[Media-watch] US to bomb reporters?

[david Miller]

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From: "Dwitra Silvana Zaky" <dwitrazaky at yahoo.com>
Reply-To: media-squatters at yahoogroups.com
Date: Sat, 22 Mar 2003 21:33:55 -0000
To: media-squatters at yahoogroups.com
Subject: [media-squatters] Re: US to bomb reporters?

http://www.aljazeerah.info/News%20archives/2003%20News%
20archives/March%202003%20News/21%20n/Warning%20US%20against%
20obstructing%20media%20%20aljazeerah.info.htm

Warning US against obstructing media
By Paul Michaud (Special to Khaleej Times), 21 March 2003


PARIS - International journalists' rights organisation Reporters
Sans Frontieres (RSF) has warned US authorities not to obstruct the
media in its reporting of the war in Iraq, demanding that the
international media be allowed to work 'freely and in safety'.

RSF also questioned the attitude of US media officials like White
House spokesman Ari Fleischer who on February 28 warned journalists
that "If the military says something, I strongly urge all
journalists to heed it," adding, "It is in your own interest and
that of your family too. And I mean that."

Based on its experience with US treatment of journalists attempting
to report on America's recent war in Afghanistan, RSF expressed its
concern that the US military might censor journalists officially
allowed to work among US forces and that those "who opted to work
independently would not be protected".

It also called on US forces not to destroy Iraqi media facilities
(Iraqi satellite TV is already off the air).

The Press freedom organisation welcomed the US invitation to over
600 journalists from all over the world to report from inside the
military operation.

This policy of 'embedding', presented by officials as giving
journalists access unprecedented since the Vietnam war, would
theoretically provide better coverage than was allowed during the
1991 Gulf War, it said.

But it questioned whether the obligatory written promise to obey a
strict 50-point 'ground rules agreement' would allow these
journalists enough freedom in their reporting.

The rules spell out what can or cannot be covered. But the
distinction is very vague and commanders of military units are given
the final word on whether to allow something to be reported or not.

Reporters Without Borders is also concerned about rule 6, that
permits unit commanders to 'embargo' news that may
damage 'operational security'.

The range of such news is also poorly defined and the duration of
the embargo not stated. Both aspects again depend on the decision of
the unit commander.

Rules 40, 41 and 43, which ban pictures of the faces of prisoners of
war and soldiers killed in the fighting, undermine the right to
inform the public, the organisation said.

It was up to journalists, not the US army, to decide what could or
could not be shown, according to the journalistic code of conduct.

The organisation  expressed concern at working conditions for
journalists who chose not to be officially incorporated into the US
military operations and who US officials had several times warned
could be in danger.