Is this censorship happening here too journalists out there?

national | miscellaneous | news report

Thursday September 26, 2002 18:43

by Blisset

Don’t bang the drum of war, says NUJ

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September 23 2002

Journalists should be careful about being used to crank up the pressure to attack Iraq, NUJ General Secretary Jeremy Dear has warned.

He said the union had been contacted by members who said they were under pressure not to report anti-war activity. Some were BBC journalists who had been told by managers that it would be politically biased to publicise anti-war events.

NUJ members and union banners will be joining the anti-war march in London on Saturday September 28. Jeremy Dear said: “We have a special interest, not just as citizens opposed to a dangerous military adventure but also as journalists concerned at the way the media are being used to crank up the pressure for war.”

The march will also be in defence of Palestinians under occupation and attack by Israel. “We will demonstrate our particular solidarity with Palestinian journalists in their struggle to work and survive,” said Jeremy Dear. In June this year he was a member of a delegation from the International Federation of Journalists that visited Israel and Palestine to investigate conditions for journalists and express solidarity for them.

The march assembles on the Victoria Embankment and moves to Hyde Park for a rally. NUJ members and banners will gather on the Embankment outside Temple underground station from 12.30pm.

For more information, go to the Media Workers Against the War website at www.mwaw.org or the Stop the War Coalition at www.stopwar.org.uk.