  has an arsenal of these laws, it can call any act of journalism  criminal – that's is the problem, that's why Turkey needs to reform."

Asked about the United States Administration attitude on the issue of press freedom, Mahoney told reporters that CPJ welcomed the former Secretary of State Clinton's pronouncement on internet freedom, adding that "it is absolutely essential that internet be kept free and open as a platform for journalism". He said that "we need the support of all Western governments and we need to keep them on their toes to make sure that they do speak up when there are press freedom violations". He also underlined the efforts of CPJ to seek active engagement with the Obama's administration "to make sure that our concerns about press freedom are central to US policy in the overseas countries."

First published in 1986, 'Attacks on the Press', is the annual assessment of the state of press freedom worldwide. The 2013 edition features up-to-the minute analyse by CPJ and global experts on media conditions, press freedom violations, and emerging threats in every corner of the world, in close to 60 countries.

The UN Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity, led by UNESCO, was endorsed last year. The Plan of Action aims toward the creation of a free and safe environment for journalists and media workers in both conflict and non-conflict situations, with a view to strengthening peace, democracy and development worldwide.