Cameras not guns

David Schlesinger, Reuters editor-in-chief, writes on the Reuters Editors blog about journalism safety and the case of Fadel Shana – the Reuters cameraman who was killed by an Israeli tank shell,

A military that has sophisticated intelligence and identification methods can learn to tell a camera from a gun. A military that works hard to prevent deaths of its own by friendly fire can learn to investigate vehicles and garments clearly marked as “Press”. A military that seeks to save “uninvolved civilians” can use restraint with the firing of shells filled with indiscriminate, deadly darts. And governments and military that understand the role of the press in serving society’s need for truth must learn better to respect the lives of journalists working for that purpose. link