May Chidiac from Lebanon told her story at the UNESCO meeting. Photo: Hasse Ferro/UNESCO

Lebanese journalist May Chidiac made a strong impression at the journalist safety seminar sponsored by the Danish National Commission for UNESCO held in Copenhagen last weekend

“UN Resolutions are not making my country more safe” scoffed May Chidiac, the survivor of an attack on her life and a former broadcaster for the Lebanese television channel LBC. To answer the question of what would make her country safer for journalists, Ms. Chidiac joined a comprehensive panel of media development organizations and foreign correspondents for an in-depth look at journalist safety in a seminar sponsored by the Danish National Commission for UNESCO.

In the presentations, Mr. Mogen Schmidt highlighted the escalation of threats by proclaiming 2010 “the worst year ever for journalists exercising their profession.” In his role as the Deputy Assistant Director-General for Communication and Information in UNESCO Paris, Mr. Schmidt has seen many governments sidestep the rule of law when it comes to protecting journalists.  According to his organization’s calculations, less than 15% of journalist killers are prosecuted around the globe.

In countries known for their impunity records, governments and non-state actors create a hostile environment for journalists equivalent to that of a violent conflict zone. Dina Yafasova, a print journalist from Uzbekistan, described in her presentation, how she faced political exile after documenting the excesses of her country’s dictator.  She fled to Denmark after the Uzbeki police tailed her, kept microphones in her vehicle and terrorized her family.  Ms. Yafasova devised her own set of survival strategies but ultimately couldn’t handle the pressure of the Uzbekistan government.

In response to this problem, journalist Sanath Balasooriya pressed media development organizations to  “pressurize the governments!” especially if they wanted to protect more journalists in his native country of Sri Lanka. His suggestion is certainly easier said than done and with a UNESCO budget of $180,000 a year, probably unlikely to occur.

Since international bodies like the UN have limited reach, Finn Rasmussen of International Media Support suggested creating customized strategies for local journalists in each conflict area: “any meaningful attempt to protect journalists…needs to be modeled on the political environment.” His organization’s work in Afghanistan featured safety committees independent of the government and international instructors coaching local trainers in conflict sensitive journalism.

Supporters of free media will need to reach across professions to find allies in the fight against impunity. Moreover, local journalists need access to training and resources for conflict as well as non-conflict zones. Meanwhile, journalists will have to rely on their wits, instinct and exit strategies to navigate the rough waters ahead.

The UNESCO exhibition on Freedom of Expression and Safety of Journalists continues until 29 October 2010.