IFJ and Pakistan Union Release Safety Guidelines

IFJ and Pakistan Union Release Safety Guidelines

July 6, 2011 - The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joins its affiliate, the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), in launching a set of newsroom posters and brochures which alert journalists and media personnel in Pakistan to basic steps for protecting themselves.

The posters and brochures, in English and Urdu, will be distributed through the PFUJ’s affiliated unions and to media organisations across Pakistan.

In consultation between the IFJ and the PFUJ, “22 Steps to Safety” has been prepared as a poster and brochure, while “Protect Our Media” provides advice on how to deal with threats.

Developed with members of the PFUJ, the posters and brochure take into account expertise from various parts of the world, including the safety guidelines of the IFJ, the International News Safety Institute (INSI) and fellow IFJ affiliate the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP).

“The IFJ urges media personnel and managements in Pakistan to use these materials and share them with colleagues, to improve awareness of the basic steps they can take to protect themselves in one of the world’s most dangerous countries for journalists,” IFJ Asia -Pacific Director Jacqueline Park said.

The PFUJ said the posters and brochures were prepared in view of the deplorable safety situation for journalists in Pakistan, which has seen six media workers killed so far this year.

“Security of journalists is our top-most priority and this exercise is among a number of steps being taken by the PFUJ to ensure protection of journalists,” PFUJ President Pervaiz Shaukat said in a statement.

PFUJ Secretary-General Amin Yousuf also noted that the guidelines were part of the PFUJ’s program to assist media personnel in Pakistan to protect themselves and their colleagues.

The materials have been produced with the support of the European Union (EU) and are available for download at http://asiapacific.ifj.org/en/articles/ifj-and-pakistan-union-release-safety-guidelines.

The IFJ represents more than 600,000 journalists in 131 countries

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ENDS

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