NUJ urges Garda commissioner to halt pursuit of media footage
Séamus Dooley, NUJ Irish Secretary, has warned of risks to journalists' safety if they are perceived as collating information for forces.
The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) has called on Garda Commissioner Drew Harris to withdraw requests for media images of recent public order incidents in Dublin, warning that the use of journalists as information gatherers for security forces has potentially dangerous consequences.
At a press conference in Dublin on 25 July, Drew Harris defended the policy of requesting the hand over of material and the policy of seeking court orders where cooperation was not forthcoming.
Reacting to the statement Séamus Dooley, NUJ Irish Secretary re-echoed NUJ concerns that the policy of seeking images from the media has the potential to put media workers at risk of attack and of undermining the independent role of the media in covering public order events.
He said:
"The NUJ will be seeking a meeting with the Garda commissioner on this matter. He is already aware of our views, shared by many media organisations, that the use of media workers as sources of images from public order incidents is not only undesirable but potentially dangerous. Reporters and photographers are independent witnesses, they are present to observe and report on the actions of all parties, including the Gardai. There is a real danger that if journalists are perceived as harvesting information for the Gardai they will be perceived as legitimate targets by the sinister forces behind recent public order incidents.
"The NUJ has worked with An Garda Siochana in seeking to develop best practice guidelines and procedures in high risk situations.
"Against this backdrop it is both worrying and disappointing that the Garda Commissioner seems intent on ignoring the risks involved in seeking media images in circumstances where there are clearly alternative sources of evidence, including images taken from body cameras worn by members of the force."
Dooley added: "Mr Harris has invoked what he described as his 'lawful and legal and legislative responsibility' to do all he can to gain evidence. The exercise of his powers and responsibilities must be proportionate and also have due regard to the role of the media in a democracy, the right of the media to function safely and the well-established rights of journalists to protect sources of information.
"The NUJ condemns attacks on Gardai and the destruction of public property. It is vital that journalists are allowed to record and report such incidents. It would be ironic if the actions of the Gardai were to undermine the ability of media organisations to carry out this function."