A female radio journalist gunned down

IFJ Condemns Killing of Female Journalist in Somalia

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today condemned the killing of Rahmo Abdulkadir, a female radio journalist who was gunned down in the Somali capital, Mogadishu on Sunday 24 March 2013.

According to the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ), an IFJ affiliate, Rahmo Abdulkadir who worked for Radio Abudwaq was shot dead near her house by three young men armed with pistols. The shooting took place in the district of Towfiq in north Mogadishu.

"We urge the authorities to thoroughly investigate this murder and bring the killers to justice," said Gabriel Baglo, IFJ Africa director. «We are seriously concerned by the escalation of deadly violence targeting journalists killed in Somalia." 

NUSOJ said that the motive behind the killing is unknown, adding that Rahmo Abdulkadir, who had recently arrived in Mogadishu for private reasons was working as journalist, producer and technician. 

"We need the law enforcement agencies and the government at all levels to put a stop to the incessant and senseless killing of media practitioners," said Omar Faruk Osman, NUSOJ Secretary General.

Rahmo Abdulkadir is the second Somali journalist murdered in as many weeks, following the killing of Abdihared Osman Adan on 18 January, also in Mogadishu. She is also the third journalist killed in Somalia since the start of the year and the second female journalist murdered in the country in a decade.IFJ Condemns Killing of Female Journalist in Somalia

For more information please contact: +221 33 867 95 86/87

The IFJ represents more than 600.000 Journalists in 134 countries in the World

IFJ Condemns Kidnapping of TV Journalist in Nigeria

Her baby and maid were released later

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has today condemned the kidnapping of OLubunmi Oke, a television journalist in Nigeria. According to the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), an IFJ affiliate, the reporter and presenter with the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), her baby and maid were taken Thursday March 21 by four men who blocked her car as she was leaving her office in Akure, the capital of Ondo state (South West). Her baby and maid were released later while the car was found in another town. The reason of the kidnapping is unknown.

“We are deeply concerned by the kidnapping of our colleague. We call on security forces to do their best to ensure her safe return. We stand in solidarity with her family and colleagues,” said Gabriel Baglo, IFJ Africa director.

The IFJ raises concern about the personal security of journalists in this context of violence in some parts of the country.  On 26 April 2012, two suicide car bombs targeted offices of Nigerian newspaper This Day in Abuja and a Media house in Kaduna.  Arrests of journalists are also frequent. On 24 December 2012, journalists Musa Muhammad Awwal and Aliyu Saleh from weekly Al-Mizan, a Hausa-language newspaper, were arrested and detained by the security forces without clear charges. They have since been released. The journalist Ikechukwu Udendu, editor of Anambra News , a monthly newspaper, was shot dead on Saturday 12 January 2013 by unknown persons.

“We call on journalists to have personal safety protocol and ask authorities to bring to court all perpetrators of attacks against journalists,” Baglo added.

For more information please contact: +221 33 867 95 86/87

The IFJ represents more than 600.000 Journalists in 134 countries in the World

IFJ Condemns Kidnapping of TV Journalist in Nigeria

52nd Anniversary Celebrations of UNI

21-March-2013 18:05 IST
Need for more wire News Agencies in the Media Sector 
-I&B Minister Tewari Participates in the celebrations

Minister for Information & Broadcasting, Shri Manish Tewari has said that taking into account the potential of the growing media sector and the flow of information in the news segment, there existed a case for more wire news agencies being established across the media landscape in the country. The potential was tremendous as these agencies facilitated information flow at the sub regional, regional and national level. The increase in number of news agencies would not only enable local based news being highlighted at the national level, it would also enable such agencies to balance news dissemination at the national and local level. Taking into account the diversity of information dissemination, such mechanisms would enable local issues being highlighted as prominently as those at the national level. The Minister stated this while speaking at the 52nd Anniversary Celebrations of United News of India, here today. 

Elaborating further, Shri Tewari said that there was an urgent need to outline sustainable revenue models. Quoting the instance of the digitization process the Minister said it was an attempt to bring about transparency and a long term sustainable process in the broadcasting sector which would help all stakeholders. The revenue models would also have to take into account the parameters that were addressing different audiences with the emergence of new media platforms and instant communication mechanisms.   52nd Anniversary Celebrations of UNI
CP/ST

Copyright Rules 2013

18-March-2013 18:44 IST

Provide new rules for statutory licence
The Copyright Rules, 2013 has been notified by the Copyright Division, Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Human Resource Development on 14th March, 2013. The amendments to the existing provisions of the Copyright Act, 1957 and introduction of new provisions under the Copyright(Amendment) Act, 2012, which came into the force on 21st June, 2012, necessitated amendments to the Copyright Rules, 1958. The draft Rules were posted on the website of the Copyright Office on 28th August, 2012 seeking comments of all stakeholders and experts giving a deadline of 20th September, 2012. The Ministry also held a meeting with various stakeholders and copyright experts on 8th October, 2012 to seek their suggestions on the draft rules. 

The Copyright Rules, 2013 provide new rules for statutory licence for cover versions and broadcasting of literary and musical works and sound recording; compulsory licences for works withheld from public, unpublished and published works, for benefit of disabled; registration of Copyright Societies and Performer’s Right Societies; storage of transient or incidental copies of woks; making or adapting the work by organisations working for the benefit of persons with disabilities; importation of infringing copies and technological protection measures. 

The fee for registration of copyright for various works and fee for licences to be issued by register of Copyrights under the directions/orders of the Copyright Board have been increased under the Copyright Rules, 2013. The minimum fee has been increased for registration from Rs. 50/- per work to Rs. 500/- per work and the maximum fee has been increased from Rs. 600/- per work to Rs. 5,000/-. The fee for licences has been increased from Rs. 200/- to Rs. 2000/- per work and the maximum fee has been increased from Rs. 400/- to Rs. 40,000/-. The new fee structure provided under Second Schedule of the Rules is applicable from the date of coming into force of the Copyright Rules, 2013 that is 14th March, 2013. A copy of the same has been made available on the website of the Copyright Office (copyright.gov.in). 
R N M

Who will protect the people from the press

FREEDOM OF PRESS

It is a free press……there are laws to protect the freedom of the press’s speech, but none that are worth anything to protect the people from the press.” -------------Mark Twain

MEDIA IN WEST BENGAL

“Politics, Journalism, and Big Business work hand in hand for the hoodwinking of the public and the plundering of labour.” (Upton Sinclair/The Brass Check (1919)                                      From: Gouranga Chatterjee

Sri Lanka seeks to ID sources for Channel 4 film

March 6th, 2013 | Add a Comment

The Sri Lankan Defense Ministry says it wants to identify sources who provided information to the UK-based broadcaster Channel 4 for a new documentary alleging that government forces committed war crimes during the country’s long civil conflict,The Divaina, a Sinhala-language daily, reported today. In response, the producer issued a statement saying that no “resident anywhere in Sri Lanka helped us with this film.”

The Channel 4 documentary, “No War Zone: The Killing Fields of Sri Lanka,” was released last week in Geneva to coincide with a U.N. Human Rights Council discussion on Sri Lanka. The film depicts the Sri Lankan army’s involvement in a summary execution and torture. Callum Macrae, producer of the new documentary, also said in the statement that “no one was paid for any evidence or interviews.”

The Defense Ministry has a long history of threatening, intimidating, and harassing those who challenge government actions, CPJ research shows. An English translation of The Divaina piece referred to anyone assisting Channel 4 as having “turned their back to the motherland.”

“We deplore the Defense Ministry’s attempt to stifle free speech,” said CPJ Deputy Director Robert Mahoney. “Sri Lankans have a right to examine the country’s human rights record without fear of being denounced as unpatriotic.”

Channel 4 also exposed evidence of Sri Lankan war-time atrocities in a 2011 report. The government has denied any allegations of war crimes and has claimed that material used by Channel 4 was not authentic, local reports said.

Sri Lanka remains a highly restrictive and dangerous nation for the press. In July 2012, the Ministry of Media and Information blocked efforts to introduce freedom of information legislation before parliament, saying national security would be threatened if citizens were given access to public documents.

Written by cpj                                                                                             Courtesy: Network for Rights

Sri Lanka seeks to ID sources for Channel 4 film

Website on Heritage Initiatives

05-March-2013 14:27 IST
NCF and HUDCO agreed 
The Minister of Culture Smt. Chandresh Kumari Katoch has said that National Culture Fund (NCF) and Housing and Urban Development Corporation (HUDCO) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on 18th October, 2012. With the signing of the MoU, NCF and HUDCO agreed to utilize their respective strengths for the following:

1.     Training and Capacity Building
2.     Disaster management
3.     Museum upgradation
4.      Environmental improvement and provision of amenities
5.      Conservation and restoration of monuments
6.     Any other activity representing the cultural heritage of the country. The details of the salient features of the MoU are at Annexure.

In a written reply in the Lok Sabha today Smt. Katoch said, on the implementation of the said MoU, the Corporate Social Responsibility activities of HUDCO shall benefit the preservation and restoration of heritage buildings, with the provision of basic amenities/facilities at heritage sites and promotion, training/capacity building, awareness generation for the enhancement of culture and the improvement of the quality of life of citizens and development of the habitat sector.

This is an Umbrella MoU, which does not mention any fund allocation. Fund allocation is to be made upon the signing of individual project specific MoU’s between NCF & HUDCO subsequently, the Minister added.
Annexure
The salient features of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)The executed MoU identified the following areas of mutual cooperation:-1.     Training and Capacity Building- to actively work for sensitization of the local functionaries/implementing agencies for orientation towards cultural and heritage preservation. The local authorities as well as other role players shall be the focus of the training. International institutions working in the field shall also be involved in the training and capacity building programme.

2.     Disaster Management – to initiate joint research in the areas of traditional materials and technologies, damage assessment and retrofitting. Including strengthening measures and prevention of damages by taking up pilot projects.

3.     Museums- to ensure the improvement, value enhancement and revitalization of existing museums. Including state of art technology display, interpretations and presentation.

4.     Environmental improvement and provision of amenities- to work for improving the environmental conditions in and around world/other heritage sites including provision of basic facilities/amenities.

5.     Conservation and Restoration – to work for conservation and restoration of monuments/sites (protected/heritage building) which are State owned/Govt. of India owned.

6.   Any other activity which is mutually considered important/relevant to hereinabove referred areas of co-operation.(PIB)

***AD/DB

A Social Security Agreement at 4.00 PM

1-March-2013 16:19 Hour
                                                              INVITATION

Dear Sir/Madam,
               You are requested to cover the following event:
FUNCTION:Shri Vayalar Ravi, Minister of Overseas Indian Affairs and Mr. Paulo Portas, Foreign Minister of Portugal will sign a Social Security Agreement.
DATE:4th March 2013 (Monday)
TIME:4.00 p.m
VENUE:Maharani Hall, The Claridges Hotel, 12 Aurangzeb Road, New Delhi. 
                                                                                                                          -- P. K. Mohanty                                                                                                            

Post-Budget Interactive Session

3-March-2013 16:24 Hour
                                              INVITATION 

                                                               

Dear Friend,           The Union Finance Minister Sh. P. Chidambaram will hold a Post-Budget Interactive Session with representatives of Industry Associations as per the following schedule:
Date                            :           04.03.2013 (Monday)
Time                            :           03.00 P.M.
Venue                          :          NDMC Convention Centre, Jaisingh Road, New Delhi

You are cordially invited to cover the aforesaid event.
                                  Yours sincerely, 
(D.S.Malik)

PDS in the state

4-March-2013 12:34 Hour
                                                INVITATION
                            (You are requested for Visual Coverage only)

Dear Sir/Madam,
                                
Function   :          Chief Minister of Kerala Shri Oommen chandy will call on The Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Prof. K.V. Thomas, to discuss issues related with PDS in the state.

Date          :         March 04, 2013 (Monday)

Time         :          4.00 p.m.
     
Venue       :         Room No.41, Krishi Bhawan, New Delhi.

                                                                                  --N.C. Joshi

                                                     

For Visual Coverage

 Dated: March 04, 2013
   INVITATION
(You are requested for Visual Coverage only)       
Dear Sir/Madam,
                                
Function   :      Chief Minister of Kerala Shri Oommen chandy will call on The Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Prof. K.V. Thomas, to discuss issues related with PDS in the state.

Date        :                  March 04, 2013 (Monday)

Time         :                 4.00 p.m.

Venue       :                  Room No.41, Krishi Bhawan, New Delhi.               
                                                                        --N.C. Joshi

Launch of line of Spices

4-March-2013 10:54 Hour
                                                 INVITATION
Re: Anand Sharma to inaugurate Launch of line of Spices 

Dear Sir/Madam,
Shri Anand Sharma, Union Minister for Commerce, Industry & Textiles, will inaugurate Launch of a line of Spices, today as per the following details:

Venue:       Diwan-e-Am, Taj Mansingh, New Delhi

Date:          Monday, March 04, 2013

Time:         1330 hrs
         You are invited to cover the event.
                                                                         --Dhiraj Singh

"Indian Saga of Steel"

01.03.2013                                INVITATION

Dear Sir/Madam,
         You are requested to cover the following event:

Event:The Union Minister for Steel Shri Beni Prasad Verma will launch a book entitled "Indian Saga of Steel".
Date:04.03.2013 (Monday)
Time:12.30 PM
Venue:Hall No. 5, Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi
                                       --Naginder Kishor                            

Two senior journalists were killed in 48 hours

PAKISTAN:The killings of journalists continue unabated
 February 28, 2013                                                                            Two senior journalists were killed during the short span of 48 hours. As is usual, enquiry committees have been formed by the authorities to investigate the killings and the motives behind the incidents. However, as committees have been formed in the past for the same reason which have not shown any results there is not much hope that the latest committees will show any progress.

 A report by AHRC

On February 27, Mr. Malak Mumtaz Khan, a renowned journalist of the tribal areas and president of the Miranshah Press Club, was shot dead in North Waziristan. The area of Miranshah is known as a war zone which is under the control of the Taliban and from time to time the military conduct operations against the terrorists. Malak was going home from Miranshah bazaar in his car when men in another vehicle opened fire at him near his Miranshah Kalley village at about 4pm. He suffered bullet wounds to his head and chest and died on the spot. Malak was associated with several print and electronic media organisations, including The News, Jang, Geo TV and AVT Khyber.

The senior journalist, Mr. Khushnood Ali Shaikh, the chief reporter of the state-controlled Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) wire agency was killed in Karachi, the capital of Sindh province. He was killed in a hit-and-run accident by a car near his house on February 25. It is said that he was asked to pay an amount of Rs. 50,000 in extortion, ostensibly from a political group, for purchasing a new house. He was receiving threatening calls of the abduction and killing of his child if he did not pay the money demanded. He informed his journalist organization, his news agency, the APP, and the police of the threats. But after not getting any relief he shifted to Islamabad, the capital. When he thought the situation had been settled he returned to Karachi but again received threatening calls and it is believed that this resulted in his killing. The Police has appointed a highly designated officer to conduct the enquiry.

During the first two months of this year five journalists have been killed including three journalists in two bomb blasts in Quetta city, the capital of Balochistan province, when the Hazara Shia community was targeted by a sectarian organization.  

Pakistan is among the most dangerous countries in the world for journalists with a total of 87 deaths since the year 2000.  During the year 2011 16 journalists were killed and in 2012 nine journalists died while performing their official duty which ranked Pakistan as the third most dangerous country in the world for journalists. The tribal areas, Khaber Pakhton and Baluchistan provinces are the most dangerous areas for journalists.

Besides the number of journalists killed more than 100 journalists were injured while performing their duties. The government at all tiers claim that they are providing treatment to the injured journalists and taking care of the welfare of their family members. However the government and the media houses have failed to provide protection to the working journalists, particularly in the war zone areas.  The media houses are equally responsible for not taking steps to provide protection to the journalists rather than taking them for granted. At times it looks as if media houses are happy when a journalist is killed as the names of the media houses are quoted at every level.

No one has ever been arrested or even named in these killings with the exception of the case of one US based journalist, Daniel Pearl whose murder was investigated with the assistance of the American authorities. As already stated there have been many judicial commissions on the subject of the killings but they have all failed to identify the killers. In the very famous inquiry by a judge from the Supreme Court into the mysterious killing of Saleem Shahzad of Asia News after one year of deliberations could not identify the killers. This is despite the fact that Saleem himself had complained that he was facing death threats from the intelligence agencies of armed forces. http://www.humanrights.asia/news/forwarded-news/AHRC-FST-006-2012?searchterm=Saleem+Shahzad

The reason for the failure of the judiciary must be the insecurity of the judges which do not wish to associate themselves with any investigation into matters involving the military authorities or the terrorists. As a result they have failed to develop a system of protection under the law. The judiciary is well aware that there is no proper witness protection and terrorists enjoy this lacuna and the incapacity of the judiciary which gives them a good opportunity to pressure the legal proceedings. The case of murder of a journalist, Wali Khan Baber of Geo TV channel, is the best example to be quoted here as all the witnesses were killed. Despite this the judiciary remained silent on the matter.  http://www.humanrights.asia/news/ahrc-news/AHRC-STM-228-2012?searchterm=wali+khan+

Many journalists leave the country when they find no protection from their own organizations and the government. In 2011 four journalists left the country and in 2012 a further eight journalists left. These journalists, when they received shelter abroad have been hired by international media houses because of their investigative journalism.

The absence of any government policy to protect media workers continues to hamper the ability of journalists to work freely in Pakistan. After every incident of killing the government comes out with tall assurances to the journalist community. The same may be said about the media houses who always try to shift the responsibility onto the authorities but have never made any effort to develop a mechanism through their powerful organizations which always works for their benefit but not of the welfare or protection of journalists supposedly under their care. 

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) urges the government of Pakistan to ensure protection for the journalist's community. This must necessarily include their families and loved ones. It is the responsibility of the government to rein in the military and the intelligence agencies to ensure that they do not carry out extrajudicial killings of journalists who expose their failings. Their time would be better spent controlling the terrorists that are a threat to the entire country. 

Freedom of expression is now so limited in Pakistan due to the various laws, including the blasphemy laws and the Official Secret Act of 1923 which generated intolerance in the society at every level. The only group that benefits from this Act is the terrorists and the state intelligence agencies. Therefore the government must follow Article 19 of the United Nations International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights which has already been ratified by Pakistan. This Article provides space for the freedom of expression and a society based on tolerance.The Eagle Eye News

AHRC report on killing of journalists