This article is written by Ms. Anjali Singh Bagri, a Third-year student of NMIMS, Indore.

ABSTRACT

Journalists are referred to as citizens’ window to the world and their role becomes even more important during times of war and conflict, as they are the only and primary medium though which the public experiences war and obtains information about what is happening on the frontlines and in war zones. Journalists report on both, conflicts and play an important role in fostering consensus. The connection between the two is as follows: reporting on occurrences is not a passive process. The journalist actively defines the event in the issue and emphasizes what is at stake while developing a narrative for the reader. In doing so, the journalist reports and contributes to the attempt to construct a path ahead. The following article throws light on the protection granted to journalists during times of war and conflict and up to what level this protection is being granted to the media and journalists by taking examples of recent war zones. Also, the article encompasses national and international legal provisions for the same. 

INTRODUCTION

There are many places in the world, particularly in conflict or post-conflict zones, where practicing journalism is dangerous, even deadly. One cannot neglect the crucial role of the press in the coverage of armed conflicts. Journalists provide an important public interest job by gathering and disseminating credible information regarding violent conflicts and they also bring to the attention of the public and decision-makers, serious violations of human rights, war crimes, and other atrocities.  They put out the scenario in front of the public’s eye, by going where others cannot have access to go, by interviewing people, verifying facts, and getting the news out. During the line of duty, around 63 journalists have been killed in the year 2023 and 88 during the previous year. Sometimes journalists covering clashes have occasionally assisted courts in obtaining crucial evidence to hold war criminals accountable. As a result, their efforts can serve to document crimes, uphold human rights, establish accountability, and create international unity.

THE IMPORTANCE OF MEDIA IN TIMES OF WAR

Media and war always shared a special relationship, and war times always turned out to be a major news value and were of the utmost public importance and interest due to their security consequences. Ever revolving question is can media play a constructive role in resolving conflict? Even though Journalists are taught to hunt for differences and to find war appealing. When it comes to ‘our battle’ the media’s involvement is far more enthusiastic and widespread. Be it the Kargil war, the Ukraine war, the Israel-Palestine conflict, and many others, the media never failed to give its best even under such grave situations. Media has always served as a platform for both victims and perpetrators of human rights violations to express their stories to gain a better understanding of the past and achieve true healing and reconciliation.

JOURNALISTS AND CONFLICT ZONES

Journalists reporting from crisis zones are increasingly in danger of being injured or killed. Not only are they at risk of being killed in the crossfire, but they are also frequently targeted and killed because of their work. The legal framework that protects journalists in conflict zones is primarily based on international humanitarian law, with support from international human rights law and international criminal law. The Geneva Conventions and their supplementary protocols, which are already many decades old, are the major body of law giving security to journalists.

To get deeper and more clear insights one can go though following examples: 

1. ISRAEL-PALESTINE CONFLICT

Gaza crisis, which has been under Israeli attack and a blockade since October 7. All these began when Hamas launched Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, a multi-pronged surprise onslaught that comprised a barrage of missile launches and land, sea, and air infiltrations into Israel. It claimed the raid was in revenge for the takeover of Al-Aqsa Mosque and rising Israeli settler aggression against Palestinians.

According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, 69 journalists were killed between October 7 and December 23: 62 Palestinians, 4 Israelis, and 3 Lebanese. Furthermore, 15 journalists have been reported injured, 3 journalists have gone missing, and 20 journalists have been imprisoned. Furthermore, the offices of various media outlets in Gaza have been targeted. On 7 October, an Israeli strike on the Palestine Tower in Gaza entirely demolished the headquarters of the local independent newspaper Al-Ayyam, and the Gaza branch of Ma’an was also damaged.

While journalists are on the job, their families are constantly targeted. Wael Al-Dahdouh, an Al Jazeera journalist, learnt on air that his family had been killed by an attack shortly after evacuating south of Gaza City in response to an Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) evacuation order. Dahdouh’s family was reportedly sheltered in a refugee camp when they were killed by an explosion. It demonstrates the personal sacrifices that journalists are making in this fight. 

Journalists in Israel suffer tremendous dangers when they ask critical questions about the widespread violence or express empathy or solidarity with the people of Gaza. There have been instances of journalists being attacked by mobs, assaulted by Israeli police, and intimidated while reporting. Although the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), the only professional organization representing journalists at the United Nations since 1953, solemnly requested the Director General of UNESCO, the United Nations agency responsible for journalist protection and safety, do everything possible to ensure that journalists in the region, both national and foreign, can carry out their mission of informing the public in complete safety.

1. RUSSIA – UKRAINE WAR

Russia’s attack on Ukraine is wreaking havoc. As the battle rages on, the UN says that millions of Ukrainians have been displaced and thousands of civilians have been murdered or injured.

The importance of Ukrainian and foreign journalists reporting the Ukrainian conflict cannot be overstated, since they are the ones who tell the world the truth. According to the United Nations, Ukraine will have one of the greatest numbers of journalists slain in 2022, and journalists in the nation continue to suffer grave dangers.At least 15 journalists and media workers have been killed while reporting on the conflict. Local journalists in Ukraine have been forced to become war correspondents, operating around curfews and blackouts and relying on safety training and equipment to stay alive. Meanwhile, in Russia, scores of journalists have fled onerous new media restrictions in their homeland, and dozens of Belarusian journalists who had previously sought refuge in Ukraine from their own country’s media crackdown have been forced to flee once more.

1. SYRIA AND JOURNALISM

In Syria, the country which has been at war for more than a decade, journalists are prohibited access to large areas of terrain. The administration uses the media to spread Baathist doctrine and prohibits any kind of pluralism, sending many journalists into self-imposed exile. International Law Protections for Journalists in International Armed Conflicts.

The 2021 cybercrime law, revised in 2022, empowers authorities to arrest journalists with “spreading false news online that harms the nation’s prestige.” The government had already tightened its grip on the news media through the 2011 media law. The 1965 Revolutionary Protection Act, the 2012 Terrorism Act, and the penal code as a whole all pose threats to press freedom.

With the threat of imprisonment, kidnapping, torture, or murder, Syrian journalists are frequently forced to abandon the country to avoid mistreatment or death. Several people who had sought asylum in Turkey were ordered to return in 2019. Hundreds more were threatened with the same fate, exposing them to arrest by Syrian authorities or abuse at the hands of various armed groups if Turkish authorities had not finally abandoned this action.

UNESCO UN PLAN OF ACTION FOR SAFETY OF JOURNALISTS

The United Nations, in collaboration with national authorities, media outlets, civil society organisations, and UN bodies, created the first-ever systematic global strategy to protect journalists in 2012. The strategy’s goal is to establish a free and safe working environment for journalists and media workers. The core elements of prosecution, safety, and prevention are covered in the UN Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Problem of Impunity.

The Intergovernmental Programme for the Development of Communication (IPDC) of UNESCO initiated the process that led to the creation of the Plan in 2010. After that, the UN Chief Executive Board approved it, and in November 2012, it was introduced at the UN Inter-Agency Meeting on the Safety of Journalists in Vienna.

As the UN organisation with specialised expertise in promoting the free flow of information, UNESCO is in charge of UNESCO’s implementation of the Plan, which asks for a comprehensive and coalition-based strategy. It consists of six sections: research, monitoring and reporting, standard-setting and policy-making, capacity-building, and awareness-raising. The specialised newsletters represent the thousands of actions that have been made to implement this plan at the national and international levels.

Journalist protection is a top priority for the UN. A growing number of declarations, resolutions, and other normative texts, as well as the UN Secretary-General’s most recent report on impunity and journalist safety, as well as his Call to Action for Human Rights, serve as evidence of this. A component of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is journalist protection.

The purpose of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) is to safeguard and advance everyone’s ability to exercise their right to human rights, including media professionals’ and journalists’ rights. OHCHR strives to carry out directives from the Human Rights Council and the General Assembly regarding journalist safety. Journalists’ safety is a cause that the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and defence of the right to freedom of opinion and expression champions.

UNESCO, a UN organisation tasked with advancing “the free flow of ideas by word and image,” strives to safeguard journalists’ safety and prevent impunity for those who attack them. This includes educating law enforcement and judiciary personnel about global norms for press freedom, information access, and journalist safety.

Increasing public understanding of the value of independent, professional media is one of the UN Plan of Action’s primary objectives. International Days, like the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists (2 November) and the World Press Freedom Day (3 May), foster debate and analysis while supporting campaigns pertaining to press freedom, journalist safety, and the problem of impunity.

SUGGESTIONS AND SAFETY ADVICE FOR REPORTING IN A CONFLICT ZONE

Journalists are vital in reporting on conflict areas, which can include everything from guerilla warfare to full-scale international conflicts to demonstrations or uprisings. Reporters may conduct themselves in a way that puts them or their sources in danger in any of these scenarios. Following are some suggestions:

Journalists should educate themselves, learn about their workplace, and investigate potential hazards associated with conducting interviews before beginning any reporting. This research material can also be used to construct a more thorough overview of a dispute by giving a thorough history and context. 

An investigative journalist should be able to ascertain the following before heading into the field: the identities of the parties involved in the conflict; their motivations; the nature of their relationships and attitudes towards one another; the ways in which these relationships and attitudes have evolved over time; the reasons behind the parties’ current hostility towards one another; and the reasons behind the conflict’s evolution.

The way in which a conflict is covered by journalists can have an impact on how things turn out. When sensationalised or alarmist reporting is published, it may incite violent reactions from certain parties involved. Journalists covering an event on the ground are effectively a part of it and may take actions that influence how it develops. Journalists ought to stay impartial observers rather than negotiators or issue solutions. Journalists should also refrain from endorsing certain policies or organisations.

However, when covering conflict areas, journalists sometimes have to decide whether to assist someone who is hurt or in danger. Journalists ought to intervene only after ensuring their own and their team’s safety and in the event that no other person is able to assist. They should get in touch with someone else, such as a medical professional or a member of the armed forces, and allow them to offer the aid that is required.

When a conflict turns violent, reporting on it becomes more challenging. Once violence starts, it can escalate rapidly into a “conflict spiral” that is hard to stop, which makes some of the involved parties justify or tolerate typically inappropriate actions. When the situation becomes out of control, it’s critical that journalists take responsibility for their own safety and leave the area.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, journalists serve as crucial conduits of information during times of war and conflict, acting as society’s window to the unfolding events. Their role in documenting atrocities, human rights violations, and war crimes is pivotal for accountability and fostering international unity. However, the dangers journalists face in conflict zones are evident, with numerous fatalities and threats to their safety. International legal frameworks, such as the Geneva Conventions, aim to protect journalists, but real-world examples from conflict zones like Israel-Palestine, Russia-Ukraine, and Syria highlight ongoing challenges. Initiatives like the UNESCO UN Plan of Action for the Safety of Journalists underscore the global commitment to journalist protection. As conflicts persist, it is imperative to uphold press freedom, address safety concerns, and recognize the invaluable role journalists play in shaping public understanding and promoting accountability.

Reference:

1. Journalism in conflict and post-conflict conditions worldwide perspective, Kristin Skare Orgerert and William Tayeebwa, 978-91-87957-24-6.
2. This article was originally written by Strasbourg published on Council of Europe. The link for the same is herein. https://www.coe.int/be/web/commissioner/-/not-a-target-the-need-to-reinforce-the-safety-of-journalists-covering-conflicts
3. This article was originally written by Clare O’ Hagan published on UNESCO. The link for the same is herein https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/2023-alarming-increase-journalists-killed-conflict-zones 
4. Media at war: issue and limitations, Ajai K. Rai, strategic analysis: a monthly journal of the IDSA, 2000
5. Voices of war: conflict and the role of the media, Andrew Puddephatt, 2006
6. Journalism in democracies during times of war: examining the role of Indian and US media, Aradhana Sharma, 2010.
7. International Legal framework for the protection of journalists in conflict zones: a round peg in a square hole, available at: https://era.ed.ac.uk/handle/1842/10597?show=full
8. This article was originally written by Dilara Kartas published on 20. 10. 2023. The link for the same is herein https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/23-journalists-killed-in-gaza-conflict-press-freedom-group/3030195
9. This article was originally written by free press media unlimited published on 30 october 2023. The link for the same is herein https://www.freepressunlimited.org/en/current/safety-journalists-and-media-coverage-israel-palestine
10. This article was originally written by IFJ published on 13 october 2023. The link for the same is herein  https://reliefweb.int/report/occupied-palestinian-territory/israel-and-palestine-ifj-calls-unesco-protect-journalists 
11. This article was originally written by committee to protect journlists published on CPJ. The link for the same is herein https://cpj.org/invasion-of-ukraine/ 
12. This article was originally written by Reporters Without Borders published on RSF . The link for the same is herein https://rsf.org/en/country/syria 
13. This article was originally written by United Nation’s website. The link for the same is herein https://www.un.org/en/safety-journalists#:~:text=The%20UN%20Plan%20of%20Action,Development%20of%20Communication%20(IPDC). 
14. This article was originally written by Reporters without borders published on RSF. The link for the same is herein https://safety.rsf.org/four-safety-advice-for-reporting-in-a-conflict-zone/