Live News - A Survival Guide - International Federation of Journalists

CHAPTER 7Fighting back: What the IFJ and journalists’organisations can doNepal journalistsrely on unityTraining was delivered inNepal to help journalists whohave been facing a state ofemergency since November2001.More than 150 journalistshave been arrested and manyhave been tortured orphysically abused. Journalistshave also been targeted byMaoist rebels. Three werekilled in 2002.The struggle against bothlegal and brutal censorshiphas been spearheaded by theFederation of NepaleseJournalists (FNL) through aunified front of all journalists’organisations. Strikes anddemonstrations have beenjointly organised and dialogueopened with the Governmenton press freedom andjournalists’ rights, thanks tothis unity.FIRST COURSE IN 24 YEARSAS A JOURNALIST“I have been a journalist for 24years. For the past two years Ihave been working as an NGO.During those two years I haveattended 12 seminars. In my 24years as a journalist, this is thefirst course I have attendedspecifically for journalists. In thepast we have been ignored.”Samiullah Taza, who works foran Afghan weekly newspaperby outsiders, so it is important to present facts accurately.The IFJ Action Plan is divided into a graduated series of responses,starting with behind the scenes contact within the country.This is, in the first place, carried out by a union or association withinthe country. This can be followed up with non-public contactand pressure at an international level, for example by involving theIFJ officially, in a non-public manner. This can escalate into a formalprotest, still without publicity. Where this is not working, or isnot appropriate because of the seriousness of the case, publicprotests are made by the IFJ and other press freedom groups.Where there is a consistent disregard of press freedom or threatsagainst journalists, the IFJ often carries out fact finding missions,bringing in outside representatives to take evidence from thosewithin the country and to publish a report.In the most serious cases, the IFJ tries to co-ordinate diplomaticaction by, for example, the European Union, the Council of Europeor other appropriate bodies.The IFJ provides member unions with the addresses of otheraffiliates and organisations which can help, and supplies examplesof letters that can be sent. The IFJ Safety Fund is available to provideassistance to journalists who are prevented, either technicallyor physically, from carrying out their normal professional workand who are threatened by, or suffer from, official action onaccount of their professional journalism.Safety training for in-country journalistsThe IFJ plays a leading role, in partnership with a variety of organisations,in providing hands-on training for in-country journalistswho do not have access to the safety training routinely offered tointernational war reporters. The training includes shorter courseswhich can be repeated over several days, so reaching as many journalistsas possible. The courses can be adapted to address specificproblems in covering each conflict.The first IFJ course was held in Ohrid, Macedonia, in September2000 for 23 journalists in the region. It was organised with theMacedonia Press Centre with funding from the Council of Europe.A second workshop, supported by the Council of Europe and theFreedom Forum, was jointly organised with the Centre forIndependent Journalism in Bucharest, Romania, in March 2001, forjournalists from Bulgaria, Hungary, Moldava, the Federal Republicof Yugoslavia and Romania. The three-day training course covered102