Media Owners Should Give Basic Protection To Journalists Assigned To High-Risk Areas

CYBERJAYA (Malaysia), Nov 28 (Bernama) -- Media owners should provide basic protection such as insurance coverage and protective gear to their journalists tasked to high-risk assignments and zones, said Communications and Multimedia Ministry deputy secretary-general Mohid Mohamed. He said media owners could also work with organisations such as the International News Safety Institute to provide journalists with safety training in order to equip them with the necessary knowledge and skills. "Journalists should be given safety briefings and training," he said, stressing that journalists' safety was a concern worldwide. Mohid was speaking at the "Safety of Journalists: Between Responsibilities and Challenges" Forum held in conjunction with World Development Information Day organised by the South-South Information Gateway, here, Thursday. The forum had about 200 participants. Mohid also said that journalists assigned to conflict areas should be equipped with protective gear which could differentiate them as journalists or observers. -- BERNAMA