Viewpoints: Media access to conflict zones and citizen journalism
Today, Just Journalism releases ‘Viewpoints: Media access to conflict zones and citizen journalism’ a short briefing on the subject of conflict reporting and the rise of new media technologies. We asked a selection of journalists, media experts and journalism advocates to share their views on the question:
‘In view of recent media restrictions in Iran, what implications do you think the limiting of journalists’ access to conflict zones has for news audiences?’
To read the report, click here.
Key findings include:
- Recent events in Iran do not represent anything new in terms of the behaviour of parties attempting to limit the access of journalists. Other conflict areas raised in this context include Afghanistan, Georgia, Gaza and Sri Lanka
- The rise of new technologies is likely to further catalyse existing tensions between journalists and the parties they report on in foreign news
- Upholding standards of news reporting when dealing with reports based on Twitter feeds and mobile phone footage is viewed as a challenge. Citizen journalism reports need ‘situating’
- Concerns are expressed about the reliability of conflict reporting, and explicit connections are drawn between the decision by parties to limit media access, and the perceived hostility of the subsequent reporting
Just Journalism wrote on the subject of citizen journalism in relation to Iran in June. Click here for this analysis.
The contributors to this briefing were:
Tala Dowlatshahi, Senior Advisor for Reporters Without Borders USA
Sanjana Hattotuwa, Senior Researcher at the Sri Lanka-based Centre for Policy Alternatives
Yaacov Lozowick, Israeli historian and archivist
Denis MacEoin, Chief Editor of Middle East Quarterly and Islamic studies expert
Milica Pesic, Executive Director of the London-based Media Diversity Institute
Jean Seaton, Professor of Media History at Westminster University and official BBC historian. Author of ‘Carnage and the Media: the Making and breaking of News about Violence’
Saul Zadka, Former London correspondent for Israeli daily Haaretz and regular commentator on world affairs