Welcome to IFJ Asia's monthly e-bulletin. The next bulletin will be sent on Monday 1 April 2005 and contributions from affiliates are most welcome. To contribute, email ifj@ifj-asia.org
Please distribute this bulletin widely among colleagues in the media.
In this bulletin:
1. IFJ releases Nepal report: Coups, Kings and Censorship
2. Conflict reporting in Sri Lanka
3. Media and civil society development in Sri Lanka
4. International Women's Day - Women Make the News
5. Third annual IFJ South Asia Press Freedom Report
6. IFJ updating terrorism report
7. Asian tsunami update
8. Asian tsunami report: correction
9. Standard format for documenting press freedom violations
10. NUJP opens bookshop to aid journalists
11. Philippines mission report to be released
12. International Women's Media Foundation announces fellowships
13. Latest protests
1. IFJ releases Nepal report: Coups, Kings and Censorship
The IFJ has released a comprehensive report of the Nepal crisis and IFJ Nepal mission last month. Since the mission, supported by IMS, the regime has released new regulations prohibiting the media from disseminating any information or publishing news related to security matters without obtaining prior permission from the security forces. This follows the widespread reporting by the Kathmandu media of the Maoist looting and burning of a Television Nepal program centre in the west of the country. The report, Coups, Kings and Censorship is available online at http://www.ifj.org/gifs/Nepal%20coups%20kings%20and%20censorship.pdf
2. Conflict reporting in Sri Lanka
The IFJ hosted an editors' conference on reporting on the tsunami and conflict, as part of a United States Institute for Peace funded project, on 2 February in Colombo. Two-day workshops for journalists on conflict reporting were held in the eastern province of Ampara and in Jaffna in February, with another two in Monoragala and Colombo this month. The Jaffna workshop was led by IFJ Asia director, Jacqueline Park with other workshops led by Sri Lankan journalists trained by the IFJ to deliver the IFJ-designed conflict reporting module. For more information, visit http://www.ifj-asia.org/page/conflict_reporting.html
3. Media and civil society development in Sri Lanka
Meanwhile, the IFJ has been asked by the Sri Lankan Centre for Policy Alternatives and Canadian IMPACS to provide expertise to a media and civil society development project there. Jacqueline Park from IFJ Asia and Catherine Ludgate from IMPACS will undertake the first needs assessment mission in late April, which will look at the situation and needs of media and civil society in the current conflict and post-tsunami context. A series of workshops and roundtables will follow to assist journalists and editors with the challenges they face as well as a program of support to civil society's media efforts.
4. International Women's Day - Women Make the News
To mark International Women's Day on 8 March 2005, UNESCO is launching "Women Make the News". UNESCO wants all media to hand over editorial responsibility to women on that day. The IFJ supports this call. Please send us reports of the experience in your news room. For more information visit www.unesco.org/march8
5. Third annual IFJ South Asia Press Freedom Report
The IFJ will be releasing its third annual Press Freedom Report for South Asia on World Press Freedom Day, 3 May 2005. The report will look at the major challenges to media freedom in 2004-5 and list specific cases of media freedom violations and attacks on journalists from May 2004 to April 2005. It will also highlight examples of the good work of journalists in generally promoting tolerance and peace especially in an atmosphere of conflict. To contribute, contact IFJ South Asia Co-ordinator Laxmi Murthy on ifjsouthasia@hotmail.com
6. IFJ updating terrorism report
The IFJ is updating the report Journalism, Civil Liberties and the War on Terrorism for the IFJ terrorism conference in Bilbao, Spain in April 2005. Affiliates are requested to send any updated information on new security laws or rules introduced in your country since 2002 that have adversely affected civil liberties or the rights of journalists to Aidan White by 15 March. Email ifj@ifj.org
7. Asian tsunami update
The IFJ has made the first advance of US$20,000 to provide humanitarian support to journalists in Sri Lanka while the Free Media Movement has launched an appeal for funds to help replace work equipment lost to the waves. For more information or to donate, contact fmm@diamond.lanka.net. In Indonesia, the Aliansi Jurnalis Independen is working on opening a media centre to support and provide a workspace for journalists in the tsunami-devastated province. For more information, see the IFJ's report Shaking Our Foundations: media and the Asian tsunami at http://www.ifj-asia.org/page/tsunami050216.html
8. Asian tsunami report: correction
The IFJ's report on media and the Asian tsunami stated that MDLF had granted US$129.2 million to rebuild radio stations in Aceh, Indonesia but MDLF in fact granted just over US$100,000 for this work. The original figure was sourced from the Jakarta Post via BBC Monitoring and now the online version of the IFJ report reflects the true amount. MDLF now reports that some stations have been totally rebuilt in Aceh. For more information, visit http://indonesia-donations.mdlf.org
9. Standard format for documenting press freedom violations
In order to build a reliable and consistent database on press freedom violations, the IFJ has created a standard format for documenting press freedom violations in order to generate uniform and reliable data on these incidents. To view the standard format visit http://www.ifj-asia.org/page/standardformatpressviolations.html and email ifj@ifj-asia.org for any further suggestions or comments.
10. NUJP opens bookshop to aid journalists
Members of the National Union of Journalists in the Philippines are opening a bookshop in Manila in mid March. The bookshop will carry new and previously read books, with book categories that range from journalism and literature to religion and erotica. Part of the proceeds will go to the NUJP Defense and Welfare Fund set up to assist journalists who are under threat for doing their job as well as to help the families of slain journalists. For more information contact carlosconde@gmail.com
11. Philippines mission report to be released
The IFJ will release a report next week on the recent mission to the Philippines, which will include recommendations for actions to combat the culture of violence which has led to the murder of 61 journalists in the Philippines since 1986. The mission visited the Bicol, the Visayas and volatile Mindanao regions, and its members met with government officials, families and colleagues of those journalists killed. For further information visit http://www.ifj-asia.org/page/nujp050130.html and www.nujp.org
12. International Women's Media Foundation announces fellowships
The International Women's Media Foundation (IWMF) has announced the creation of a new fellowship for editors and radio producers who cover public health issues. The Public Health Fellowship Program, which will provide two women journalists with the opportunity to receive on-the-job training with United States media companies, is open to editors and radio producers from specific countries in Asia and Africa. Applications will be accepted through to 15 April. For further information and an application, visit the IWMF website at http://www.iwmf.org/programs/8702 or email fellowship@iwmf.org
13. Latest Protests
Nepal: FNJ district president arrested - 7/03/2005
India: IFJ mourns the tragic death of senior journalist in India - 03/03/2005
Nepal: Censorship and attacks on journalists worsen - IFJ report - 03/03/2005
Nepal: IFJ welcomes release of three journalists but condemns further arrests, censorship and ongoing violence - 28/02/2005
Nepal: IFJ finds unacceptable repression of journalists in Nepal -19/02/2005
Nepal: IFJ mission releases preliminary findings on media conditions in Nepal - 17/02/2005
Nepal: More journalists arrested in Nepal, Bishnu held without charge - 15/02/2005
Bangladesh: IFJ mourns the death of journalist in Bangladesh - 15/02/2005
Thailand: IFJ expresses outrage over the shooting of Thai journalist
If affiliates have any information on a press freedom violation, please make sure you immediately contact staff at IFJ Asia so action can be taken.
