War manual redefines reporters

WASHINGTON -- The Pentagon has revised warfare guidelines to remove a clause suggesting that journalists could be seen as combatants, after outcry from news organizations that argued the rules would endanger media workers.

"The department's mission is to defend the very freedoms that journalists exercise," Pentagon General Counsel Jennifer O'Connor said in a statement, referring to revised guidelines released Friday. "We have learned a lot during this process, and the department and the manual are better off for the experience."

The 2015 version of the Pentagon's Law of War manual, which provides guidelines for members of the U.S. military, stated that journalists are generally considered civilians. But it also said journalists may additionally be "members of the armed forces, persons authorized to accompany the armed forces, or unprivileged belligerents."

That assertion prompted concern from media groups, including The Washington Post, which held discussions with Pentagon officials to explain their objections. The suggestion was seen as increasing danger faced by journalists who are already putting themselves at risk as they cover conflicts, either independently or embedded with military forces.

An "unprivileged belligerent" might be detained without charges or trial, as are the prisoners at Guantanamo Bay. Following the 2003 invasion of Iraq, the U.S. military detained journalists and held them for long periods without charge.

In response to media concerns, military officials revised some sections of the 2015 manual. The updated section states that "in general, journalists are civilians and are protected as such under the law of war."

At the same time, the revised version retains some ability for U.S. military to alter its treatment of media personnel based on their actions. "Civilian journalists and journalists authorized to accompany the armed forces should not take any action adversely affecting their status as civilians if they wish to retain protection as a civilian," the manual said. That would include, the manual said, publicizing information intended to produce an artillery attack on an enemy target.

The Committee to Protect Journalists, which advocates for media rights, welcomed the updated guidelines.

"This affirmation of journalists' right to report armed conflicts freely and from all sides is especially welcome at a time when governments, militias, and insurgent forces around the world are routinely flouting the laws of war," Frank Smyth, a senior adviser at the committee, said in a statement.

Reporting continues to be a hazardous activity in some countries. In 2015, 73 journalists were killed worldwide, according to the committee. The majority died in Syria.

A Section on 07/26/2016

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