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Association of European Journalists |
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UK Section |
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WPF Day |
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WPFD events staged by AEJ
sections across Europe |
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World Press Freedom Day The AEJ is part of the UK Press Freedom Network of 20 journalistic and human rights bodies. Each year it supports the UNESCO UK National Commission by staging a public debate to mark World Press Freedom Day on 3 May. In 2008, the topic for debate was "New Media is Killing Journalism". It was held at the Frontline Club on 2 May. Andrew Keen and Kim Fletcher spoke for the motion, and Robin Lustig and Nazenin Ansari against. William Horsley, chairman of the AEJ's UK section and AEJ Media Freedom Representative, took the chair. The uncertainty that the profession faces due to the economics of online publication was a recurring theme throughout the wide-ranging and at times impassioned discussion. In the end, faith in the survival of journalism and its values triumphed. The motion was defeated by more than three to one (13 to 45 with four abstentions). In 2007 the debate took as its motion “World Media Freedom is in Retreat”. That was endorsed by 57 votes in favour of the motion to 18 against. The vote reflected concerns about new restrictive laws on the media in many countries and the growing numbers of journalists worldwide who have been killed, injured, threatened or jailed because of their profession. Many other AEJ national sections mark World Press Freedom
Day with meetings and events. Europe-wide information will be available on www.aej.org
but, in the meantime, they are listed on WPFD events across
Europe. See also Letter to the Editor of The Times, co-signed by the AEJ UK Chairman, on 19 May 2008 about protection of journalistic sources. |
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2008 debate Video of the
debate in full (UNESCO) Also available on the website of the Frontline
Club
Two of the speakers – Nazenin Ansari and Andrew Keen – filed contributions to Guardian Online, as did some others present. Andrew Keen's "I came to bury journalists but in the end I could only praise them" was published in The Independent on 19 May. Nico McDonald devotes a page of his blog to the debate. Joe Carroll has written about the debate and press freedom in the Irish Times for 8 May (access for subscribers only), and on the AEJ Irish Section's website. UNESCO's website contains further material, including a press release. For UNESCO's programme of work in the media freedom field, see www.unesco.org.uk. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon also delivered a World Press Freedom Day message. |
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