Category: World
Service & Global News
Date: 27.10.2004
Printable version
An international committee, chaired by the Director
of the 91Èȱ¬'s Global News Division, is being established to investigate
the dangers facing journalists around the world and to recommend ways
to protect them in their work.
Ìý
Richard Sambrook, who is responsible for leading the
91Èȱ¬'s overall international news strategy across radio, TV and online,
announced details of the committee during the annual Poliak Lecture,
hosted by the Graduate School of Journalism at Columbia University in
New York.
Ìý
Media organisations, government representatives, non-government
organisations and human rights campaigners will be involved in the committee
of inquiry, which is being led by the International News Safety Institute,
the organisation that is dedicated to the safety of journalists and
media staff.
Ìý
"Journalists are now at risk to a greater extent
than they have ever been before," Sambrook said in his address.
Ìý
"Where once their neutrality was widely recognised
and respected, today they are targeted and sought out [by aggressors],
seen as high-profile representatives of their countries or cultures.
Ìý
"Increased partisanship in our media may have played
a part in that; there may be other factors too.
Ìý
"But with 85 journalists or support staff killed
in the last year, we, as an industry, cannot carry on and do nothing.
It is now one of the biggest inhibitions on freedom of reporting."
Ìý
In his wide-ranging speech, Sambrook, who is responsible
for the 91Èȱ¬ World news television channel, 91Èȱ¬ World Service radio and
the 91Èȱ¬'s international-facing websites, also focused on the issue of
objectivity in journalism.
Ìý
He called on broadcasters and publications to avoid
patriotic reporting and reminded them of their "responsibility"
to "ask the difficult questions".
Ìý
"Before Iraq, it seemed to me that some US news
broadcasters wrapped themselves in the flag and, as a consequence, did
not perform the role the public expects of them.
Ìý
"I understand the problem. The mindset of the country
was that it was at war. Our natural instinct is to support our country.
Ìý
"But the responsibility of the news media is to
ask the difficult questions, to press, to verify.
Ìý
"And we now know that all of us failed to ask the
right questions about WMD in advance of the war.
Ìý
"That isn't to say the war was wrong: each can
make their own mind up about that.
Ìý
"But to do so they need accurate information, evidence
that has been tested.
Ìý
"And if a news organisation imbues itself with
patriotism, it inhibits itself from asking some of those questions."
Ìý
Notes to Editors
Ìý
91Èȱ¬ World, the 91Èȱ¬'s commercially funded international
24-hour news and information channel, is owned and operated by 91Èȱ¬ World
Ltd, a member of the 91Èȱ¬'s commercial group of companies.
Ìý
91Èȱ¬ World is available in more than 200 countries and
territories worldwide, and reaches nearly 256 million households (114
million 24-hour homes) and more than one million hotel rooms.
Ìý
91Èȱ¬ World launched in its present format in 1995 and
is funded by advertising and subscription.
Ìý
For further information on how to receive 91Èȱ¬ World,
download schedules or find out more about the channel, visit bbcworld.com.
Ìý
91Èȱ¬ World News is broadcast on 229 public television
stations in the United States through an agreement that came into operation
in November 1998 with the New York-based WLIW21.
Ìý
91Èȱ¬ World News also airs every weekday on 91Èȱ¬ America
at 0600, 0700, 0800 and 1800 ET, and at 0600 ET at weekends.
Ìý
91Èȱ¬ America can be viewed in 40 million households on
digital cable and satellite systems and is distributed by Discovery
Networks, Inc.
Ìý
91Èȱ¬ World's weekday programme is now watched in 907,000
households across the US (Nielsen, May 2004).
Ìý
91Èȱ¬ World Service broadcasts programmes around the world
in 43 languages and is available on radio and online. It
has a global audience of 146 million listeners.
Ìý
91Èȱ¬ World Service is available globally on short wave;
on FM in 139 capital cities; and selected programmes are carried on
around 2,000 FM and MW radio stations around the world.
Ìý
The 91Èȱ¬ World Service websites, including bbcnews.com,
receive around 280 million page impressions every month.
Ìý
The International News Safety Institute is a non-governmental
organisation dedicated to the safety of journalists and media staff
and committed to fighting the persecution of journalists everywhere.
Ìý
The institute is a coalition of media organisations,
press freedom groups, unions and humanitarian campaigners working to
create a culture of safety in media in all corners of the world.
Ìý
Further details can be found online at www.newssafety.com.
