Friday, November 02, 2018, 11:00 - 12:00
William Horsley, International Director, Centre for Freedom of the Media, University of Sheffield, UK; author, OSCE Safety of Journalists Guidebook (2018)
(The speech and Q & A will be in English)
"Open Season on Journalists – Why Killings, Attacks and Jailing of Journalists are at an All-Time High and What to Do About It?"
Killings, attacks and jailing of journalists worldwide are at an all-time high. Many now speak of an 'open season' on journalism. Jamal Khashoggi's death is just the tip of an iceberg of violence against the press. Thirty years after the end of the Cold War a 'new authoritarianism' has found fertile ground in our information-rich societies. The defining characteristic of this toxic political brand is the fusion of partisan political power with ruthless domination of the information sphere through technology, violence, and the misuse of law, leading sometimes to 'state capture'. Horsley writes that flak jackets are no longer enough; journalists must understand that press freedom and democracy can only exist when truly protected by good laws and judicial independence. Horsley argues that journalists must learn not only to cover the news but to protect themselves and the best way to do that is to be active cross-border advocates of press freedom.
Known to many FCCJ regulars as the BBC's Tokyo bureau chief in the late 1980s and early 1990s, Horsley moved on to assignments in Bonn and Berlin, becoming BBC European Correspondent. After leaving the BBC, Horsley became an active advocate of journalist safety, helping to found the Centre for Freedom of the Media at the University of Sheffield where he is now international director. Horsley is concurrently vice president of the independent Association of European Journalists and author of the 2012, 2014 and 2018 OSCE Safety of Journalists Guidebook. He has also helped draft EU and UN statements on journalism safety issues.
Please reserve in advance, 3211-3161 or on the website (still & TV cameras inclusive). Reservations and cancellations are not complete without confirmation.
New Address
5F&6F Marunouchi Nijubashi Bldg., 3-2-3, Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-0005
Conference Rooms are located on the 5th floor.
Professional Activities Committee
