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UK SECTION |
The AEJ is active across the continent
of Europe. Please visit its website, www.aej.org,
and check AEJ Newsletters
for information about what it is doing for its members |
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AEJ Media Freedom
Representative’s Report for the Ordu Congress 2010 By William Horsley,
AEJ Media Freedom Representative |
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AEJ campaigns – letters, website etc In the past year
the AEJ MFR has issued several statements in defence of media freedom: Belarus: A letter of
support for the Belarus Association of Journalists (BJA) was sent, protesting
against government failure to carry out credible investigation into the
suspicious death of journalist Aleh Byabenin. The AEJ earlier sent letters of
support to the BJA concerning deplorable and severe restrictions on media
independence. Israel: Isreal was
called on to honour press freedom standards after journalists aboard the aid
flotilla bound for Gaza were detained incommunicado and stopped from
reporting for some days after the seizure of the ships. Pakistan: A message
was sent as requested by the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists to support
our journalist colleagues there who have protested against violence,
harassment and the misuse of anti-terrorism laws and other state powers to
limit free expression and legitimate media scrutiny of public affairs. Romania: A statement of
concern that a proposed Romanian law on public broadcasting would be damaging
to standards of editorial independence was issued. Ukraine: Two special
reports by our new Ukrainian Section colleagues exposing serious violations
by political and business forces of legitimate MF standards were posted on
the website in the past year (see Survey) AEJ and World Press Freedom Day In all, 15 AEJ
sections staged or joined public debates, rallies or other events marking
World Press Freedom Day on or around 3 May 2010. Common themes included
protection from violence and abuses of state power, the importance of laws to
protect journalists’ confidential sources, the damaging impact of
anti-terrorism laws and the threat to media independence and professionalism
from commercial pressures in the age of internet. The UK Section was
involved in the first ever observance of a minute’s silence in honour
of journalists killed for their work around the world. It took place in the
BBC during a WPF Day event on 4 May. The AEJ urges all sections to take steps
to persuade leading news organisations everywhere to observe a minute’s
silence regularly in future years, as a focus for public attention on the
alarming increase in murders and attacks on journalists in many countries. In the past year, the AEJ has contributed directly to new initiatives
by the Council of Europe to reverse the erosion of media freedom and freedom
of expression across Europe. The AEJ can now influence European standards and
laws to protect the safety and independence of journalists. In particular: Council of Europe new media freedom database The AEJ worked
with the Council of Europe on the plan now agreed to set up a real-time
online database of serious violations of legitimate media freedom. AEJ
sections are invited to send in reports on authoritative and specific MF
violations for inclusion in the database. The Ordu Congress
was due to discuss the AEJ’s future input and contribution. The MFR
would advise all sections when more details are known about how the database
will work. It will be based on the CoE’s 27 Indicators
of Media in a Democracy. |
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Council of Europe guidelines on reviewing
anti-terrorism laws to conform with media freedom standards The AEJ
successfully tabled the amendment that led to European governments committing
themselves in 2009 to regular reviews of their anti-terrorism laws and
practices. On behalf of the AEJ, the MFR signed the Reykjavik Forum appeal by
40 leading NGOs and legal experts, calling for better protection for free
expression and free media in anti-terrorism laws, during the Council of
Europe Ministerial Conference in May 2009. Sections and
members can use relevant CoE texts as a source of detailed information on
this “hot” topic. They may also contribute directly to the
CoE’s ongoing debate on how to make the review system effective: please
contact me for details. The aim of those
reviews is to put a stop to laws and police behaviour which impede
journalists from doing their proper work of scrutinising governments and all
aspects of public life according to article 10 of the European Convention on
Human Rights AEJ and the Council of Europe Media Steering Committee
(CDMC) The AEJ has used its observer status on this CoE
Committee to influence Europe-wide guidelines also on: Internet –
issues of enhancing public service value, censorship and privacy Protection of
whistle-blowers Public service
media governance standards Wider stakeholder participation in the Media Steering Committee’s
work (public hearings etc) Multiple links with the Council of Europe on media
freedom and defence of independent journalism ·
The
MFR and Zdenko Duka (Croatia) took part by invitation in CoE events as part
of the CoE’s Campaign against Discrimination in the Media during 2009. ·
The
MFR talked to judges and officials of the European Court of Human Rights at a
seminar on journalists’ concerns about article 10 media freedom cases
and the Court’s media relations policies on I October 2010. The MFR was due to
brief the CoE’s Commissioner on Human Rights in late November 2010 on
AEJ concerns and priorities in the MF area, and make recommendations for the
future work of the HR Commissioner, by invitation. Conclusion The AEJ regained its observer status in the Council of Europe in
2007. Since then the MFR has been active in the CMDC, arguing forcefully for
measures to uphold media independence and freedom from many threats, above
all the misuse of state power. Since 2007, the AEJ has also had a significant
impact through the series of Media Freedom Surveys and other activities. I hope that many sections and members will take part in these various
attempts to protect media freedom under threat through the CoE and other international
organisations – especially the CoE database and related campaigns which
will start early in 2011. We can make a difference! William Horsley November 2010 Contact: wh@williamhorsley.com Tel +447711 912499 (London) |
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