Journalism in the Shadow of Terror: May 3rd 2011
This year the IFJ marks the 10th anniversary of the September 11th attacks, the worst acts of terrorism in recent history, by launching a major campaign to focus on the legacy of those terrible events – Journalism in the Shadow of Terror.’
This will be our focus on World Press Freedom Day 2011 and we ask you to join us and to ensure that, whatever else you may be planning for our annual celebration of press freedom, we all speak together in calling for a reversal of the tide of legal and official intimidation of journalism and attacks on civil liberties that has followed the events of 2001.
We also draw your attention to the decision of the IFJ and the EFJ to organise a global conference on Journalism and Terrorism on the tenth anniversary of the September 11th attacks on the New York and Washington.
The conference will take place in Brussels 10/11th September and will focus on the following key themes:
· A review of the restrictive laws in the wake of September 11th that have attacked civil liberties and reduced rights of journalists. These include laws further restricting the movement of journalists and the rights of media to investigate public authorities and to report and publish freely.
· The weakening of freedom of information laws that guarantee the right of access to official information and the introduction of numerous bureaucratic obstacles to the people’s right to know;
· A fresh debate on the new information landscape and how governments are responding to the challenge of groups such as WikiLeaks in exposing government secrets and the impact this has on journalism
· The identification of all laws that criminalise journalism and that have been reinforced in this period of political attacks on civil liberties, including defamation of governments, institutions and religions
· A manifesto for change that will create the conditions for ethical journalism, the free movement of reporters and enhance the status of journalists and their professionals cards
· The safety of journalists and how to challenge the targeting and intimidation of media by terrorists, political extremists and para-military groups
· The challenge of racism and intolerance which has been exacerbated by the “war on terror” and which has been used by unscrupulous politicians to exploit public anxiety over security by fomenting distrust of immigrants, asylum seekers and minority groups.
The conference will issue a new review of the security legislation its impact on the work of journalists which will be produced jointly with Statewatch, the European Civil Liberties Campaign organization with whom the IFJ prepared the 2005 report ‘Journalism, Civil Liberties and the War on Terrorism.’
A more detailed programme and information on how to register for the event will be developed in the coming weeks. Meanwhile, we attach a background paper outlining the IFJ’s approach to World Press Freedom Day and the tenth anniversary of September 11th.
We ask you to take these messages and put them into your own national context and ensure that they feature in your activities and interventions this year.
The IFJ will never tolerate or excuse the use of senseless violence and attacks on innocent civilians. We have persistently condemned all forms of terrorism and we will continue to do so.
But we have endured a dark decade in which our members have been among the prominent victims of a widespread assault on the democratic rights of all citizens. We hope that you will join us in calling for action now to turn the tide and to urge governments everywhere to repeal unjust laws, to support press freedom and, in the process, to revive public attachment to and respect for human rights and democracy.
Kind Regards
AIDAN WHITE
IFJ General Secretary
Journalism in the Shadow of Terror: May 3rd 2011
2011 marks the 10th anniversary of the September 11 attacks on New York and Washington, when almost 3.000 people were killed in spectacular and horrifying acts of terrorism involving hijacked planes and high profile strikes at the political and business community of the United States.
But the victims were not high-flying politicians or tycoons. Most of them were ordinary people, some of them migrants or worshippers of Islam in whose name the terrorists acted.
The strikes unleashed a decade of conflict and tragedy across the globe. Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan; fresh terrorist strikes in great Britain, Spain, Indonesia and Turkey; state-sanctioned torture in the name of democracy; and a range of unprecedented laws and policies that have enfeebled civil liberties and human rights protection everywhere.
This has been a dark decade particularly for journalists and media staff who have been among the most prominent victims.
On May 3rd 2011 the IFJ has decided to focus on the legacy of the so-called “war on terror” and its impact on journalists and their work.
This continuing and disturbing global strategy of governments has made journalism more dangerous and has provided the rationale for the introductions of restrictive new laws that undermine the people’s right to know and that encourage discord between faiths and communities.
In the name of counter-terrorism governments have introduced laws, forms of surveillance and monitoring of peoples’ lives that are self-serving and increase the power of the state.
Journalists have been subject to restrictions on their freedom of movement. Spies have infiltrated newsrooms. Telephones have been tapped. Prosecutions have been launched to discover sources of information.
In every corner of the world journalism has been diminished by the shadow of terrorism. Unscrupulous politicians have taken advantage of public anxiety to constrain free reporting and to discipline dissent.
At the same time there have been numerous incidents of secret governmental co-operation to increase covert surveillance of citizens travelling from country to country and, worse, to sanction and condone the detention and torture of people alleged to be implicated in terrorist activities.
There have been military attacks on broadcasting institutions and media allegedly linked to violent political groups. Journalists have been killed because of their association with legitimate media because of political bias against such media. There have been arbitrary bannings of broadcast networks.
On May 3rd 2011, World Press Freedom Day, the IFJ and its member unions will highlight this crisis for free speech and for press freedom.
Member unions around the world and our regional groups will put a spotlight on the laws and policies that are being used to undermine journalists’ rights and civil liberties.
On this day we call for:
· A review of all laws covering matters of national security and public welfare that restrict the movement of journalists and the rights of media to investigate public authorities and to report and publish freely;
· The introduction of freedom of information laws that guarantee citizens the right of access to official information;
· The elimination of all laws that criminalise acts of journalism, including defamation of institutions and religions;
· Official recognition of professional accreditation issued by independent journalists’ groups, including the International Press Card of the IFJ;
The IFJ announces the organisation, on the 10th anniversary of the September 11th attacks, of a world conference in Brussels to analyse the self-inflicted crisis for democracy and free speech caused by the global “war on terror.”
The IFJ condemns unequivocally all acts of terror, violence and intimidation directed against unarmed and innocent civilians. We join with other unions, journalism groups and human rights defenders in calling for action to isolate terrorists and their supporters and, within the general law, to bring those guilty of violence and intimidation to justice.
But as we make this call, we reaffirm our commitment to democracy and respect for human rights and we call for action at all levels of government to restore public confidence in transparent governance, press freedom and ethical journalism that are essential for democracy to function.
With our best regards,
Christiane DENIS
International Federation of Journalists
Head of Administration
Phone: +32 2 235 22 09
Fax: +32 2 235 22 19
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