PARIS (voa) – International media monitor Reporters without Borders has issued a charter aimed at improving safety for journalists covering areas of warfare or civil disturbance.
The Paris-based group published the charter Thursday, a day after the shooting death of Italian freelance photographer Raffaele Ciriello in the West Bank during a clash between Israelis and Palestinians.
The text acknowledges the danger inherent to war zones and calls on journalists to take precautionary steps before entering combat areas.
The charter says only reporters who volunteer should be sent to war zones and only after they receive training, proper equipment and insurance. It says they have the right to leave the assignment if they feel unsafe.
Reporters Without Borders asks editors to adopt the charter and abide by it.
Representatives from the International Committee of the Red Cross, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, UNESCO and the French government helped draft the charter.
