5 July 2017
Journalists covering the refugee crisis have been affected by moral injury, according to a report published by the International News Safety Institute (INSI), which warns that this issue has the potential to have a significant impact on their mental health if nothing is done to prevent or treat it.
“The Emotional Toll on Journalists Covering the Refugee Crisis” is the first study of its kind into the response of news media professionals covering a humanitarian crisis and was prompted by the arrival in Europe by sea of more than one million migrants in 2015.
Published by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, it shows how moral injury – a condition linked to experiencing events and behaviour that violate one’s moral compass – emerged as the biggest psychological challenging faced by those covering the refugee crisis.
“We recognise that the trauma experienced by journalists as witnesses could never be equated with the suffering endured by the migrants, but we wanted to try to better understand what some journalists were experiencing so we could ensure those covering the refugee crisis could continue their important work of recording history,” said Hannah Storm, INSI director, and co-author of the report with neuropsychiatrist Professor Anthony Feinstein.
Nine major European and North American news organisations took part in the survey, which included 114 journalists. In addition to the quantitative survey, various industry-wide interviews and meetings were carried out which corroborated the survey findings.
Yannis Behrakis (pictured left) turned his camera on his home country of Greece where he began covering the story in April 2015.
“A lot of times you are not sure what to do: leave the camera and actively help people come out of the sea or do practical things for them, drive them up the road, or give them clothes, or take their pictures,” said Behrakis, who works for Reuters, in an interview for the report.psiphon apk download
“Of course, I always think this is the way I help and this is my job to make sure that everybody around the world knows what is happening and that is my mission.”
Key findings from the survey included:
- Local journalists, parents and those working alone with no previous experience covering war are more likely to experience moral injury.
- Moral injury is linked to an increased workload and a perceived lack of support from employers.
- Neither post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) nor depression posed a significant risk for journalists covering the refugees.
“Moral injury is not a mental illness, which can be reassuring, but it should not be taken lightly for it comes with its own set of challenges,” said Feinstein. “It is to be hoped that the results of our study act as the impetus for an industry-wide discussion on how moral injury can be addressed and what changes need to take place,” Feinstein added.
The report concludes with a set of considerations for the news industry on how to support and educate those at risk of developing moral injury, and shows how its findings could have relevance to those working in other stories in non-conflict areas that have a traumatic content, such as domestic terror threats.
5 July 2017
The second World .Radio Advisory Board meeting was held in Geneva on 4 July 2017 at the headquarters of the EBU. This Board, chaired by AIB Chief Executive Simon Spanswick, steers the development of the new .radio top level domain and resolves issues surrounding name allocations in the new TLD.
At present, the .radio TLD is being offered through the Pioneers Programme. This allows companies that have a serious interest in using – and promoting – the new .radio extension to gain exposure globally. The Association for International Broadcasting is a pioneer, providing a special web site for its annual awards – the AIBs – at www.theaibs.radio. Companies interested in becoming a .radio pioneer and having use of a .radio domain in advance of the opening of registration requests can contact the AIB for more information.
In August, “sunrise” registrations will be opened, with general availability from 15 November 2017.
“The .radio top level domain will allow every organisation with radio operations, or companies and individuals with close links to radio, to demonstrate their involvement in the radio industry,” commented Simon Spanswick, WRAB President and Chief Executive of the Association for International Broadcasting. “This is the first community domain in the world, and it’s great that the radio industry is able to lead this new global domain initiative.”
Pictured above, from left: WRAB Members at the Geneva meeting – Giacomo Mazzone (EBU); Simon Spanswick (AIB); Olya Booyar (ABU); Graham Dixon (EBU); Alain Artero (EBU)
5 July 2017
Two major industry associations to work on cyber security and other key issues; AIB endorses NABA/DPP Security Requirements
The Association for International Broadcasting, the trade association for television, radio and online across the world, announces that it is to collaborate closely with the Digital Production Partnership (DPP),
DPP’s membership represents the whole media supply chain: production companies, manufacturers, suppliers, service providers, post production facilities, consultancies, broadcasters, distributors, and not-for-profit organisations. Besides working on the development of specifications and best practice in content exchange, a major DPP focus is the issue of cyber security.
Cyber security is also a key issue for the Association for International Broadcasting. The AIB has been working on the subject for the past three years and its specialist Working Group brings together broadcasters and key suppliers from across the globe, ranging from New Zealand to the USA. As a result of this new collaboration, the AIB is announcing that it is endorsing and backing the NABA/DPP Broadcaster Cyber Security Requirements for Suppliers.
Through this new collaborative venture, DPP will become an associate member of the AIB, and the AIB will become a DPP member.
“This new collaboration between the AIB and DPP is important for the whole broadcasting industry,” comments Simon Spanswick, AIB chief executive (pictured right). “There is much commonality between the aims and the work programme of our two organisations and cyber security is at the top of both organisations’ agendas. In endorsing the NABA/DPP security requirements document, the AIB is reaffirming its commitment – and that of its Members – to driving the media industry towards increased security to protect broadcasters from devastating cyber attack. We will work closely with our DPP colleagues over the coming months on this critical issue.”
Mark Harrison, Managing Director DPP, added “There are few more important areas for change in the media sector than the improvement needed in security practices throughout the supply chain. The DPP believes that pan-industry change such as this can only be delivered by collaboration. So we are really delighted to be working more closely with the AIB, who are just as committed to this area as we are. The North American Broadcasters Association (NABA) defined some important, pragmatic cyber security requirements in broadcasting; and now the DPP and AIB will work together to drive their implementation.”
The new collaboration between the AIB and DPP will also allow the exchange of information on a wide range of other issues, and lead to closer co-operation between Members of the two organisations.
29 June 2017
The closing date of the AIBs 2017 has been extended, following requests from broadcasters and production companies around the world.
The new date by which entries must be submitted is 14 July.
“Many people have been in touch with us asking for an extension to the closing date,” says AIB Awards Co-ordinator Clare Dance (pictured). “We’re able to push the deadline back to enable the AIBs to showcase the very best factual content from all over the world. This year’s competition has already seen fantastic work submitted and it’s being entered by broadcasters and production companies which have not entered the competition in the past. Here at the AIB, we believe this demonstrates the constantly growing influence and importance the the AIBs enjoy. In this 13th year’s competition, we’re seeing the largest number of entries ever across the 20 categories.”
The AIBs 2017 | Categories
VIDEO
Breaking news report
Continuing news coverage
News feature
Short documentary
Science, technology and nature
Human interest
Politics and business
Arts and culture
International affairs
Sport
Children’s and youth
Presenter of the year
AUDIO
Continuing news coverage
News feature
Arts and culture
Investigative
Human interest
Presenter of the year
Interactive
AIB Impact Award
Full information on how to enter is in our entry book. Remember: closing date is now 14 July 2017!
27 June 2017
In a new Alhurra documentary series, ISIS defectors provide first-hand accounts that reveal the extremist group’s entrenched culture of deception, intimidation, cruelty, drugs, and sexual abuse. The series, Exiting ISIS, debuts this Saturday, July 1, at 20:00 GMT.
Through rare interviews, the 13-part series tells the stories of former ISIS members who provide unique insights into life in the Islamic State. They show ISIS’s hypocrisy as it captivates its followers with the promise of a global Muslim caliphate. Exiting ISIS documents why ISIS militants joined the armed group and ultimately decided to escape. Defectors provide revelatory details about how foreign fighters were recruited; how they travelled to Iraq and Syria to join the fight; how women were forced to torture other woman who have transgressed by singing, listening to music, dressing with insufficient modesty, or leaving their homes without a male escort.
In each episode, Exiting ISIS provides insightful testimonials of deserters denouncing ISIS’s lies, its false promises, its cult of violence and death, and its widespread corruption and inequality. They believe that, in doing so, they will reveal the truth about ISIS and discourage future potential recruits from joining.
“It is essential that the defectors be able to share with our audience their first-hand accounts of the ordeals they have endured living under ISIS and the horrors they witnessed,” stated MBN President Brian Conniff. MBN manages and oversees Alhurra Television. “This series communicates the fear and terror felt by those trapped under ISIS rule.”
The first episode of Exiting ISIS profiles a 22-year-old Iraqi from Hawija, known as Mohammed. He details how intimidation forced him into ISIS. Once he joined the group, his conscience was shocked by the injustice and the manipulation of Islamic teachings by ISIS to advance their corrupt agenda and soon wanted to leave. He shares the fear that he felt when he tried to run away and how he was forced to remain in the group to protect his family from retaliation. Mohammed stresses that ISIS works to obscure these bitter realities and that the group is far removed from true Islamic teachings.
Exiting ISIS will also be streamed on Facebook Live when it debuts on Alhurra.
(Source: Alhurra press release)
27 June 2017
The BBC Pashto flagship TV programme, BBC Naray Da Wakht (BBC World Right Now), is launching a weekly arts supplement. From Saturday 1 July 2017, the weekly slot, Hunary Shabay (Art Moments), will focus on art and literary news from Afghanistan, Pakistan and from around the world.
BBC Pashto TV Editor, Emal Pasarly, commented: “The region has a vibrant and amazingly diverse cultural scene, and there is a need for an art news programme on TV in Afghanistan and Pakistan to reflect it – and also to bring the world’s cultural news that resonates with our audience. We hope Hunary Shabay will be a welcome addition to the prime-time weekend TV schedule, bringing reports, interviews and commentary from Afghanistan, Pakistan and the rest of the world on everything art. Bollywood or Hollywood, traditional music or pop, books, theatre, exhibitions – you name it, we will bring our viewers the latest from the world of arts.”
Hunary Shabay will be part of the Saturday edition of the daily TV news programme, BBC Naray Da Wakht. On Sundays the programme features the economy and business edition, Da Eqtesad La Narray; on Thursdays – the phone-in edition, Staso Ghag (Have Your Say), while the Friday sports supplement, Lobay, brings sports news.
BBC Naray Da Wakht is broadcast live from London in prime time on the Shamshad TV network in Afghanistan (18.00 local time) and Mashriq TV in Pakistan (18.30 local time). The programme is also available on demand via the BBC Pashto channel on YouTube and the website bbcpashto.com.
BBC Pashto content – on radio, TV, online and on social media – reaches around 7m people in Afghanistan, Pakistan and the rest of the world every week*. The BBC Pashto Facebook has more than 2.8m followers (June 2017), engaging 400,000** people every week. BBC Pashto also connects with its audiences via Twitter, Google+, YouTube, Instagram and SoundCloud.
BBC Pashto is part of the BBC World Service.
(Source : BBC press release)
