![]() However, if one reads these provisions in conjunction with other humanitarian rules, it is clear that the protection under existing law is quite comprehensive. What protection do media professionals have under international humanitarian law?Īt first sight, one could get the impression that international humanitarian law does not provide a whole lot of protection for journalists, given that the Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols contain only two explicit references to media personnel (Article 4 A (4) of the Third Geneva Convention and Article 79 of Additional Protocol I). The spectrum of interference is wide: it ranges from access denial, censorship and harassment to arbitrary detention and direct attacks against media professionals. As a consequence, the obstruction of journalistic tasks in times of armed conflict is alarmingly frequent. Accurate, impartial media reports conveyed from conflict zones serve a fundamental public interest: in the information era, images and news can have a decisive impact on the outcome of armed conflicts. It is often said that the first casualty of war is truth. ![]() Nevertheless, by far the greatest danger they face is that of deliberate acts of violence against them. Instead of fleeing combat, they seek it out. Because of the very nature of their work, they are inevitably exposed to the dangers inherent in military operations. Journalists and other media professionals working in war zones face many dangers. It has become increasingly clear in recent conflicts that media professionals are more and more at risk of being directly targeted, in vi olation of international humanitarian law. What are the main dangers faced by journalists working in armed-conflict situations?įirst let me say that the ICRC remains deeply concerned by the high number of acts of violence against journalists and other media professionals.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |