Journalists in the Crosshairs: When Covering the News is Life-Threatening

The Deutsche Welle Global Media Forum from June 2-4, 2008, at the World Conference Center in Bonn offers participants a range of interesting workshops. One of the workshops, which takes place on the second day of the conference (June 3), looks at “Covering Hostile Environments – From Conflict Zones to Organized Crime”. The workshop is being organized by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).

CPJ is a New York-based non-governmental organization (NGO). It collects information about damages to the freedom of the press worldwide, especially on the intimidation and murder of journalists. The committee was founded in 1981 by a group of American foreign correspondents. CPJ’s executive committee includes well-known journalists like Christiane Amanpour and Dan Rather.

Workshop participants Marcelo Moreira from TV Globo in Rio de Janeiro and Stefano Marcelli from Italy will provide personal experiences to explain just how dangerous reporting on crisis situations and crime can be. Moreira and Marcelli are renown investigative journalists who have reported on the mafia, organized crime, drug cartels, wars and terrorism for many years. Reporting on the illegal transportation of hazardous waste led to Marcellis imprisonment in Nigeria.

The assault on Lebanese TV journalist May Chidiac also caused a stir internationally, as she was a victim of a bombing following her coverage of the political crisis in Lebanon. She lost her left leg and part of her left arm.

The workshop at the Deutsche Welle Global Media Forum will also show how journalists can reduce the personal risks related to reporting on conflicts and crime.

Further Workshops:

Terrorists Online
Deutsche Welle

Resources, Conflicts and the Role of the Media
Bonn International Center for Conversion (BICC)

When Telling the Truth Becomes a Crime
International Institute for Journalism (IIJ) of InWEnt

mediaME: Sharing Tools and Approaches for Monitoring and Evaluation in Media Development
Forum Media and Development (FoME)

The Path to Peace – Can Popular Media Contribute to Freedom of Opinion?
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) GmbH

Globalisation, Cultural Identity and Conflict: Cross-Cultural Communications and Media's Challenge in Asia
Asian Media Information and Communication Centre (AMIC)

Populism and Press Freedom
Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS)

The Foundation for International Dialogue of the Savings Bank in Bonn is co-hosting the Deutsche Welle Global Media Forum. The conference is supported by the German Federal Foreign Office, the State Government of North-Rhine Westphalia, DHL, the city of Bonn, VT Communications and Blatzheim Networks Telecom.

April 18, 2008

You can find a detailed schedule, organizational tips and background information at
www.dw-world.de/globalmediaforum