Nepalese journalists under intense pressure

By Jacqueline Park, Director, Asia Pacific Office, International Federation of Journalists (www.ifj.org)

A high level delegation of the International Federation of Journalists based in Sydney Australia, is currently in town.

The IFJ team is led by Jcqueline Park, who currently resides in Sydney and is the director of Asia Pacific Regional Office of the Umbrella organization of Journalists around the world.

Ms. Park and her two member team is here to inform the Nepalese media leaders about the Tolerance Prize which the IFJ has initiated in the recent years.

This Sunday our Colleage Mr. T.N. Ghimire met Ms. Park and approached for a tete-a-tete to which she agreed. Below the results- Chief Editor

TGQ 1:What is your objective to visit Kathmandu this time? Your comments please!

J.Park: The International Federation of Journalists – the global voice for journalism – is committed to working with its members here in Nepal and South Asia to build solidarity among journalists and strong independent organizations of journalists to speak out on issues such as safety and freedom of expression.

The IFJ is the world organization of journalists, representing about half a million journalists organised in about 130 independent organizations in 105 countries.

TGQ 2:What impressions you have collected so far about Nepalese Journalism? Do you have any suggestions to forward? Your exclusive comments please!

J.Park: Nepalese journalists have been under intense pressure in the last couple of years and I am pleased we are able to be here in solidarity with them this week.

After the outbreak of political conflict, violence against journalists is on the rise across Nepal. Journalists working in hostile regions are the victims of constant threats and intimidation from all sides. Weekly we learn of the difficulties and dangers faced by journalists as more cases of harassment, threats, violence and even killings of journalists are reported.

TGQ 3: Because of internal conflict, as you must have noted, Nepalese media is suffering from various problems. In this situation, has the IFJ, International Federation of Journalists have any future plan in your mind to support or improve the Nepalese media?

J.Park: Understandably in this climate, fear has spread throughout the journalist community. At this time of conflict and stress, it is critical that our communities have access to the truth that enables them to understand and control their lives, rather than be controlled by those with the guns or political clout.

Violent conflict and political upheaval, by their nature, raise tempers and build barriers to understanding. But the value of communication to conflict resolution is obvious and the IFJ has called on all sides to respect the unique role journalists have to play at this time.

Journalists need to look beyond the bare facts in conflict that don’t tell us the full story. And we need to look for new sources, new ideas and new opportunities for conflict resolution and to build tolerance.

TGQ 4.How you take the various media unions existing in South Asia? What should be in your opinion, the role of such unions?

J.Park: Solidarity is so important for journalists. Only through strong and independent organizations can journalists have a voice that can speak for them on press freedom, independent of both governments and employers.

It is true that many voices can speak for press freedom -- including many of our employers -- but only a media union can credibly claim to be speaking for the collective of people working in the media -- because that is what a union is. And only a union can take collective action in defence of press freedom.

TGQ 5.Would you like to say something about the Tolerance Prize? What is it all about? Your remarks please!

J.Park: We have been pleased to launch this week the IFJ Tolerance Prize for South Asia.

This prize defends the principles of fairness and independent journalism that underpin tolerance – principles that here and in too many parts of the world are under attack.

And it will celebrate some outstanding examples of how journalism at its best promotes true understanding and appreciation of the differences among our communities.

The IFJ Journalism for Tolerance Prize is about defending and celebrating tolerance. It’s about strengthening awareness within journalism on questions of racism and discrimination, of respect and fairness.

It is an annual competition among journalists from all sectors of media with a simple objective: to promote better understanding among journalists from all communities of the importance of tolerance and of human rights, particularly at times of conflict.

This is particularly important as employers become larger and their interests expand beyond media. This can mean that their commercial interests outside the media may conflict with the obligations of the newspapers they publish.

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