Ethıcal Charter for Syrıan Medıa “ECSM” continues to hold sessions, forums, and workshops for Syrian journalists as part of its endeavor to achieve ethical journalism and media free from violations in the Syrian media institutions.
In this context, “ECSM” held, on Thursday 05/10/2023, a dialogue forum in cooperation with the Syrian Journalists Association “SJA”, in which 27 male and female journalists participated in physical presence or via “ZOOM” (online), on “raising awareness and empowerment of young journalists about the legal issues related to working conditions and protecting themselves in conflict areas” in Gaziantep – Turkey.
The forum facilitator, lawyer Ghazvan Koronful, began the first session by talking about the law definition and moved on to a detailed explanation for the most important items that must be present in the journalist’s employment contract, especially names of the contracting parties, detailed description, the purpose of the contract, address of the contracting parties, along with numbers of registration or membership in journalistic associations or bodies, email and phone number.
Then, he talked about the responsibilities and obligations of each party clearly and in detail with regard to the contract, such as the duration and place of the implementation, the agreed-upon wage in numbers and writing, type of currency, additional compensation and expenses, and the judicial authority to settle disputes arising or related to the content of the contract.
The session also included discussions about the method through which the media institution could not be allowed to monopolize the contract and not give a copy to the contractor or journalist, information useful in protecting journalists under conditions of war, the place of registration to resolve the dispute between the journalist and the institution, and how journalists who have been abandoned by their institutions should behave in Turkey. The role of ECSM and SJA and their impact on the issue of commitment and adherence to contracts. While, the forum facilitator, Chairman of ECSM, Ahmad Elabsi, and member of the Board, Akram Alahmad, responded to the participants’ questions, legally and organizationally.
Fatema Koronful, Executive Manager of the Al-Kawakibi Center for Transitional Justice and Human Rights, one of the participants in the forum, said that she believes that “these discussions are important and distinctive because they dealt with legal and human rights issues related to the legal protection of journalists within conflict areas, which is an important aspect and constitutes an addition to the experiences of young journalists who must obtain Legal briefings, even if they are minimal.”
She added that the forum had spaces for dialogue and discussion that, in parallel with the logistical services, contributed to enriching it and providing elements of comfort and harmony for the participants.
The second session, in which the forum facilitator spoke about international humanitarian law and the protection of journalists in situations of armed conflict, by defining it and clarifying the difference between it and international human rights law.
He explained that international humanitarian law is a set of laws, regulations and agreements that aim to regulate the behavior of warring parties in situations of armed conflict and protect individuals not participating in the conflict, and this also includes the protection of journalists who work in these areas, noting that international humanitarian law emphasizes the importance of freedom expression and freedom of the journalism, even in situations of armed conflict. It recognizes that journalists should not be harassed or attacked because of their journalistic duties.
He added that there are many international conventions that recognize this and reinforce this right, such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the customary rules of international humanitarian law, stressing that international humanitarian law emphasizes the protection of civilian individuals and their property during armed conflict, and that journalists who are not part members of the armed forces are considered civilians and should therefore have special protection.
Koronful reviewed some international laws related to journalists in war zones, including “Article 4” of the Third Geneva Convention, “Article 79” of the First Additional Protocol to the Geneva Conventions of 1949, and “Article 19” of the International Covenant for Civil and Political Rights, which It was approved by the United Nations General Assembly in 1966, “Article 34” of Chapter Ten of the customary rules of international humanitarian law, and UN Security Council Resolution “No. 1738”.
Koronful explained the difference between a journalist and a war reporter, explaining that a journalist is a media person who reports the event without necessarily having a connection to either of the two warring factions, and therefore he is a civilian person and must be treated in that capacity. As for a war reporter, he is a journalist who holds an official approval from the armed forces that he accompanies. Therefore, he should be treated as a prisoner of war.
The session included several interventions from the participants about the trial of a journalist in Germany because he filmed a clip in Syria, the procedures that the journalist can take so that he is not convicted when he leaves Syria, and the countries that have signed international laws on the protection of journalists but are not committed to implementing them. The facilitator and some participants who have experience answered the questions raised by the participants.
Member of the Board of Radio Fresh, Osama Alahmad, believed that “the forum was not limited to its richness with useful information, but rather the environment of dialogue, discussion, and exchange of experiences on the topics of the forum had an effective and positive impact in developing the knowledge of the participants,” adding that the information presented was consistent with what was important for participating journalists on the importance of creating a legal environment for the work of journalists and media institutions.
He added that the forum discussed the reality of the work of journalists and journalistic institutions and the mechanisms for accessing a legal environment for work and considering it a priority to ensure the protection of the rights and duties of contractors (institution – journalist). This was enriched by addressing international humanitarian law and international human rights law, clarifying the legal position of journalists in conflicts, and highlighting articles of protecting journalists and the importance of the rights to freedom of expression and journalistic work.
He concluded his speech by saying, “The forum added to me, as a board member of Radio Fresh, a new mechanism of thinking to deal more carefully with journalists and media professionals contracting with Radio Fresh, and the necessity of adding the professional safety guide to the code of conduct as a preventive measure to spread awareness in the field of occupational safety for journalists and media professionals in a conflict environment in Syria”.
Journalist Marwa Al-Ghafri said that the topic of the forum is very important, and the themes that were raised during the sessions touch on the concerns and challenges that male and female journalists face during their work in the media field, especially in recent times when the lack of legal awareness may lead to the risk of deportation in some asylum countries.
She added that it is also important that the ECSM ensures the presence of journalists from inside Syria and not limit themselves to journalists present in the region where the conference is held, and to overcome difficulties for that, with the aim of exchanging expertise, information and experiences between inside and outside Syria and identifying practical solutions on the ground.
Regarding the information she received during the forum, Al-Ghafri said, “the information raised by the facilitator is rich, useful, and applicable, especially in the field of contracts and the matters that a journalist must be careful of while contracting with any media institution. While the discussions and dialogue in the second part of the sessions enriched this information and developed it in its practical context”. She hoped to continue working on holding such important and useful sessions, perhaps contributing to achieving the desired goals that ECSM seeks to achieve.
The third session included a talk about the professional safety guide for journalists, and Koronful explained that there is no work that is not fraught with risks, but the types of risks differ according to the types of work, and in all cases, there is no journalistic work in the field, especially in conflict areas, without danger, and this is what makes It is important to know some rules related to occupational safety.
During the session, he spoke about the necessity of preparing and training on safety and security in dangerous environments, before traveling to a conflict zone, and that the journalist must have good knowledge of the cultural, political and social context in the region in which he will work, and that he should evaluate potential risks before starting coverage and take the necessary measures to prevent them.
The forum facilitator pointed out the need for the journalist to be equipped with the necessary personal equipment such as a helmet, protective jacket, glasses, gloves and suitable shoes, and to have an effective means of communicating with the support and emergency team, and he must share information about his location and condition on a regular basis, in parallel with good planning of his activities and determining safe paths, potential danger areas, adhere to journalistic ethics, familiarizing the local laws, abstain from drugs and alcohol, and avoid provocation.
The participants then moved on to review their negative and positive experiences on the issues that were raised in the three forum sessions, where Akram Alahmad, a member of ECSM’s Board, and journalist Omar Haj Kadour spoke about their experience, and the accompanying development and greater knowledge of the laws and regulations, through their long practice of journalistic work, and Haj Kadour stressed the importance of the development that occurred after 2011 in the level of awareness and skills of Syrian journalists in general, as no festival is devoid of honoring Syrian journalists working in media institutions. While journalist Majd Hamo spoke about the beginning of his work in the media field before he reached the age of eighteen, and how he progressed in his experience through practicing media work for many years.
After concluding the forum’s work, Ibrahim Alshamaly, a journalist and filmmaker, reviewed what the participants discussed during the forum, saying: We discussed the legal environment for journalistic work, which includes the employment contract and the conditions necessary to achieve it, the most important elements of the legal environment for its implementation, international humanitarian law, the protection of journalists in situations of armed conflict, and a presentation of international laws which is considered an umbrella for the protection of journalists, and the personal measures that must be taken to protect the journalist, in addition to the occupational safety guide and general advice related to occupational safety in conflict areas.
Alshamaly stressed that “the topics that were presented are very important for every journalist who works and practices the profession, and they touch on all aspects of legal work that most of us were ignorant of in previous times”.
For his part, journalist Abdullah Hatem said that the forum highlighted an important human rights aspect for Syrian journalists, in light of the exceptional situation they are going through and the absence of legal institutions that protect their professional and financial rights. It was noteworthy that for the first time there was talk clearly about the items that media institutions must provide during its contracting with the journalist, especially what guarantees his safety in conflict areas. So, it is important to continue to highlight this aspect in order to conduct regular awareness campaigns, which can build a document that explains the rights guaranteed to those who practice journalistic work. And here we must praise the committee that prepared the forum and made it a success to be an important addition to the journalism profession in Syria.
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