Can the Media Be a Sanctuary For Human Rights?

According to author Philip Lee, the term "sanctuary" has come to represent more than a haven of safety from violence offered within the walls of a church. He identifies a "metaphorical sanctuary" provided by media reporting on human rights violations. He suggests that media coverage can offer a safe haven because public opinion sometimes protects individuals from human rights violations. His central question is "How can the mass media contribute"...to protection of individuals and defence of human rights? He recommends a technology for providing the media with accurate data and cites ethics for the media to consider as a basis for action.

Lee first discusses the history of the practice of sanctuary in churches through the centuries. He includes a number of political and social challenges to the concept of sanctuary from 2002 to the present. The media, according to the author, has extended the concept of sanctuary by publicising human rights violations. He suggests that though the media may at times sensationalise events, it can also play a critical role in influencing public opinion and, most particularly, in soliciting public response. And, conversely, by ignoring an event, particularly a human rights violation, it can leave the public unaware and unable to respond. He discusses media ethics from a religious standpoint and cites the discourse of others on the role of fairness in journalism and on journalistic service to the ill-treated and those lacking power.

The author focuses on the need for the public dissemination of reliable human rights data gathered worldwide, but not always accessible by the media. He identifies a new tool to give the media reliable and accurate information based on the massive amount of human rights data collected by human rights groups, but easily destroyed by loss or confiscation. It is an encrypted database from the Martus Project, now being applied to areas of social justice, including human rights, political rights and violence against women

He then discusses media responsibility in the context of the issues of impartiality, of political and economic pressure, and of physical danger. He concludes that through human rights advocacy, the mass media can attain the highest level of public service.

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