Safety advisory for journalists covering the Olympic and Paralympic Games
July 13, 2012 Leave a comment
By Natasha Lennard and Helena Williams
Olympics rings on Tower Bridge, London. The Olympics will attract an estimated 260,000 visitors to the capital. (Flickr/ymmat)
With two weeks until the Olympic Games begin in London, journalists covering the international sporting event should be aware of the security concerns there.
The Olympics run from 27 July to 12 August and the Paralympics run from 29 August to 9 September. The events will attract an estimated 260,000 visitors to the capital.
London is already one of the most surveyed locations in the world, with more CCTV cameras than any other city, but the media’s focus on Olympic security has highlighted some of the more extreme measures taken – most notably the stationing of surface-to-air missiles atop nearby apartment complexes in East London.
London is on a high security alert ahead of the Olympics. The army, the police, private security firms and teams of hazardous materials handlers are on standby for any security-related incidents.
Reading between the lines: Journalism in Guatemala
July 27, 2012 1 Comment
In Guatemala, journalism is a game of self-censorship: You say as much as you can about what is happening, and as little as you can about who is doing it.
By Anna-Claire Bevan
“Guatemala’s precarious positioning makes it one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a woman, and one of the most dangerous places in the Americas to be a journalist” (Graham Hunt)
It’s no secret that Guatemala is a dangerous country: Central America’s largest nation is teeming with gangs, violence and crime. Its precarious positioning, on the main corridor for US-bound drugs, makes it one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a woman and one of the most dangerous places in the Americas to be a journalist.
Efforts to improve security have only lead to greater militarisation, abuse within the police force and an erosion of the law. Many suggest that the war on drugs is becoming a war on women; rape, torture and killing are as common now amongst females as they were during the country’s 36-year civil war, which ended in 1996.
Journalism here is a game of self-censorship: you say as much as you can about what is happening, and as little as you can about who is doing it. Those who speak out against impunity do so with the knowledge that their words could cost them their life. So, consequently, the desire to report reality is offset by concerns for personal safety.
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Filed under Comment, Guest Posts, INSI Blog, Interviews Tagged with Carlos Andrino, corruption, CPJ, drugs, Guatemala, impunity, IPYS, Latin America, local journalists, Lucia Escobar, press freedom, security, The Guardian, The Rory Peck Trust