The safety of journalists is a paramount consideration. If the media are not able to go about their work freely, they will be unable to gather the news and keep the electorate informed. Violence at political events, for example, has an impact not only on the right of candidates and parties to express their views peacefully, but also the right of the public to hear these views through the media.
Election reporting does not sound like an especially hazardous occupation. For journalists in many countries it is safe and routine. Yet elections can become an intense focus of political hostilities. In Zimbabwe in 2000, more than 30 opposition supporters died in a campaign of targeted political violence by supporters of the ruling party. The leading independent daily paper was the victim of a bomb attack, while journalists were on occasion abducted by party militants. Attacks on the media were encouraged by frequent anti-press rhetoric from senior figures.100
Journalists organizations will undertake their own measures to try to protect their members' safety. The International Federation of Journalists has developed a set of detailed guidelines to help journalists report elections safely (see International Federation of Journalists: Election Reporting Handbook). Journalists in Zimbabwe, for example, adapted these to their own conditions (see Zimbabwe: Code of Conduct and Reporting Handbook).
But this is not primarily a matter for the media themselves. At issue is not just the right of journalists to go about their business without threats or violence, but also the right of the electorate to be informed. Therefore the responsibility for ensuring journalists' safety lies with the electoral and governmental authorities - see Protecting the Safety of the Media. The following are some of the principal measures that can be taken:
- Repeal laws limiting media freedom . This will not only minimize the chance of journalists being the victims of state-sponsored violence. By removing provisions such as the requirement that journalists reveal confidential sources of information, this also makes it less likely that the media will be a target of attack from party supporters.
- Agree codes of conduct with the political parties that expressly prohibit not only violence against each other, but also against the media.
- Issue clear public statements about the importance of the media to the election process.
- Take swift legal action against anyone responsible for violence against journalists.
