Journalism, Media and the Challenge of Human Rights Reporting

Do the media report human rights well? If not, what would constitute "good" reporting of human rights issues? How should journalists and editors themselves judge the quality of their reporting in this area? What pressures and constraints do they face and how might they be managed better? In an effort to explore these questions, the International Council on Human Rights Policy (ICHRP) conducted a two-year research project involving interviews with over 70 editors, journalists, and broadcasters working in major international media centres and extensive consultation with national and local media professionals in several countries. Based on data gleaned from these conversations, the 2002 report examines how journalists conceive of and select human rights news, the impact of recent transformations in the media industry, including new technologies, and the constraints and obstacles to good reporting in the area of human rights. The 153-page report argues that, as human rights are integrated increasingly in policy frameworks, journalists have a professional duty to report on this subject with accuracy, fairness, consistency, and precise knowledge of human rights.