State of the media in Southern Africa - 2003 How to report an attack on the media T he Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) needs your assistance to compile accu rate and detailed alerts on abuses of press freedom in the Southern African region. Alerts serve a very important function in the advocacy work of MISA. The ultimate aim of the alert is to spur people on to take action in the light of a particular violation. Apart from that, the alert serves the purpose of reporting and recording a specific event or incident, which either amounts to a violation of media freedom or freedom of expression, or significantly advances it. The alert is thus part of one of the most essential tools of advocacy - information. What to report: • Journalists who are: • Assaulted • Censored • Harassed • Killed • Threatened • Wounded • Arrested • Denied credentials • Kidnapped • Missing • Wrongfully expelled • Wrongfully sued for libel or defamation News organisations that are: • Attacked or illegally searched • Censored • Closed by force • Raided, where editions are confiscated or transmissions are jammed. Materials confiscated or damaged • Wrongfully sued for libel or defamation What to include in your report MISA needs accurate and detailed information about: • Names of journalists and news organisations involved • Date and circumstances of the incident • Detailed background information Anyone with information about an attack on the media should call the Researcher at MISA by dialling +264 61 232975 or by sending e-mail to research@misa.org.na Contact information for MISA country offices: See page 6-9 What happens with your information? Depending on the case, MISA will: • Investigate and confirm the report • Pressure authorities to respond • Notify human right groups and press organisations around the world, including IFEX, Article 19, Amnesty International, Reporters San Frontiers, Human Rights Watch and the International Federation of Journalists and • Increase public awareness through the press • Publish advisories to warn other journalists about potential dangers • Send a fact-finding mission to investigate So This Is Democracy? 2003 158 Media Institute of Southern Africa