Posted on 10/21/2008 6:18:17 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
PARIS (Reuters) – The United States and Israel, despite their democratic credentials, fall down badly in their respect for press freedoms in conflict zones, a media group said on Wednesday.
Paris-based Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said the U.S. had slipped to 119th in respect of press freedoms outside its own territory in an annual ranking of more than 160 countries, from a joint ranking at 111 in its previous annual report.
Israel, whose armed forces killed a Palestinian journalist this year for the first time since 2003, was 149th on the list for press freedoms beyond its frontiers, compared with 103rd place in RSF's 2007 rankings.
Reuters cameraman Fadel Shana was killed in April by a shell packed with darts fired from an Israeli tank in the Gaza Strip. Israel's senior military lawyer said troops could not see whether Shana had been operating a camera or a weapon but were nevertheless justified in firing.
Both Israel and the United States moved up the table for 2008 with regard to respect of press freedoms at home.
"Democracies embroiled in wars outside their own territory, such as the United States or Israel, fall further in the ranking every year," the report said.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
They are lamenting the fact that its very dangerous to film when you’re traveling with the enemy.
Where are the other 118 conflicts that are going on that the US only made 119th? And for Israel the other 148 conflicts that rank safer than the Israeli one for safety of reporters?
This is a really, really stupid thing.
Dateline (Vichy France)
Fine, here’s what I would tell the press. “You want to go out on the battle field, go ahead. When it’s safe, let us know and we’ll come out.”
Says something about those reporters embedded with out military units back in ‘03, ‘04, etc. That was disrespect for the press??
“Reuters cameraman Fadel Shana was killed in April by a shell packed with darts fired from an Israeli tank in the Gaza Strip. Israel’s senior military lawyer said troops could not see whether Shana had been operating a camera or a weapon but were nevertheless justified in firing.”
The unfortunate camera man was perfectly free to risk his own life to get some spectacular footage.
Under battlefield conditions, any soldier has to shoot if he thinks he is in danger because he doesn’t have time to check the ID of some guy that looks like he’s aiming a bazooka at you. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) is demanding that soldiers put their lives at risk in order for a reporter to get a spectacular shot or a cool story. This shows that they have no idea of what “freedoms” are.
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