Media Talk: The Death of Martin Adler - Is a broadcaster responsible for their freelances?

Martin Adler was a conscientious and highly-trained independent tv journalist. He was killed earlier this year at an otherwise peaceful rally in Mogadishu. Martin's death raises several questions regarding broadcasters' responsibilities to freelances whose material they use.

Martin Adler was a conscientious and highly-trained independent tv journalist. He was killed earlier this year at an otherwise peaceful rally in Mogadishu. Martin's death raises several questions regarding broadcasters' responsibilities to freelances whose material they use.

Martin didn’t just have the right safety training, he was often used as a consultant to AKE, the leading industry safety training provider. Martin took physical risk in his work because he believed that good journalism could make a difference.

Do editors have an obligation to refuse high-risk freelance footage if they are not prepared to send in their own staff reporters and cameramen?

Or should the role of the freelance who is prepared to travel to those remote and often forgotten frontlines be cherished. Often freelances cover stories that staff reporters for the mainstream media are unwilling to take on.

If we accept that freelances play an important role in the news-gathering and news-disseminating industry what kinds of safeguards can be put into place to protect them?

Or must freelancers accept that they may lose their lives pursuing stories and pictures that the news industry and mainstream journalism either deem too dangerous to pursue or of insignificant interest to their viewers and readers?

Please join us to discuss the role of the freelance in modern broadcasting and give your views with Dorothy Byrne, Vaughan Smith, Phil Cox, and Richard Filon. Gwynne Roberts will moderate.

Dorothy Byrne, Head of News and Current Affairs of Channel 4. Dorothy joined Channel 4 in January 1998 as Commissioning Editor, Current Affairs to edit Dispatches. During her time running the programme it won two BAFTA awards, two international Emmy awards and several RTS Journalism awards.

Phil Cox, founder of Native Voice Films has worked both as a director and producer of broadcast and documentaries as well as an award winning freelance news cameraman. He was awarded the 2004 Rory Peck Award for his coverage of the crisis in Darfur.

Vaughan Smith, founder of Frontline Television News.

Richard Filon, security risk specialist and instructor at AKE.

Moderator Gwynne Roberts, veteran filmmaker.
We will also be mounting an exhibition of Martin's photographs.

Speaker(s):	Mr Gwynne Roberts | talks Mr Phil Cox | talks Mr Vaughan Smith | talks Mr Richard Filon | talks Ms Dorothy Byrne | talks
Date and Time:	7 September 2006 at 7:30 pm
Duration:	1 hour 30 minutes
Venue:	The Frontline Club 13 Norfolk Place London W2 1QJ 020 7479 8950 http://www.frontlineclub.com More at The Frontline Club...
Tickets:	£5
Available from:	events@frontlineclub.com
Additional Information:	www.frontlineclub.com

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