AIB and many major news organisations express solidarity with Gaza journalists

AIB and many major news organisations express solidarity with Gaza journalists

4 March 2024

AIB and many major news organisations express solidarity with Gaza journalists

Dozens of news organisation leaders from across the world, including the Association for International Broadcasting, Associated Press, Agence France-Presse, and Reuters, have joined an open letter (full text below) affirming their solidarity with journalists reporting in Gaza.

The letter, coordinated by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) with the support of the World Association of News Publishers (WAN-IFRA), demonstrates strong and unified support for colleagues reporting from Gaza in the deadliest conflict for journalists ever documented by CPJ.

“For nearly five months, journalists and media workers in Gaza – overwhelmingly, the sole source of on-the-ground reporting from within the Palestinian territory – have been working in unprecedented conditions,” the letter reads. “…These journalists – on whom the international news media and the international community rely for information about the situation inside Gaza – continue to report despite grave personal risk.”

The letter goes on to remind the international community that journalists are civilians and authorities must protect journalists as noncombatants according to international law.

A total of at least 94 journalists have been killed in the Israel-Gaza war; the majority of them (89) were Palestinians killed by the Israeli military.

The signatories include outlets from Estonia, France, Germany, Ireland, Israel, India, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Lebanon, Mexico, Pakistan, the Philippines, Qatar, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Additional signatories are welcome. Please contact letter@cpj.org to add your news organisation, including name of signatory, title, and name of organisation.

Open letter on journalists in Gaza

We, the undersigned, stand united with Palestinian journalists in their call for safety, protection, and the freedom to report.

For nearly five months, journalists and media workers in Gaza – overwhelmingly, the sole source of on-the-ground reporting from within the Palestinian territory – have been working in unprecedented conditions: at least 89 have been killed in the war, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, more journalists than have ever been killed in a single country over an entire year.

These journalists – on whom the international news media and the international community rely  for information about the situation inside Gaza – continue to report despite grave personal risk. They continue despite the loss of family, friends, and colleagues, the destruction of homes and offices, constant displacement, communications blackouts, and shortages of food and fuel.

Journalists are civilians and Israeli authorities must protect journalists as noncombatants according to international law. Those responsible for any violations of that longstanding protection should be held accountable. Attacks on journalists are also attacks on truth. We commit to championing the safety of journalists in Gaza, which is fundamental for the protection of press freedom everywhere.

Signatories 

  1. Kim Godwin, President, ABC NEWS
  2. Phil Chetwynd, Global News Director, Agence France-Presse
  3. Hossam Kanafani, Editor in Chief, Al-Araby Al-Jadeed
  4. Nora Younis, Founder and Editor-in-Chief, Al-Manassa, Egypt
  5. Alaa al Ghatrevy, Editor in Chief, Al Masry Al Youm, Egypt
  6. Ghassan Hajjar, Managing Editor, An-Nahar, Lebanon
  7. Rawan Damen, Director General, ARIJ (Arab Reporters for Investigative Journalism)
  8. Shiro Nakamura, President, The Asahi Shimbun, Japan
  9. Nicole Dungca, President, Asian American Journalists Association, United States
  10. Julie Pace, Executive Editor, Associated Press
  11. Simon Spanswick, Chief Executive, Association for International Broadcasters
  12. Deborah Turness, CEO, BBC News
  13. Hikmet Adal, Editor, Bianet, Turkey
  14.  Ingrid Ciprián-Matthews, President, CBS News
  15. Mark Thompson, Chairman and CEO, CNN Worldwide
  16. Daoud Kuttab, Director General, Community Media Network, Jordan
  17. Branko Brkic, Editor in Chief, Daily Maverick, South Africa
  18. Alia Ibrahim, Co-founder and CEO, Daraj, Lebanon
  19. Dirk Kurbjuweit, Editor in Chief, Der Spiegel, Germany
  20. Barbara Junge, Editor in Chief, Die Tageszeitung, Germany
  21. Ulrike Winkelmann, Editor in Chief, Die Tageszeitung, Germany
  22. Khaled Elbalshy, President, Egyptian Journalists Syndicate
  23. Mohamed Saad Abdel Hafiz, Egyptian Journalists Syndicate / Managing Editor, Al-Shorouk, Egypt
  24. Patrick Mayoyo, Director Editorial Innovations, Eyewitness Africa, Kenya
  25. Roula Khalaf, Editor, Financial Times, UK
  26. Giuseppe Di Maula, Editor in Chief, FotosIntensi, Italy
  27. Laurie Hays, Editor in Chief/CEO, The Fuller Project
  28. Katharine Viner, Editor in Chief, The Guardian
  29. Aluf Benn, Editor in Chief, Haaretz
  30. Geordie Grieg, Editor in Chief, The Independent
  31. Sandy Prieto-Romualdez, Chairperson, Inquirer Group of Companies, Philippines
  32. Deirdre Veldon, Managing Director, former Deputy Editor, The Irish Times, Ireland
  33. Rachel Corp, Chief Executive, ITN, UK
  34. Andrew Dagnell, Editor, ITV News, UK
  35. Amir Rotem, Editor in Chief, Local Call
  36. Terry Tang, Interim Executive Editor, Los Angeles Times
  37. Mohammed Al-Fazari, CEO and Editor in Chief, Muwatin Media Network
  38. Rameeza Nizami, Managing Director, Nawaiwaqt Group, Pakistan
  39. Pamella Sittoni, Group Managing Editor, Nation Media Group, Kenya
  40. Yvette Cabrera, President, National Association of Hispanic Journalists, United States
  41. Rebecca Blumenstein, President, Editorial, NBC News
  42. David Remnick, Editor, The New Yorker
  43. AG Sulzberger, Publisher, The New York Times
  44. Edith Chapin, SVP & Editor in Chief, NPR, United States
  45. Martha Ramos, President, World Editors Forum / Chief Editorial Officer, Organización Editorial Mexicana, Mexico
  46. Amalie Kestler, Managing Editor in Chief, Politiken, Denmark
  47. Hans Väre, Editor in Chief, Postimees Grupp, Estonia
  48. Alan Rusbridger, Editor, Prospect magazine, UK
  49. Lara Bitar, Editor in Chief, The Public Source, Lebanon
  50. Ritu Kapur, CEO, The Quint, India
  51. Maria Ressa, CEO and Co-Founder, Rappler, Philippines
  52. Alessandra Galloni, Editor in Chief, Reuters, UK
  53. Ayman Mhanna, Executive Director, Samir Kassir Foundation, Lebanon
  54. Kamal Siriwardana, Editor in Chief, SMN24Media, Sri Lanka
  55. Nwabisa Makunga, Editor in Chief, The Sowetan, South Africa
  56. Esther Ng, Chief Content Officer, Star Media Group Berhad, Malaysia
  57. Wolfgang Krach, Editor in Chief, Süddeutsche Zeitung, Germany
  58. Wafaa Haidar, Director, Tele Liban, Lebanon
  59. Anne Marie Owens, Editor in Chief, Toronto Star, Canada
  60. Lyas Hallas, Co-founder/CEO, Twala, Algeria
  61. Fernando Belzunce, Editorial Director, Vocento, Spain
  62. Assaad Maroun, Chairman / General Manager, Voice of Lebanon
  63. Sally Buzbee, Executive Editor, The Washington Post
  64. Vincent Peyrègne, CEO, World Association of News Publishers (WAN-IFRA)
  65. Ghousoon Bisharat, Editor in Chief, +972 Magazine
  66. Nancy Prager-Kamel, Chairperson, Association of Foreign Press Correspondents, United States
  67. Julia Montfort, Editor in Chief, Guiti News, France
  68. Elena Cosentino, Director, International News Safety Institute, UK
  69. Ebele Okobi, CEO, The New Humanitarian
  70. Laurent Richard, Founder and Executive Founder, Forbidden Stories, France
  71. Marc Saikali, Chairman, Ici Beyrouth and This is Beirut, Lebanon
  72. Maha Al Bahnasawi, Managing Director, ONA Media Services, Egypt
34 rights groups demand independent investigation into the killing of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh

34 rights groups demand independent investigation into the killing of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh

26 May 2022

34 rights groups demand independent investigation into the killing of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh

The AIB has joined a coalition of 34 press freedom and human rights groups calling for an immediate and independent investigation into the killing of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh on May 11.

This is the full statement:

We, the undersigned organisations, call for an immediate, thorough, and independent investigation into the killing of veteran Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh in an attack in the West Bank on May 11 that also left another journalist wounded. We demand that the government of Israel and all other states fulfil their responsibility to ensure that crimes against journalists are fully investigated and prosecuted.

The killing of Abu Akleh, one of Palestine’s most widely respected journalists who had reported from the West Bank for decades, has shocked many in the region and around the world. According to Al Jazeera, Abu Akleh and three other journalists came under fire from Israeli soldiers while reporting on an Israeli military raid of a refugee camp in the city of Jenin on the West Bank. The reporters were wearing vests and helmets, clearly marked as “press.” Abu Akleh was shot in the face and Al Jazeera producer Ali Al-Samoudi was shot in the back. Al-Samoudi was treated for gunshot wounds and released from the hospital.

Eyewitness accounts, video documentation and media reports indicating that these journalists may have been deliberately targeted by Israeli soldiers have made this case all the more alarming. An analysis by independent investigative teams with Bellingcat concluded that the gunfire came from Israeli soldiers and that the shots seem to have been “both aimed and deliberate.”

We call attention to this latest case as one of a wider pattern of violence against journalists and media workers in Palestine. At least 23 journalists in Palestine have been killed since 2002, according to UNESCO data, and hundreds have been injured by or targeted with violence.

In May 2021, Israeli forces bombed the media offices of the Associated Press and Al Jazeera in Gaza Strip. That same month, an Israeli airstrike killed Voice of Al-Aqsa reporter Yousef Abu Hussein in his home. In 2018, Palestinian journalists Yaser Murtaja and Ahmed Abu Hussein were also killed while covering the Gaza border protests. Advocacy groups, including the International Federation of Journalists, have cited these cases in a recent submission to the International Criminal Court on the “systematic targeting of journalists” in the occupied Palestinian territory.

The duty to investigate: Ending impunity for crimes against journalists

States have a duty to investigate attacks on journalists promptly, thoroughly, and independently, and to prosecute those responsible. This obligation is well established in international and regional human rights instruments, as well as in numerous UN protocols and resolutions, requiring states to provide effective remedy for human rights abuses.

Israel is among the many states around the world that are failing to meet this obligation. A vast majority of murders of journalists go unresolved, which has fueled a culture of rampant impunity for violence and crimes against the press on a global level.

The obligation to investigate crimes against journalists does not disappear in a conflict zone. On the contrary, authorities are legally bound under international law and international humanitarian law to ensure the safety of journalists and media workers in situations of conflict. Moreover, a deliberate attack on a journalist during a situation of armed conflict constitutes a war crime.

The killing of Shireen Abu Akleh represents a particularly egregious attack on the press, not least because of credible reports that Abu Akleh and other journalists were intentionally targeted by Israeli forces, but also in light of growing concerns over impunity for crimes against journalists and other grave human rights abuses by Israel in the occupied Palestine territory. The Israeli government’s recent announcement that it will not investigate this killing only adds to these concerns.

We, the undersigned organisations, demand concrete action by states and other duty bearers, including international governmental organisations (IGOs) with a specific mandate in this area, to fulfil their duty to protect the safety of journalists and to ensure that attacks against the press are not carried out with impunity. 

We call for:

• The government of Israel to uphold its international obligations to conduct a thorough, transparent, and independent investigation into the killing of Shireen Abu Akleh and to prosecute those responsible. This investigation must include the full involvement of independent international experts or observers and must follow UN protocols for conducting investigations into human rights abuses.

• In parallel, an international task force to investigate this attack and to ensure credibility and impartiality of procedures and outcomes. Ideally, such a task force would be led by UN special rapporteurs with mandates that include oversight over issues related to the safety of journalists or human rights abuses. This follows the precedent set by the investigation into the killing of Jamal Khashoggi initiated by Dr. Agnes Callamard, former UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions in 2019. This investigation must include the full involvement of independent international experts, as well as participation and input by journalists and civil society.

• In the absence of an independent and impartial investigation by the government of Israel, the International Criminal Court (ICC) to conduct an investigation into the circumstances of Abu Akleh’s killing and the attack on Abu Akleh and her colleagues to determine if this incident amounts to a war crime under the Rome Statute of the ICC.

• Governments, particularly allies of Israel, to hold Israel accountable to its international obligations to protect the safety of the press and for ending impunity for crimes against journalists in Palestine. Governments must also urge Israel to fully cooperate with any international inquiries into this crime as well as with other investigations into human rights abuses by Israeli forces in the occupied Palestinian territories.

• Governments to take clear measures to end impunity for crimes against journalists at the global and local levels, including through multilateral institutions and coalitions. This includes prioritising support for the creation of a standing, international multi-stakeholder task force to investigate threats and crimes against journalists, involving the participation of UN special rapporteurs, civil society, media and journalists worldwide.

 

Signatories: 

  • Article 19
  • Association for International Broadcasting
  • 7amleh – The Arab Center for the Advancement of Social Media
  • Afghanistan Journalists Center (AFJC)
  • Bahrain Center for Human Rights
  • Cartoonists Rights Network International (CRNI)
  • Cambodian Center for Human Rights
  • Center for Media Studies and Peacebuilding (CEMESP-Liberia)
  • Centre for Independent Journalism, Malaysia (CIJ)
  • Child Rights International Network (CRIN)
  • Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ)
  • Freedom of Expression Institute (FXI)
  • Globe International Center
  • Gulf Centre for Human Rights (GCHR)
  • I’lam Media Centre
  • Independent Journalism Center Moldova (IJC)
  • Index on Censorship
  • International Federation of Journalists (IFJ)
  • International Press Institute (IPI)
  • Maharat Foundation – Lebanon
  • Media Action Nepal
  • Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA)
  • Media Watch Bangladesh
  • Mediacentar Sarajevo
  • Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF)
  • PEN Canada
  • PEN International
  • PEN Norway
  • Public Media Alliance
  • SEENPM
  • South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO)
  • Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression- SCM
  • World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters (AMARC)
  • World Association of News Publishers (WAN-IFRA)

Image: Palestinians walk in front of a mural for Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh in the West Bank city of Bethlehem, 16 May 2022. Abu Akleh was killed on May 11 2022 during a raid by Israeli forces in the West Bank town of Jenin. EPA-EFE/ABED AL HASHLAMOUN via IPI

AIB condemns attack on Kyiv TV tower

AIB condemns attack on Kyiv TV tower

2 March 2022

AIB condemns attack on Kyiv TV tower

The AIB condemns the attack by Russia on the TV tower in Kyiv on Tuesday 1 March.

The tower is located at Babyn Yar, site of the murder in 1941 of more than 33,000 Jews in 48 hours. It is understood that the Babyn Yar Memorial sustained damage in the attack.

This appears to be an attempt to prevent Ukrainian citizens – men, women and children – having access to critical news and information at a time when their lives are in mortal danger.

It is essential that media organisations in Ukraine are able to report on the situation and the AIB calls on Russia to guarantee the safety and security of all journalists and colleagues in media organisations in Ukraine.

The AIB is also concerned by actions taken within Russia to restrict access to Ekho Moskvy radio and Dozhd TV whose news and information services have been essential for Russian citizens. The AIB is worried that the chief editor and other staff of Dozhd TV feel the need to leave Russia over fears for their safety.

The AIB stands in solidarity with all journalists and media colleagues who are bringing essential news and information from Ukraine to audiences in the country and around the world. It is essential that they are allowed to work unhindered and without threat to them and their families.

​

AIB launches survey on IoT and journalism

AIB launches survey on IoT and journalism

1 March 2022

AIB launches survey on IoT and journalism

Anjuli Shere, AIB research analyst and cyber security PhD student at the University of Oxford, and pre-doctoral fellow at Harvard’s Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy, is undertaking a major piece of research that to help members of the media understand and counter threats to journalism from novel networked devices, known as the Internet of Things.

This research is necessary because journalists face many threats – from physical attacks while covering protests and riots, to laws citing national security justifications that encroach on source protections, and increasingly, technologies such as spyware. All of these threats can be facilitated and exacerbated by the so-called “consumer Internet of Things” (the IoT): a variety of common networked devices that include gaming systems, smart cars and fitness trackers. While there has been a lot of reporting on the topic of spyware, there is relatively little awareness of the dangers that the IoT poses to journalists and press freedom generally. Like spyware, IoT can monitor messages, location information and daily actions. Unlike spyware, the IoT can also facilitate cyber-physical threats. In an article for The Journalist’s Resource, Anjuli Shere discussed the issues with ubiquitous and designed-for-subtly IoT technologies being effectively an “unknown unknown”.

The AIB has now invited representatives of its Member organisations around the world to take part in the survey, and this is being widened to the whole broadcast news media. 

This survey is intended to evaluate a framework that Anjuli has developed which labels and categorises these threats to journalists and possible countermeasures, to assess if and how these can be useful for journalist risk assessment and management. The survey will cover basic biographical information to establish relevant expertise and experience in the media, as well as questions to collect thoughts on Anjuli’s research. It will take approximately 45 minutes to complete, with a deadline of 1st April 2022.

While the ways in which journalists defend themselves against threats regarding smartphones and laptops are known and documented, Anjuli is researching the impact of novel networked technologies (known as the Internet of Things) on journalism. Anjuli’s goal is to determine which factors (e.g. aspects of logistics, preparation, personnel, etc.) might be sources of best practice and effective for cyber protection for the journalistic ecosystem in the future. It is hoped that this research will be an important step towards protecting media freedom in a world with a rapidly evolving attack environment.

This research study has been approved by The University of Oxford’s Central Ethics Committee (reference: CS_C1A_021_027), and contributes to Anjuli’s doctoral research. 

If you are interested in joining this important research project, please contact the AIB Secretariat on +44 20 7993 2557 or email register [@] aib.org.uk. 

 

AIB joins media organisations and NGOs to call on G7 for urgent, immediate support to Afghan journalists

AIB joins media organisations and NGOs to call on G7 for urgent, immediate support to Afghan journalists

23 August 2021

AIB joins media organisations and NGOs to call on G7 for urgent, immediate support to Afghan journalists

The Association for International Broadcasting [AIB] has joined with 50 NGOs, civil society organisations and media support organisations across the world in calling for the G7 and members of the Media Freedom Coalition to take urgent and immediate action to support Afghan journalists.

“The AIB is committed to supporting those in Afghanistan who have supported freedom of expression,” says AIB chief executive Simon Spanswick. “Many hundreds of journalists and support workers have been involved in telling stories about the country to audiences in and beyond Afghanistan over the past 20 years. Many have worked with international news organisations, including AIB Members, to ensure the free flow of news. Now is their time of need and the international community needs to support everyone who needs and who seeks safe refuge outside the country.”

The recommendations, which are being shared with the Group of Seven countries ahead of their planned G7 meeting on Afghanistan on 24 August, also stress the importance of safe passage to exit routes out of Afghanistan and securing channels for money to flow into Afghanistan.

The AIB is working with a number of its Members to secure safe passage from the country for those who have contributed to the success of media within Afghanistan and to reporting the country to the world.

For more information on the call to the G7 and Media Freedom Coalition, or for assistance for those needing to leave the country, contact Simon Spanswick at the AIB Secretariat in the UK – telephone +44 20 7993 2557.