We speak up to
end violence against
journalists
FPU
Across the globe, journalism has become very dangerous
and it is time for us to use our audiences and platforms
to get the world to listen and change the horrible
statistics:
• Every five days a journalist is killed.
• Imprisonments of journalists are at a record high.
• Journalists around the world deal with harassment and
intimidation on a regular basis.
• Local journalists are most at risk but the violence against
them is seldom reported on.
And the list of violent acts against your colleagues because
of their reporting continues. This is unacceptable!
Journalism makes a difference! Journalism is a pillar of
democracy; it assists in social accountability and stimulates
public debate. Journalism provides space for dissenting
opinions and is a medicine against censorship. Safety of
journalists is a precondition for good journalism that serves
the societies and audiences. Without safety for journalists
the public would be deprived of reliable information.
The public and the government should protect journalists
and media workers. But, in spite of all the international
declarations and resolutions about the obligation of states
to protect journalists not much has changed in the last
decade. The violence against the profession continues.
And on top of that we see a rise in attacks on the media
by political leaders who do not respect the critical function
of journalism, unless it serves their interests.
WHAT CAN WE DO?
It is time for us to take matters into our own hands.
Now more than ever.
We believe solidarity within the media community can prove
crucial in fighting the impunity that has prevailed for too long.
This is why we hereby pledge to engage our audiences and
ask them to help put pressure on institutions, media actors,
governments, publishing houses and others that demonize
journalists and legitimize harm against them.
We do so by committing to:
• speak out on the importance of the protection
of our profession;
• tell the stories of the violence experienced by
our colleagues across the globe;
• point out how attacks against journalists affect
society at large in our coverage;
• highlight governments’ obligation to ensure
journalists are able to work freely and without
fear of repercussion;
• and continue to do so when the institutions fail
to prosecute the perpetrators of the violence
against our colleagues;
• cover the causal links between violence against
journalists and the impunity behind the great
majority of the attacks;
• hold governments and institutions accountable,
when they fail to prosecute the perpetrators of
the violence against our colleagues.
On the occasion of the International Day to End Impunity for violence
against journalists (2 November 2017), we, as media and publishers,
journalists and media professionals and other members of the media
community feel it is time to raise our voice and start speaking up
about the violence against our profession.
We speak up to
end violence against
journalists
Organizations and networks
1. Free Press Unlimited
2. ACOS Alliance
3. Alliance of broadcasters, Georgia
4. Arab Reporters for Investigative Journalism (ARIJ)
5. Article 19
6. Association of Journalists at the International
Criminal Court (AJICC-AJCPI)
7. Awene Press & Publishing Co., Kurdistan region
of Iraq
8. Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and
Communication (BNNRC)
9. Bytes For All, Pakistan
10. Carlos Cardenas, Chairman of the Board of
Directors of TV Cultura, Peru
11. Caucasian Knot, Russian Federation
12. Committee to Protect Journalists
13. Dave Callaway, President WAN-IFRA’s World
Editors Forum
14. De Balie (Debate Centre), the Netherlands
15. De Humo TV, Nicaragua
16. Digital Rights Foundation, Pakistan
17. Dutch Commission for Journalistic Source
Protection, the Netherlands
18. European Journalism Centre (EJC)
19. European Radio, Belarus
20. Fédération des Radios de Proximité du Congo
(FRPC)
21. Fidan Ekiz, journalist
22. Freedom Forum, Nepal
23. Fundación para la Libertad de Prensa (FLIP),
Colombia
24. Genootschap van Hoofdredacteuren (Dutch
Society of editors-in-Chief), the Netherlands
25. Global Forum for Media Development
26. Hromadske TV, Ukraine
27. Huub Jaspers, editor-in-chief Argos, VPRO
Broadcasting
28. International Media Support
29. International Press Institute (IPI)
30. Internews
31. Iraq Civil Society Solidarity Initiative (ICSSI)
32. Iraqi Journalists Rights Defense Association (IJRDA)
33. Jeremy Druker, Executive Director and Editor in
Chief Transitions (TOL)
34. JAM News, Georgia
35. Journalism department of Tbilisi state university,
Georgia
36. Journaliste En Danger (JED), DRC
37. KBR, Indonesia
38. Meydan TV, Azerbaijan
39. Nederlandse Vereniging van Journalisten (Dutch
Association of Journalists), the Netherlands
40. Nepal Forum of Environmental Journalists (NEFEJ)
41. Newsgain, Denmark
42. Nómada.gt, Guatemala
43. Novaya Gazeta, Russian Federation
44. Okke Ornstein, journalist
45. OneWorld Magazine, the Netherlands
46. Pakistan Press Foundation
47. Radio La Benevolencija, the Netherlands
48. RNW media, the Netherlands
49. Ronald Gijsbertsen
50. Sanne Terlingen, journalist
51. Susan Angle, Media4Democracy
52. Teun Gautier, De Coöperatie, the Netherlands
53. Tempo Media Group, Indonesia
54. The Zimbabwean
55. Tok TV, Georgia
56. Tribal News Network, Pakistan
57. Uganda Media Development Foundation
58. Vereniging van Onderzoeksjournalisten (Association
of Investigative Journalists), the Netherlands
59. VPRO Broadcasting, the Netherlands
60. Ziarul de Garda, Moldova
Signatories
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04-11-2017
