Threats on journalists on rise: Says report
Home | About | News Archive | Activities | Photo Gallery | Feedback | Contact | Web Mail |
|
![]() |
|
![]() |
World Press Freedom Day Observed in South Asia Radio Program on
Freedom of Press in South Asia
President Inaugurated the Press Freedom Conference in Nepal 03 May, Kathmandu: On the occasion of World Press Freedom Day, Honorable President of Nepal Dr Ram Baran Yadav today undescored the importance of free press for democracy to flourish.
Claiming that the political transition has not always been media-friendly, he emphasized on the need to protect journalists from the attack of criminal groups. Speaking at the program, CPN-UML Chairman, Jhala Nath Khanal, said democracy and pres freedom would be rewarded only of the task of leading the peace process to a logical end, restructuring of the new constitution of Nepal were completed on time. Richard Bennet, representative of the UNHRC Nepal, expressed his serious concern over the ongoing killing of Nepali journalists at a time when the conflict has already ended. He said press freedom would bring sustainable peace and stability in the nation. Ms. Iskra Panevska, Advisor of Communication and Information Section for South Asia of UNESCO also addressed in the same occasion as special guest. Before Inaugurating the function, leading journalists of Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka as well as official of Panso South Asia and UNESCO took part in a colorful rally that will brought out in the down site of Kathmandu city. South Asian
journalists commemorate World Press Freedom Day
2009 03 May, 2009 (Kathmandu): UNESCO,
jointly with the Office of the High Commissioner
for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the Federation of
Nepali Journalists (FNJ), convened a regional
conference in Kathmandu (Nepal) on 3 and 4 May to
observe World Press Freedom Day. Participants from
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives,
Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka focused on this
year’s theme “The Potential of Media in
Fostering Dialogue, Mutual Understanding and
Reconciliation”. More than 150 media practitioners
from Nepal and other countries of the South Asian
region attended the inauguration ceremony, which
was opened by Nepal's President, Ram Baran Yadav.
Following the screening of a video on the visit of
the International Media Mission (IMM) to Nepal in
February 2009, during which UNESCO along with
other members of the mission expressed deep
concern over the deterioration of press freedom in
Nepal, the President officially launched the
report A
call to end violence and impunity, prepared by
IMM.
Conference on Old Challenges, New Media successfully concluded in Nepal Kathmandu
was abuzz as journalists from Asia began arriving
in Nepal's capital for a conference on ‘Old
Challenges, New Media’ organised by Panos South
Asia on the occasion of the World Press Freedom
Day on May 3. The political situation in Nepal was
changing by the hour and fellow Nepali journalists
dived in and out of the conference, tracking the
developments on Maoists and the government and
contributing to the conference proceedings at the
same time. In fact, the situation of Nepali
journalists exemplified many of the issues thrown
up for debate.
Dixit
also paid tribute to Lasantha Wickrematunge, the
courageous Sri Lankan editor gunned down in
January this year for his refusal to be silenced,
even while prophesying his own death at the hands
of his own government. In fact, the Kathmandu
conference saw the presence of several Sri Lankan
journalists who have been in self-imposed exile.
The growing dangers of working in Sri Lanka were
eloquently portrayed by Wickrematunge’s
colleague, Dilrukshi Handunneti who emphasised
that Sri Lanka was going through a war without
witnesses. Handunneti herself continues to report
from Sri Lanka. The
difficulties of journalists within the mainstream
media sharply brought into focus the possibilities
as well as challenges of new media and its
emergence as a platform for alternative
journalism. Nepal has provided an example of how
new media could emerge as an alternative space.
Blogs, SMS and Twitter had shown a quantum leap
when the more traditional media like newspapers,
TV channels and radio stations faced censorship.
Waqar Mustafa from Pakistan explained how
non-traditional communication means were used in
Pakistan not just for political mobilisation but
also political participation as those who could
not participate actively used virtual means to
extend their support to the political movement
against military rule. Asia
Media Forum coordinator Milind Kokje demonstrated
how the use of new media was eroding geographical
barriers as well as limitations imposed by
censorship. It was more difficult for
authoritarian regimes to track and shut down
blogspots, for example, which could be set up
easily and were more difficult to locate than
physical sites were traditional media were based. K.
Kabilan from Malaysia provided a case study of
Malaysiakini, a news website which he and his
friends set up out of disgust with the censorship
of traditional media. Not only did Malaysiakini
expand the space for alternative journalism, it
has also turned commercially viable, though not
without years of struggle. A
remarkable aspect of the Kathmandu conference was
the interaction of many journalists and media
practitioners who are engaged in trying to expand
the boundaries of journalism using new media –
with varying degrees of success. Participants
exchanged notes with each other. “How did you
get people to subscribe? How do you transmit your
radio material? What do you have to pay to your
reporters? What is the licensing procedure in your
country?’ Questions flowed quick and fast in a
lively discussion as best practices were shared
and exchanged. It was not all celebratory,
however, but was balanced with a good dose of
realism, raising as many questions as it answered. New media could expand frontiers but face its own limitations in many countries with limited Internet access and power supply. There were questions on how the increasing use of citizens as journalists needed to be tested against the principles of fairness and accuracy. There were questions on the financial sustainability of the models of new media. Was new media really democratic? What protection was available to journalists working single-handedly or in small groups without the backing of organisations? What about the misuse of cyberspace for hate propaganda? How could one retain the interest of the consumer in an age of information overload? The regional deputy director of Panos and country representative Kishor Pradhan summed up the complexities of the issues very well. New media and new forms of expression offered some hope for the future, but its efficacy depended on its utilisation. New media was not a panacea for all problems afflicting traditional media, he said, but an effective tool that could be used. (By Aunohita Mojumdar, Posted: 07.05.2009) UNESCO
awards for Journalists
03
May, 2009 (Dhaka) Three out of the five
journalists who received the “Unesco-Bangladesh
Journalism Awards 2009” for investigative
journalism are from The Daily Star. World Press Freedom Day Observed in Bangladesh Threats on journalists on rise: Says report 03
May, 2009 (Dhaka): Though there were no reports
of killings of journalists, series of threats,
coercion, intimidation and aggression on them in
the last year have become all too common,
revealed a report at a programme in the city
yesterday. |
If
you have any questions or comments regarding this
website and/or CCD’s activities, please write to us
at: info@ccdbd.org |
|
Home | About | News Archive | Activities | Photo Gallery | Feedback | Contact | Web Mail |