Philippines: insights from the senior editors' conference in Manila

03-11-2011 Photo gallery

Fifty media leaders from the Asia-Pacific region shared their views and concerns on 13 and 14 October at a "Reporting on violence and emergencies" conference hosted by the International Committee of the Red Cross. The media of East Asia, South-east Asia and the Pacific have an important role to play in covering conflict, violence and the issues faced by vulnerable groups. At times, reporting on these situations puts the media's own safety at risk. We have collected some of the participants' comments.

- The group moderated by Red Batario of International News Safety Institute (foreground right) talk about the role media can play in protecting the most vulnerable, during preparations by conference contributors on 13 October.
  © ICRC / Fermin Escuredo
- The regional conference brought together senior representatives of media organizations to share concerns and best practices on reporting violence and other emergencies.
  © ICRC / Fermin Escuredo
- “#mediamanila2011 debating neutrality, balance and objectivity… Have we moved from expecting journalists to be neutral to taking a stance?" tweeted Thin Lei Win of Reuters AlertNet during the conference. During her presentation on social media, beneficiary communications and humanitarian reporting, Thin said that while social media democratized reporting, it can also "create a lot of white noise".
  © ICRC / Fermin Escuredo
- Speaking about "covering children, from privacy to violence issues", Uni Lubis of ANTV in Indonesia said the role of media was to raise awareness on children in vulnerable situations and to help guard their rights.
  © ICRC / Fermin Escuredo
- Yu Zheng, a producer, senior editor and columnist for Xinhua News Agency, presents on the challenges of reporting on North Korea during the panel on ‘Reporting on violence and emergencies: opportunities and challenges’.
  © ICRC / Fermin Escuredo
- Aid agencies and media can have a mutually beneficial relationship, according to Patrick Fuller, the Federation's experienced Communications Manager for Asia Pacific. "Aid agencies can put things in context for journalists and provide quality online news materials,” he said, adding, “The media can help them to raise awareness and funds, and be a catalyst for action."
  © ICRC / Fermin Escuredo
- Representing Newsbreak, an independent online publication known for its investigative reports, communication professor and veteran journalist Chay Hofileña of the Philippines poses a question to the panel.
  © ICRC / Fermin Escuredo
- In breakout groups, journalists and a handful of ICRC and Philippine Red Cross representatives share various points of view as they finalize the recommendations that led to the Manila Declaration.
  © ICRC / Fermin Escuredo
- Christoph Sutter, deputy head of the ICRC's Delegation in the Philippines, chats with Al Jazeera's Veronica Pedrosa shortly after she presented the Manila Declaration on behalf of the conference participants. During the closing ceremony Christoph said, “Not only do you report the news, but you also form opinion, and that, in turn, shapes events and developments in society. You, the media of the region, have a key role to play in raising awareness of violence and emergencies and of issues faced by vulnerable groups." Others who spoke at the ceremony were Philippine Red Cross Chairman Richard Gordon and Herminio ‘Sonny’ Coloma, Secretary of both the Philippines Presidential Communications Operations Office and ASEAN Ministers Responsible for Information.
  © ICRC / Sarah Velasco
- Mission accomplished. Conference participants gather for a final snapshot after signing the Manila Declaration.
  © ICRC / Fermin Escuredo

Related sections

The ICRC in the Philippines

Philippines: insights from the senior editors' conference in Manila

03-11-2011 Photo gallery

Related sections

See also