Asian journalists eye safety codes for covering conflicts, emergencies

About 50 journalists from the Asia-Pacific region have committed to uphold responsible journalism and protect vulnerable people while reporting on violence and emergencies. In their Manila Declaration, the media workers also vowed to work for the creation and implementation of safety codes for journalists covering conflicts and emergencies. The Manila Declaration was the fruit of a one-day conference on reporting on violence and emergencies that was organized by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) last Friday, Oct. 14, in Pasay City. The commitment was presented at the end of the conference by Veronica Pedrosa, news presenter of Al Jazeera who delivered the keynote address on the role of social media in contemporary conflicts. Under the Manila Declaration, the journalists said they will continue discussions on the challenges and opportunities presented by conflicts in the light of the complex and fast-changing information environment. They agreed to set up an online forum — the Manila Club — that would promote the principles of international humanitarian law in reporting violence and emergencies. According to them, the forum will be the platform for sharing information among the signatories of the Declaration and for growing the community of media practitioners who are their concerns. In order to protect and give a voice to the vulnerable sectors, the signatories to the Manila Declaration said they will encourage collaboration between media and humanitarian and other organizations “for better access and understanding of conflict and violence, complex emergencies, and disaster situations." They also vowed to be responsible in using social media. The signatories said they will work towards a media industry-supported safety code similar to that suggested by the International News Safety Institute (INSI) and initiate education programs on training and sharing knowledge on operating in traumatic and dangerous situations and set up formal peer support programs. “Journalists should recognize the importance of ethical reporting, independence and transparency in ensuring their own safety," they said. They also said the ICRC should be supported in distributing a small laminated card summarizing the rights of journalists under international law. They said journalists should work with the ICRC and non-governmental organizations to persuade governments and parties involved in conflicts to meet their legal and moral obligations. The signatories of the Manila Declaration will have a lot of opportunities to display their commitment. Patrick Fuller, Asia-Pacific Communications Manager of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), said the Asia-Pacific region is the most disaster prone in the world, facing an average of 42 percent of global disasters annually of which 52 percent are hydro-meteorological in nature such as floods and weather-related events. Fuller said in 2010, 201 million people from the region were affected by disasters. He said people from the Asia-Pacific region are vulnerable to disasters because of poverty, socioeconomic reasons, changing weather patterns, urban migration, and lack of disaster management policies. “The trend will continue and accelerate. An estimated 375 million will be affected by disasters in 2015 and Asia-Pacific is likely to suffer the most," he added. — KBK, GMA News