Freelance journalists under attack

Sixty freelancers - nearly double the number just three years ago - make up the total of 136 reporters, editors and photojournalists who are languishing behind bars worldwide, the New York-based group said recently, adding that the number of those jailed comprises 68 bloggers, web-based reporters and online editors.

CPJ executive director Joel Simon was quoted as saying: “The days when journalists went off on dangerous assignments knowing they had the full institutional weight of their media organisations behind them are receding into history.

Independent, but more vulnerable

“Today, journalists on the front lines are increasingly working independently. The rise of online journalism has opened the door to a new generation of reporters, but it also means they are vulnerable.”

The CPJ said freelance journalists are especially vulnerable to imprisonment because they often do not have the legal and monetary support that news organisations can provide to staffers.

In Africa, where independent media is most often seen as an ‘enemy of the state', freelance journalists face logistical, legal, political and financial challenges, coupled with the lack of support from the organisations they represent.

Some lack basic needs such as a press card, which sometimes impedes their job and makes them look ‘suspicious' in the eyes of government agencies

Fewer journalists means less comprehensive coverage

In some African countries, government officials refuse to talk to freelance journalists, wary of their independent views and critical stance regarding the state's shortcomings in service delivery, human rights violations and corruption, among others.

Many media companies globally took a serious beating last year due to the recession, and to ‘survive' they lay off news staff, cut marketing budgets, and restructured and downsized their operations.

Veteran editor Raymond Louw said: “These financial pressures have also hit the Southern Africa media industry, where over the last decade the print industry has been forced to cut staff - some now have half the number of journalists on their payrolls than they had 20 years ago - and this has been reflected in less comprehensive coverage.”

Some observers believe that freelancers, who are mostly paid a ‘miserable' fee, have proven to be a ‘bunch of reliable lads' for many news organisations which seek up-to-date, hard-hitting and insightful stories to stay alive and relevant in the current competitive news environment.

Pledge welcomed, but…

A couple of experienced but jobless local journalists told Bizcommunity.com that they will embrace freelance journalism while pursuing other interests, with a view of boosting their modest and fading savings.

The CPJ also said some news organisations, watchful of costs, rely increasingly on freelancers rather than staffers for international coverage.

Furthermore, the organisation said a total of 70 journalists were killed worldwide in 2009, including nine in Somalia.

Associated Press reported that the US, Britain and France vowed to take all ‘necessary steps' to ensure the safety of journalists in war zones.

Media rights campaigners cautiously welcomed the pledge, saying its effectiveness will be measured on what the countries did in practice, according to AP.