“US Central Command policy is now actively restricting
independent newsgathering from Southern Iraq,” EBU
Secretary General Jean Stock said in a
statement. “Reporters and camera crews who put
their lives at risk have been detained by American and British
troops and returned to Kuwait.”Mr Stock said that this treatment appeared
to be aimed in particular at organizations from countries which had
chosen not to participate in the American-led
coalition. "As a result journalists are now
exposed to a much greater risk and the coalition policy targets the
quality of their reporting,” he said.
The EBU welcomed the initial decision by US
Central Command to allow journalists to “embed” with military
units, and saw that move as an important contribution to
newsgathering about the conflict. On the other hand, the EBU noted
that this allowed only a small number of European broadcasters to
report directly on the conflict. Others had to report from the
sidelines, mainly from Kuwait City.
These broadcasters were therefore limited
to either relying on third party news sources or to sending their
crews as so-called “unilaterals” into Iraq. Those unilaterals were
now being turned away by British and American troops and forcibly
returned to Kuwait, Mr Stock said. As a result camera crews had to
work almost clandestinely and faced a much higher risk in the
area.
“We have independent information
that broadcasters can work safely in many areas, so we do not
understand why the military is putting so many obstacles in the
path of journalists,” head of news Tony Naets
said. “They have created a caste system with embedded
journalists - usually from countries in the so-called coalition who
can associate with the troops - and the truly unilateral
broadcaster who is prevented from coming anywhere near the
news.”
Contact:
Tony Naets
Head
Eurovision News Services
Tel: +41 (0)22 717 2831
Fax: +41 (0)22 747 4831
naets@eurovision.net
