NUJ condemns two threats made to Sunday World journalist in Northern Ireland
The Sunday World journalist was twice notified by police, in recent weeks, that dissident republicans planned to attack them. The most recent threat was delivered this week.
Séamus Dooley, assistant general secretary, said:
“Yet again, one of our members is being threatened, by those in the shadows, merely because they are a journalist and somebody, somewhere, didn’t like what has been published. Such threats are reprehensible, and the vast majority of people will join us in condemning them, and in calling for those behind them to lift them immediately.
"Journalists are critical to our democracies and inform our citizens about what is happening in their community. Threats such as these have no place in a normal society and cannot be tolerated.
"Too often our members are contacted by the PSNI, usually very late at night or very early in the morning, to tell them that they are in danger. This is traumatic for any journalist and their family, and should not be happening – just because a journalist is bringing news and information to the public.
"The freedom of the press is critical in a democratic society and these threats undermine that and are designed to intimidate journalists and media organisations."