"If the military says something, I strongly urge all journalists to heed it," said White House spokesman Ari Fleischer on 28 February. "It is in your own interest and your family's interest. And I mean that."
Reporters Without Borders called on the U.S. authorities to :
- Guarantee that journalists "embedded" in the military forces will have the freedom they require to do their job. The rules they are obliged to obey mostly reflect the legitimate concerns of the military but they could be applied too strictly.
- Publicly guarantee that non-"embedded" journalists will be able to do their job freely and with sufficient security and will have adequate access to military information.
- Avoid targeting transmitters of Iraqi radio stations and Iraqi media offices, including those used to put out propaganda. Media property and equipment are civil property protected under international humanitarian law. Propaganda aims to buoy the morale of the population and is a part of all conflicts. The morale of the civilian population must not be a military target.
- Guarantee that the utmost precautions will be taken to avoid injuring or wounding journalists, whose presence in some places is known.
Reporters Without Borders called on the U.S. authorities to :
- Guarantee that journalists "embedded" in the military forces will have the freedom they require to do their job. The rules they are obliged to obey mostly reflect the legitimate concerns of the military but they could be applied too strictly.
- Publicly guarantee that non-"embedded" journalists will be able to do their job freely and with sufficient security and will have adequate access to military information.
- Avoid targeting transmitters of Iraqi radio stations and Iraqi media offices, including those used to put out propaganda. Media property and equipment are civil property protected under international humanitarian law. Propaganda aims to buoy the morale of the population and is a part of all conflicts. The morale of the civilian population must not be a military target.
- Guarantee that the utmost precautions will be taken to avoid injuring or wounding journalists, whose presence in some places is known.