The World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) has called for concerted global effort to end impunity for the killers of journalists and provide greater protections for media working in conflict areas.
This was issued in a resolution on the safety of journalists in conflict areas by the Board of WAN-IFRA in the wake of the widely reported murders of two photojournalists in the Middle East.
The recent murders of American photojournalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff have added up to a total of 40 journalists killed so far this year. The WAN-IFRA Board noted that at least 980 journalists have been murdered in the past decade, and that in the vast majority of cases their killers go unpunished. “The targeting of journalists represents a serious threat to maintaining free, independent media. Stronger protections, more resources and better practices are needed to prioritise safety,” said the Board of WAN-IFRA.
The resolution on the safety of journalists in conflict areas calls for greater focus on the issue of impunity, for better support to governments seeking to revise legislation to combat crimes against the media, and greater assistance to news organisations in implementing mechanisms designed to protect journalists’ safety.
The full resolution can be read at http://www.wan-ifra.org/node/118991/
They also issued resolutions condemning new anti-terrorism legislation in Australia that endangers the work of journalists, and Venezuelan government actions that are strangling the independent press.
WAN-IFRA is the global organisation of the world’s newspapers and news publishers with offices in Paris, France, and Frankfurt, Germany, with subsidiaries in Singapore and India, Its core mission is to defend and promote press freedom, quality journalism and editorial integrity and the development of prosperous businesses. It represents more than 18,000 publications, 15,000 online sites and over 3,000 companies in more than 120 countries.
