Press Freedom and Human Rights
Tuesday, October 4th, 2011.
UK chair of Reporters without Borders
Elizabeth Way summarises this Birmingham UNA meeting, held on September 17th:
On the 17th of September Heather Blake UK Director of Reporters Without Borders (RWB) spoke to the Birmingham Branch AGM about Press Freedom and Human Rights.
RWB was founded in 1985 to support journalists and uphold their rights and to report freely. It helps financially by supporting the families of journalists imprisoned or murdered. She spoke about the increased deliberate attacks on journalists and the increasing violation of human rights. I pressed for the establishment of laws to facilitate free reporting and for the UN to get the right to report firmly established as one of UN human rights.
RWB will send one of their panel of experts to areas that have been reported to look at the evidence. They can send protest letters to governments responsible. They can then work to raise the international profile of events in that country.
Heather Blake spoke of the problems arising from the cutting of financial support for the World Service by the BBC; it may be impossible for some countries to hear a more truthful alternative to the state media, making human rights violations more probable. She praised the balanced reporting of Al-Jazeera. She also spoke about the need to balance detailed reporting in some situations in order to safeguard people who are opposing their own government and giving vital information to the reporter. Heather praised the Birmingham branch for their informed interest and searching questions.