AUXEMUN'23

AuxeMUN Chapter II

Committee: International Press Corps

study guide Agenda: 1. Safety of journalists in conflict prone regions
2. Covering the conference

Contents
Letter from the Executive Board 02
Agenda One 04
About the Agenda 04
Conclusion 05
Agenda Two 06
Types of Articles 06
Press Conference 07
Appendix I 08
Some tips for Quality Reports 09
Research 10
Evaluation of Delegates 11
Contact Information 12

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Letter from the Executive Board

Freedom of the press is guaranteed only to those who own it.
-A.J.Liebling
Greetings delegates,
A free press and a free judiciary are two very important cornerstones of a democracy. Together,
they are responsible for ensuring transparency and holding those in power accountable for their
policies and actions. Media, or the fourth pillar of democracy, has taken a huge role in shaping the
public opinion, may it be against or for. It is the responsibility of the media to bring forth news
and facts that will shape public opinion and allow the citizens of a country to exercise their rights.
It cannot be denied that democracy will only survive if there is freedom of the press and media. In
order for a democracy to work, it needs to have four solid aspects – free and fair elections,
protection of the people’s human rights, the participation of citizens and the rule of law applied
equally to everyone. However, without the freedom of the press, all of this is moot.
The press has a significant role to play in any setting. It disseminates information, shaping the
views of the public. For essentially,it is the press who are the guardians of the voice of mankind.
Today,the media is presently a substantial portion of our life along with society. The purpose
henceforth and effects of media can not be disregarded. It instructs, entertains and teaches people
to reform, instruct, strengthen and reshape the society. Being the fourth estate, the press has a lot
of responsibilities towards the society. Proclaiming the truth being our primary motto. I expect
the journalists to be highly judicious regarding their outlook towards this occurring world issue.
You should be responsible enough that the proof,questions and inquiries must be evident and
should be devoid of any vague criticism towards any individual(s) or any other pillar of
democracy. In the International Press Corps meet, I give you the opportunity to be the first ray of
hope in the dawn of a better future.

Arkamita Basu Roy Chowdhury,

Press Head,
International Press Corps

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As we complete two years of our journey, the memories are filled with tales of diligence and
intimacy.
History stands testimony to the fact that the media has had the power to spark surveillance, yield
social justice and add fairness to the community. Thomson Jefferson once said, "Our liberty
depends on the freedom of press and that cannot be limited without being lost". Autonomous
journalism portrays the unconventional functioning of such an independent society that reclines
on the virtuous allocation of knowledge and documentation. As members of the International
Press Corps, besides analysing committee proceedings, regulating interviews, putting down
articles and covering press conferences, we want our journalists to fairly contribute to the debate
with utmost persistence and rigour. They must adhere to the sanctity of the IPC while reporting
and any violation of the journalistic code of ethics, together with plagiarism and treachery, may
result in the disqualification of work.
We surmise a fruitful beginning while reading this study guide. Looking forward to establishing a
productive committee, in which you get to cumulate facts; valour and memories to cherish for a
lifetime.

Arha Saha,
Editor-in-Chief,
International Press Corps

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Agenda One
About the Agenda
The Committee to Protect Journalists reported in 2016 that 1211 journalists have been killed
whilst reporting from conflict zones, since 1992. This highlights the increasing threat to life
currently faced, without international legal protection, by journalists practising their profession
within conflict zones. Equally, various Regional and Non-Governmental Organisations have
highlighted the growing attacks against journalists, including being arrested, tortured and
kidnapped. The United Nations Security Council Resolution 1738 (2006),3 states that parties to an
armed conflict have the obligation to protect journalists within conflict zones by preventing any
such violent attacks as well as ensuring retribution and to tackle the issue of impunity.
Journalism has become an increasingly dangerous profession due to the scale of attacks against
journalists in States such as Libya, Iraq, Yemen and Syria. The increasing violence against
journalists has thus become a global issue, with journalists being killed, kidnapped, tortured or
assaulted almost daily in different parts of the world. This suggests also that the legal protection
of journalists operating in conflict zones may be a critical issue. When journalism is threatened,
freedom of expression and freedom of the press are also threatened, as the fear of the power of
words and images drastically limits journalists’ freedom to report to the public about war. It
seems entirely plausible that an attack on a journalist is not only an attack on the profession but
also a direct attack on the freedom of expression and thus, an attack on democracy as a whole.
Without accurate reporting of how democracies prosecute their wars in foreign lands, their
citizens will not be able to hold them to account at the ballot box for how they treat citizens of
other nations abroad – away from the glare of domestic media. The Director-General of the
United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation has opined that “every aggression
against a journalist is an attack on our most fundamental freedom. Press freedom and freedom of
expression cannot be enjoyed without basic security.”

The years 2011 and 2012 were among the most deadly for journalists reporting from conflict
situations worldwide. The numbers of assaults, arrests and attacks have been on a constant rise
and portray a dramatic image of the journalistic profession. In light of the increasing threats in
armed conflicts, being a war reporter has become an inherently dangerous task. Journalists are
not only at risk of becoming so-called collateral damage during military operations, they are also
increasingly targeted.
Their role as a watchdog and witness to the horrors of war, in addition to the undeniable power of
the word and image they spread, has made them popular targets. It is therefore essential that the
international community re-evaluate journalists’ de jure and de facto protections in armed
conflicts to allow for better safeguards and consequently less casualties in the imminent future.

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Conclusion
Without providing a precise definition of them, humanitarian law distinguishes between two
categories of journalists working in conflict zones: war correspondents accredited to the armed
forces and “independent” journalists. According to the Dictionnaire de droit international public,
the former category comprises all “specialised journalists who, with the authorization and under
the protection of a belligerent armed forces, are present on the theatre of operations with a view
to providing information on events related to the hostilities.” This definition reflects a practice
followed during the Second World War and the Korean War, when war correspondents wore
uniforms, enjoyed officers’ privileges and were placed under the authority of the head of the
military unit in which they were incorporated. As for the term “journalist,” it designates, according
to a 1975 draft UN convention, “...any correspondent, reporter, photographer, and their technical
film, radio and television assistants who are ordinarily engaged in any of these activities as their
principal occupation...”
War correspondents fall into the ill-defined category of “persons who accompany the armed forces
without actually being members thereof .” Since they are not part of the armed forces, they enjoy
civilian status and the protection derived from that status. Moreover, since they are, in a manner
of speaking, associated with the war effort, they are entitled to prisoner-of-war status when they
fall into the hands of the enemy, provided they have been duly authorised to accompany the
armed forces.
The participants in the Diplomatic Conference held in Geneva from 1974 to 1977 felt that in order
to better respond to the needs of their time it would be advisable to include a special provision on
“measures of protection for journalists” in Protocol I to supplement Article 4 (A) (4) of the Third
Geneva Convention. The resulting provision – Article 79 – does not change the regime applicable
to war correspondents. [...]
Article 79 formally states that journalists engaged in dangerous professional missions in zones of
armed conflict are civilians within the meaning of Article 50 (1). As such, they enjoy the full scope
of protection granted to civilians under international humanitarian law. Journalists are thus
protected both against the effects of hostilities and against arbitrary measures taken by a party to
the conflict when they fall into that party’s hands, either by being captured or being arrested. The
framers of Protocol I did not wish to create a special status for journalists, since “... any increase in
the number of persons with a special status, necessarily accompanied by an increase in protective
signs, tends to weaken the protective value of each protected status already accepted...” The
identity card mentioned in Article 79 (3) does not create a status for its holder, but merely
“...attests to his status as a journalist.” It is therefore unnecessary to own such a card in order to
enjoy the status of a civilian. Moreover, while it is true that protection measures for journalists are
only codified in the case of international conflicts (Protocol I), journalists also enjoy the
protection granted to civilians in non-international armed conflicts.

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Agenda Two
Types of Articles
1. Opinionated Editorial (Op-Ed) Article:The op-ed article is written to provide to your readers a
very extensive viewpoint of the agenda in the committee where you are reporting. The primary
objective of writing an op-ed article is to sway the public opinion towards the viewpoint
supported by your news agency in a very subtle manner so as to not give away your inclination.
Such articles are written before the conference itself and do not require you to provide committee
coverage inputs. However, an op-ed requires extensive research and persuasive, yet subtle, writing
for the above-mentioned objective. Such articles do not have any word limit however it is advised
that delegates write it within 400 words.

2. Beat Article:The beat article is a fact-based article written on committee proceedings. It is highly
crucial for you, as a journalist, to understand that a beat article does not mean writing a
glamorous verbatim. A beat is where you cover a particular part of committee proceedings (e.g. a
moderated caucus or a one-for-one-against debate between two delegates), provide additional
information about it and produce it in a very interesting manner to the reader. It can include
statements from delegates during interviews and pictures so as to improve the quality of your
article. The beat article should be written within 500 words.

3. Interview Article: The interview article, as the name suggests, is written for the purpose of
interviewing a particular delegate in the committee allotted to you for coverage. The aim of
conducting an interview in the International Press Corps is to successfully question the diplomat
so as to challenge him on certain crucial aspects of his policy both with regards to the agenda as
well as with regards to recent events of pertinence to the interviewee while, however, maintaining
proper journalistic courtesy. In order to make a mark in the interview, you are expected to throw
highly-researched and well framed questions at your interviewee and not open-ended questions.
The maximum number of permitted questions for this article has been kept at five.

4. Feature Article: A featured article is journalistic, researched, descriptive, colourful, thoughtful,

reflective, thorough writing about original ideas. Feature stories cover topics in depth, going
further than mere hard news coverage by amplifying and explaining the most interesting and
important elements of a situation or occurrence.It's basically a journalist's thought which is
enclosed within a poem,short story, open ended letters or a piece of art. It's your creativity and
imagination which is there on the report.

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Press Conference
The Chairperson of the International Press Corps and the Executive Boards of all the committees
are in power to call a press conference. In such a scenario, journalists will be informed beforehand
so as to allow them to frame questions. They shall then be allowed to ask those questions to the
delegates in their allotted committee. The journalists have the privilege to cross-question the
delegates unless otherwise advised by the Chairperson of the International Press Corps. The
delegates, however, have the right to refuse to answer a question from a journalist. As a journalist,
if you wish to conduct a successful press conference, it is advised you try to frame the question in
such a manner that it jams all possible escape routes of the delegate hence putting him in a
situation where he either has to violate his policy or refuse to answer your question. Please note
that no press conference reports are required to be submitted for this conference. The maximum
number of permitted questions in a press conference per journalist has been kept at three.

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Appendix I
As an endeavour to aid delegates in writing reports, format and sample articles have been
provided. Click on the links below to access them:
Beat Article:
Sample:https://drive.google.com/file/d/1CFQZAlu67dehdwLMMasEq5g21WDIYt8V/view?
usp=sharing

Op-Ed Article:
Sample:https://drive.google.com/file/d/1CMyFmZRi6FoL9xCEy4-0HfqixoCPxK92/view?
usp=sharing

Feature Article:
Sample:https://drive.google.com/file/d/1C0TYOx7Ji7OTjexa2mE4hl0KJ94z6vqJ/view?
usp=sharing

Interview Article:
Sample:https://drive.google.com/file/d/1CUrT1MIDffS6kFXjVtDfqHE5gs7Co8Io/view?
usp=sharing

Sample ( especially for the Lok Sabha committee ):

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1CZe4bacKKpXAO6V0S6tIE2hoEexBGfIO/view?usp=sharing

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Some tips for Quality Reports

➢ Highly attractive titles and by-lines are paramount if you want to be successful as a journalist
in this conference. Always remember that readers will only read your article if they find it
important/interesting enough. It is your job, as a journalist, to cater to this and ensure that your
readers are glued to your article.

➢ When writing an article in the International Press Corps, be mindful of your news agency’s
policy at all times. Your Executive Board expects all articles written by you to mirror articles of
your agency to the minutest of details in terms of policy and style of reporting.

➢ A good journalist is one who writes under the impression that his readers do not know about
the topic of the article. Readers will not read your report if they cannot understand it. Hence, it is
your duty to ensure that you are providing sufficient details on what you are covering.

➢ Keep in mind that you are the voice of the common man. An ordinary man living a simple
lifestyle will not understand tons of international law and its implications. However, if you can
point to them how the crisis is affecting them, the game is won! The moment you are successful in
showing your readers how the crisis is affecting them, you can be rest assured that the reader will
read the rest of your article and also any subsequent article produced on the same issue.

➢ Appearance is the boss! Learn to format your report in a very attractive way by using page
colour, pictures and other features. They will manipulate your readers to read your article like
nothing else.

➢ Research! Believe me, there is no substitute for it.

➢ Always end your reports by providing your readers with a direction to think in. Inform them of
some of the ways in which the issue could progress in the near future and also inform them of
crucial factors that must be taken into consideration before making a judgement on the issue. In
doing so, utilise your words to sway the public opinion.

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Research:
It is necessary for all the members of the International Press to understand that you as reporters
or photographers are representing the international media. Everything a delegate says is a
statement of a state official in a public forum and has repercussions in the international
community. Therefore, it is the job of the press to process all the statements and analyse them. In
order to make the International Press a success in this conference, it is necessary to have a well
researched team. Just as delegates need to research, it is equally important for the press to be well
researched. This not only applies to reporters but also to photographers and caricaturists. Being
well researched will lead to better understanding of the ongoing discussion and would also
subsequently lead to politically correct and thought provoking articles, photographs and
caricatures. One of the most suited ways to research on any given agenda is as follows:

• Firstly, break down every word of the agenda yourself and make a note of concepts that you
think are pertinent to them.

• Secondly, read the background guide. Please note that just as the background guide is a basic
tool for delegates, it is merely one aspect of your research.

• Thirdly, develop a literal understanding of the agenda.

• Fourthly, study the political, legal, social and economic aspects of the agenda.

• Fifthly, go through articles, research papers or any relevant documents.

• Lastly, a thorough knowledge and understanding of contemporary events is a must. This ensures
that your articles stay relevant.

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Evaluation of Delegates
As we near the end of the study guide, it’s time to address the most asked question in any MUN:
how is the evaluation going to be tackled? Although AuxeMUN has always been more about
learning and growing than about awards, here are a few criteria that will be looked at while
deciding the awards:

➢ Was the delegate well-researched and equipped with enough facts, statistics and pieces of
evidence as per the committee’s standard? ➢ Was the delegate’s speaking skills, active
participation, leadership and diplomacy at par with his/her agency’s standards?

➢ What level of contribution did the delegate bring to the committee and was the delegate able to
come up with logical solutions when faced with crises while respecting their agency’s policy?

➢ Were the articles sent by the delegates informative, well thought off and interesting to read?

➢ Was the delegate able to produce creative ideas and stories through their articles?

➢ Were the questions asked by the delegate in the press conference hard-hitting and thought-
provoking? Was the delegate successful in extracting additional information during the press
conference?

While the above is a highly-generalised version of the marking scheme, it is also required for
delegates to understand that in any International Press Corps there is no inclination in the
marking scheme towards either the debating or the reporting segment of the agenda. Both the
segments of the committee require equal importance throughout the three days of the conference
and they will not be subject to any bias on the part of the Executive Board. It lies at the hands of
the delegates completely as to how they would want to portray their calibre to transcend in
committee.

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Contact Information
For any queries, feel free to approach the Executive Board:

Arkamita Basu Roy Chowdhury, Press-Head

+91 8583850501
Arha Saha, Editor-in-Chief
+91 6289933031

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