[ecrea] Call for abstracts – 4th annual conference on the Safety of Journalists – the chilling effects

Call for abstracts – 4th annual conference on the Safety of Journalists 
– the chilling effects The conference will take place in Oslo on the 5th 
and 6th of November 2018 in connection with UNESCO’s International Day 
to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists at Oslo Metropolitan 
University, Oslo, Norway.

Most abuses against media professionals remain uninvestigated and 
unpunished. This impunity perpetuates the cycle of violence against 
journalists, media workers and citizen journalists. The resulting 
self-censorship deprives society of information and further impacts 
press freedom. (UNESCO, Safety of Journalists and Impunity)[1] 
Self-censorship among journalists has taken a new turn over the last 
couple of years. The Council of Europe report of January 2016 warns that 
the fight against terrorism and extremism can lead to disproportionate 
strict measures at the expense of democratic freedom. The International 
Commission for the Protection of Journalists (CPJ) expresses their 
concern as follows:
Little by little, drop by drop, the media integrate these concerns into 
their news routines and some even anticipate or go beyond security 
service orders or recommendations. Though they may reject any notion of 
self-censorship, “caution” has become the byword of “ethical” or 
“responsible” journalism[2].
The press not only encounters threats and pressure from potential 
terrorists or extreme voices, even liberal forces expect the media to 
behave properly in times of increased conflict. The old depiction of the 
media as ‘the terrorist’s oxygen’ may seem to have gained new relevance 
in recent years’ war on terror.
We need to know more about self-censorship and how it works in relation 
to journalists’ security and freedom of expression in general. How can 
you talk about self-censorship? How can you know that self-censorship 
exists? What can make journalists better equipped to secure themselves 
without having to tie themselves up and jeopardize freedom of speech? 
What role do state authorities or journalist associations play here?

Key note speakers
Nhamo A. Mhiripiri, Midlands State University, Zimbabwe Marilyn Clark, 
University of Malta Marta Milena Barrios Correa, Universidad del Norte, 
Colombia Guy Berger, UNESCO (to be confirmed)

Paper presentations:
If you want to participate with a paper, an abstract of maximum 250 
words should be sent to (safetyofjournalists /at/ hioa.no) before August 15, 
2018. Please include your full name, institutional affiliation, and 
email. There is no registration fee and the participants are expected to 
cover their own costs for travel and accommodation. A limited number of 
scholarships to cover flight and/or accommodation is available for Ph.D. 
students and researchers from low-income countries. Applications for 
scholarships should be submitted with the abstract together with a short CV.
The best papers will be considered for a forthcoming peer reviewed 
publication.
[1] 
http://www.unesco.org/new/en/communication-and-information/freedom-of-expression/safety-of-journalists/
[2] https://cpj.org/2017/04/self-restraint-vs-self-censorship.php

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