Online Forum To Share Experience On Safety Of Journalists Who Report Conflicts, Disasters

  

From MOKHTAR HUSSAIN

MANILA (NNN-Bernama) -- A group of journalists from the Asia Pacific region have agreed to establish an online forum called the Manila Club to share information and experiences on safety of reporters who report conflicts and emergencies.

The journalists from Australia, China, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, South Korea and Thailand had expressed concern about the protection of reporters working in hostile environments such as armed conflicts and disasters.

The Manila Club forum was also aimed to promote the principles of international humanitarian law in reporting violence and emergencies, said Veronica Pedrosa of Al Jazeera when reading out the Manila Declaration adopted at the end of the Regional Media Conference on Challenges of Reporting on Violence and Emergencies here today.

The conference was hosted by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

Among others, they encouraged collaboration between media, humanitarian and other organisations for better access and understanding of conflicts and violence and disaster situations to give voice to the most vulnerable, during such conflicts.

The group also urged media organisations to have a safety code for journalists, especially for those who have little experience in conflict zones.

ICRC Philippines head of delegation Jean-Daniel Tauxe said during the conference that the media in the Asia Pacific nations represent a growing source of influence worldwide which could influence decision-makers in their respective countries.

ICRC is an independent organisation whose mission is to protect the lives and dignity of persons affected by armed conflict, as well as during complex emergencies involving both natural disaster and violence.

Peter Cave, Foreign Affairs Editor of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), said all media staff must be given appropriate hostile environment and risk awareness training before they were assigned to danger zones.

Cave who had reported from more than 60 countries during his 40-year career, said employers should provide efficient safety equipment such as flak vest as well as medical and health safeguards to journalists covering dangerous assignments.

He said such journalists should also be appropriately insured prior to their assignment and counseling be provided to those involved in coverage of traumatic events.

Hidetoshi Fujisawa of NHK Japan said it was a concern among Japanese media on the safety of their journalists covering areas affected by nuclear radiation following the recent tsunami.

He said journalists have been informed on areas affected with radiation and they would be instructed to stop coverage and retreat to safer place if radiation level at certain places increased.

BernamaTV cameraman Noramfaizul Mohd Nor was Malaysia’s first pressman to have been killed on duty overseas while covering a humanitarian mission to Somalia last month.--NNN-BERNAMA