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IREX Observes World Press Freedom Day 2004

Letter from IREX President Mark Pomar

Dear colleagues:

IREX joins with journalists, press freedom organizations, and media in recognizing World Press Freedom Day, May 3, 2004.

Journalists are daily on the front lines, risking their lives to gather and produce news that helps citizens participate in their societies. Press freedom advocates fight for the rights of media to freely report and for the rights of citizens to receive news and information free of government control. Whether reporting from war zones, practicing investigative journalism, or standing up to repressive regimes, they are risking their lives for a right that benefits all citizens.

In 2003, more than 60 journalists lost their lives while on the job. Many more were imprisoned, and thousands were harassed while attempting simply to report or protect rights that we take for granted.

IREX is proud to highlight just a few of the journalists, media outlets, associations, and NGOs with whom we have had the honor to work. They have sought to advance the cause of press freedom through their reporting and their advocacy. IREX has also initiated activities in many of its projects to highlight World Press Freedom Day and the importance of media freedom, independence, and professionalism.

Sincerely,

Mark G. Pomar President

On the occasion of World Press Freedom Day, May 3, 2004, IREX shares the following stories of media professionals and activities that IREX has supported in promotion of independent media. We also invite you to visit our country-by-country list of IREX activities in support of World Press Freedom Day.

Perseverance in the Russian Heartland
Every edition of the Toliattinskoe Obozrenie newspaper carries a banner counting the number of days since the murder of one chief editor in April 2002 and a second in October 2003—and marking the number of days that those slayings have gone unsolved. That the newspaper continues to be published five days a week is testimony to the resolve of the staff not to be silenced.

Creating Private Newspapers from the State-owned Press in Ukraine
Hundreds of newspapers in Ukraine continue to be owned by governmental bodies, which control their content—and thus the information that readers can get—as well as make it difficult for private newspapers, which are not subsidized from government budgets, to compete and thrive.

reporter at The Hague

CCN: Changing the Face of Croatian Television
Five years ago, it was only an experiment. Nobody really believed in its survival. What had been said was: let them try, let them cover the (1999) elections, then... But a group of dedicated journalists persevered and did change the face of Croatian television.

Osh Media Resource Center: Supporting Journalists in Kyrgyzstan
On February 4, 2004, at approximately 3:00 am, two unidentified masked men broke into the office of the Osh Media Resource Center (OMRC) and assaulted a security guard protecting the premises. OMRC is a civic association of over 120 journalists founded in 1995 with the mission of supporting and strengthening the independent media sector in southern Kyrgyzstan.

newspapers

The Association of Journalists of Macedonia Contributes to Free and Unbiased Media Coverage of Presidential Elections
The Association of Journalists of Macedonia (AJM) played a key role in creating a peaceful atmosphere that kept media bias of the recent April 14 presidential elections to a minimum. The OSCE and other international observers declared the first round of Macedonia’s snap presidential elections to be generally calm. The OSCE reports: “The media provided extensive and generally unbiased coverage of electoral issues.”

Moving Towards Freedom of Information in Kosovo
When Koha Ditore investigative journalist Fatmire Terrdevci requested documents from the Ferizaj municipality for her story about competitive bidding, she hit a brick wall. There was nothing in Kosovo law that compelled public officials to provide the documents. “I was asking the ministry of finance for weeks to see this project proposal and they never came back to me. I had no other choice than to publish my story without it.” Today Terrdevci and other Kosovar Journalists have a way to fight back.

UNEM

Montenegrin Media, Led by Union of Independent Electronic Media, Pushes for Implementation of Landmark Media Legislation
In 2002 the Union of Independent Electronic Media (UNEM) succeeded in gaining passage of three landmark media laws that liberalized Montenegro’s media laws. Since implementation of the laws began in 2003, UNEM, cooperating with international donors, NGOs, and the Montenegrin media community, has remained at the forefront of the effort to implement the laws.

Vreme: Leading the Way in Training the Next Generation of Serbian Investigative Journalists
Serbia’s leading political weekly, Vreme, has long won an unimpeachable reputation for speaking truth to power. Founded in October 1990, at the height of Slobodan Milosevic’s hold over the hearts and minds of the Serbian population, Vreme took on the then-uncontested ruler without fear or trepidation, exposing him to fearless but fair criticism.

Beloruskaya Delovaya Gazeta: Persevering in Belarus
When the repressive government of Belarus launched another massive media crackdown last year, one of the first targets was Belaruskaya Delovaya Gazeta, a leading independent daily that is considered perhaps the most balanced and credible newspaper in the country.

Media Unites to Protect Journalists in Bulgaria
Twelve leading Bulgarian media representatives, including key newspaper publishers and editors, media lawyers, and champions of human rights and press freedom, cofounded the Help for Journalists Foundation, a voluntary fund for the protection of journalists in Bulgaria, in July 2003.