Exploring the safety issues of journalists
Journalism occupies the place of the “fourth estate” in the unofficial hierarchy, but at the same time it is among the most dangerous professions. The relevance of the problem of guarantees and support for ensuring the safety of journalistic activities was devoted to an introductory online meeting on the safety indicators of journalists jointly by the Adil Soz International Foundation for the Protection of Freedom of expression within the framework of the approved project of the International Program for the Development of Communication (IPDC) “Kazakhstan: Improving the Safety of Journalists”.
Krista Pikat, UNESCO Representative in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Director of the UNESCO Almaty Office, Krista Pikat, noted that the UN has decided in early November to annually mark the Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists. UN and UNESCO support for the safety of journalists is the cornerstone of freedom of expression. UNESCO National Communication and Information Specialist Sergei Karpov presented the highlights of the UNESCO Director-General's Report on the Safety of Journalists.
Lyazzat Suindyk, Chairman of the Information Committee of the Ministry of Information and Social Development, made an overview of the legislation and means directed in Kazakhstan to ensure the safety of journalists. Tamara Kaleyeva, President of the Adil Soz International Foundation for the Defense of Freedom of expression, argued the importance of conducting a study that would take a long time and cover all target groups. The national assessment of the safety performance of journalists will culminate in the development of a national report and a related set of actions.
Chairman of the Union of Journalists of Kazakhstan Seitkazy Mataev, representative of the UN Department of Public Information in Kazakhstan Vlastimil Samek, President of the Internet Association of Kazakhstan Shavkat Sabirov, coordinator of national programs of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights for Central Asia Leila Duisekova and other speakers representatives of various aspects of the vision of the situation with the safety of journalists and bloggers.
From the Faculty of Journalism of Al-Farabi KazNU, the deputy head for scientific and innovative work, associate professor, candidate of philological sciences D.T. Gubasheva, associate professor, candidate of philological sciences E.I. Dudinova and associate professor, candidate of philological sciences A.V. Rozhkov Alexander Viktorovich noted the importance of conducting such a large and versatile research, because due to the constant momentaryness, journalists themselves sometimes begin to take threats and barriers in their activities for granted. A journalist sometimes has a self-censorship mechanism, when he is actually unprotected, despite the existing legislative norms. And the coronavirus epidemic has also shown that media workers (including cameramen, photojournalists) are at the forefront of their professional duty. Therefore, the results of the study, which will form the National Report, will make it possible to appeal when training new personnel to the real situation and improve it through the formation of public opinion and practice to support media workers and citizen journalists.
By the way, the gratifying fact, voiced at the meeting by the representative of Assel Karatayeva, the representative of the OSCE program office in our country, is that they financed special equipment (vest and armband) for journalists, which media workers can use during coverage of permitted rallies or during business trips to hot spots.
And the culmination of the online meeting was the simulation of a future poll, in the form of a virtual vote.
Representatives of universities, where journalists are trained, expressed the hope that they will be able to apply the results of the project "Kazakhstan: Enhancing the Safety of Journalists" in the educational process, because for a long time many publications of the Adil Soz Foundation have been used as teaching aids, material for diplomas and dissertations, argumentation in scientific discussions.
