LALIT appeals to Mauritian Press and All Media To Join World Stand Supporting Journalists in Gaza
03.03.2024
LALIT welcomes the very late stand finally taken by the mainstream Press and so many major media outlets, at long last, standing by the journalists of Gaza.
We call on all local press organizations and media outlets to sign up at once, as they have been invited to by the mainstream Western media, in an Open Letter to Journalists in Gaza co-ordinated by the Committee to Protect Journalists with the support of the World Association of News Publishers. We quote from their communiqué.
Leading news outlets affirm support for journalists in Gaza
February 29, 2024 12:17 PM EST
Leaders of more than 30 news organizations around the world, including the Associated Press, Agence France-Presse, and Reuters, have joined an open letter on Thursday affirming that they “stand united with Palestinian journalists in their call for safety, protection, and the freedom to report.”
The letter, coordinated by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) with the support of the World Association of News Publishers (WAN-IFRA), emphasizes the perilous environment for members of the press covering the Israel-Gaza war, the deadliest conflict for journalists ever documented by CPJ.
“For nearly five months, journalists and media workers in Gaza – overwhelmingly, the sole source of on-the ground reporting from within the Palestinian territory – have been working in unprecedented conditions,” the letter reads. “…These journalists – on whom the international news media and the international community rely for information about the situation inside Gaza – continue to report despite grave personal risk.”
Additional signatories are welcome. Please contact letter@cpj.org to add your organization, including name of signatory, title, and name of organization.
Open letter on journalists in Gaza
We, the undersigned, stand united with Palestinian journalists in their call for safety, protection, and the freedom to report.
For nearly five months, journalists and media workers in Gaza – overwhelmingly, the sole source of on-the-ground reporting from within the Palestinian territory – have been working in unprecedented conditions: at least 89 have been killed in the war, according to the Committee to protect Journalists, more journalists than have ever been killed in a single country over an entire year.
These journalists – on whom the international news media and the international community rely for information about the situation inside Gaza – continue to report despite grave personal risk. They continue despite the loss of family, friends, and colleagues, the destruction of homes and offices, constant displacement, communications blackouts, and shortages of food and fuel.
Journalists are civilians and Israeli authorities must protect journalists as noncombatants according to international law. Those responsible for any violations of that longstanding protection should be held accountable. Attacks on journalists are also attacks on truth. We commit to championing the safety of journalists in Gaza, which is fundamental for the protection of press freedom everywhere.
Signatories
1. Kim Godwin, President, ABC NEWS
2. Phil Chetwynd, Global News Director, Agence France-Presse
3. Hossam Kanafani, Editor in Chief, Al-Araby Al-Jadeed
4. Shiro Nakamura, President, The Asahi Shimbun, Japan
5. Julie Pace, executive Editor, Associated Press
6. Simon Spanswick, Chief executive, Association for International Broadcasters 7. Deborah Turness, CEO, BBC News
8. Mark Thompson, Chairman and CEO, CNN Worldwide
9. Daoud Kuttab, Director General, Community Media Network, Jordan
10. Branko Brkic, Editor in Chief, Daily Maverick, South Africa
11. Alia Ibrahim, Co-founder / CEO, Daraj, Lebanon
12. Roula Khalaf, Editor, Financial Times
13. Katharine Viner, Editor in Chief, The Guardian 14. Aluf Benn, Editor in Chief, Haaretz
15. Geordie Grieg, Editor in Chief, The Independent
16. Sandy Prieto-Romualdez, Chairperson, Inquirer Group of Companies, The Philippines
17. Deirdre Veldon, Managing Director, former Deputy Editor, The Irish Times, Ireland 18. Rachel Corp, Chief executive, ITN UK
19. Andrew Dagnell, Editor, ITV News UK
20. Terry Tang, Interim executive Editor, Los Angeles Times
21. Rameeza Nizami, Managing Director, Nawaiwaqt Group, Pakistan 22. Pamella Sittoni, Group Managing Editor, Nation Media Group, Kenya
23. Rebecca Blumenstein, President, Editorial, NBC News
24. David Remnick, Editor, The New Yorker
25. AG Sulzberger, Publisher, The New York Times
26. Martha Ramos, President, World Editors Forum / Chief Editorial Officer, Organización Editorial Mexicana, Mexico
27. Hans Väre, Editor in Chief, Postimees Grupp, Estonia
28. Alan Rusbridger, Editor, Prospect magazine, UK
29. Ritu Kapur, CEO, The Quint, India
30. Maria Ressa, CEO and Co-Founder, Rappler Inc.
31. Alessandra Galloni, Editor in Chief, Reuters
32. Nwabisa Makunga, Editor in Chief, The Sowetan, South Africa
33. Dirk Kurbjuweit, Editor in Chief, Der Spiegel
34. Wolfgang Krach, Editor in Chief, Süddeutsche Zeitung, Germany
35. Sally Buzbee, executive Editor, The Washington Post
36. Vincent Peyrègne, CEO, World Association of News Publishers (WAN-IFRA)
Source: https://cpj.org/2024/02/more-than-30-news-outlets-affirm-support-for-journalists-in-gaza/
