The media and international humanitarian law: Legal protections for journalists

Abstract

Journalists and other media personnel perform a crucial role in armed conflicts. In the absence of functioning civil society, which, in peacetime can survey the behaviour of governments and other parties, and report on breaches of law, journalists are often the only parties on the ground able to document and publicise such breaches. Like humanitarian workers, they are often the only group that can bring to the attention of the world breaches of international humanitarian law and the horrific consequences which flow from armed conflict without limits. This article will consider the protections afforded to journalists under international humanitarian law and the practical assistance given to journalists by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).