Journalists and Media Workers: Safety and Security

Baroness Bonham-Carter of Yarnbury Excerpts

Thursday 24th April 2025 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Bonham-Carter of Yarnbury (LD)]

My Lords, we need assurance that this Government understand the vital role that journalists play in bearing witness, and the crisis that is enveloping journalism across the world. Journalists are increasingly being harassed, imprisoned and killed with impunity. As the noble Baroness, Lady Mobarik, mentioned, in Gaza and the West Bank alone over 175 journalists have been killed since the start of the conflict—a conflict where they are prohibited unless accompanied by designated officials.

Will the Minister join me in congratulating the Marie Colvin Journalists’ Network on its work supporting female journalists in the Middle East? I declare an interest as being on its advisory board. It was established in memory of my brave friend who was murdered in Homs by the Assad regime. She was inspirational in her belief in the power of journalism to bring about change. There is also the MFC, an advocate for press freedom and journalists under threat. Why will the Government not support the call from the International Federation of Journalists and the NUJ for a UN convention for the protection of journalists?

I have just returned from the US, where the effect of Trump is chilling. The Associated Press has been excluded from attending press briefings because it insists on calling the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of Mexico. CBS News has been sued for the way it edited its own interview with Kamala Harris. Voice of America has been gutted, which makes support for our BBC World Service only more important—a beacon of non-partisan factual reporting which reaches a global audience of 320 million. Some 80% of the World Service budget is currently classed as ODA; can the Minister confirm that this funding will be protected?

When our Arabic radio service was withdrawn from Lebanon because of lack of funds, the frequency was taken over by Russia. Does the Minister not believe in sustainable investment in the World Service and that ultimately it should be financed through general taxation via the FCO, rather than by the licence fee?

Syria

Baroness Bonham-Carter of Yarnbury Excerpts

Thursday 12th December 2024 Lords Chamber

[Lord Collins of Highbury (Lab)]

Well, Israel has said that its presence in the buffer zone is defensive, limited and temporary, in response to the evolving security situation in Syria. As we have witnessed over the past year, Israel has legitimate security threats across its northern borders. Nevertheless, I will be clear that Israel’s presence in the buffer zone must not become permanent and I condemn the statements from some Israeli politicians who have already called for that. Israel has said that it remains committed to the principles of the 1974 separation of forces agreement and is committed to supporting the UNDOF peacekeeping force. The UK expects Israel to adhere to these commitments and I will hold it to them.

[Baroness Bonham-Carter of Yarnbury (LD)]

My Lords, it was a bittersweet moment for me when we heard about the fall of President Assad, because my great friend Marie Colvin was a brave and brilliant journalist in Homs whom we now think was targeted by him. Picking up on what my noble friend Lady Hooper—if I may call her that—said, and given everything that has been said, it is important that our journalists, particularly from the BBC, are able to report what is going on there. So can we please confirm support for the BBC World Service, in particular its Arabic service?

[Lord Collins of Highbury (Lab)]

I think the noble Baroness knows my support for the BBC, including the World Service and its activity, and certainly she is absolutely right to draw attention to Marie’s outrageous death. I have been very keen to work with our allies to focus on media freedom. We are part of the Media Freedom Coalition, working with allies such as Canada. We are determined to ensure that the authentic free voice is heard, and we will do everything we can to ensure that the World Service is able to fulfil its functions in that regard.