News
Rules of the Game- Detention, Deportation, Disappearance
Rules of the Game by Asim Qureshi “The Rules of the Game belongs to those who have suffered the most throughout the ‘War on Terror- the victims and their families.” This opening line of the book gave me goose bumps since exactly eight years ago today, the ‘War on Terror’ came banging on my door […]
News from America, 130-year old
There was a beautiful Azerbaijani newspaper Akinchi (The Cultivator) published between 1875 and 1877. So what did The Cultivator wrote about America then? Below are some excerpts published in Aynur Bashirli’s In a Spotlight of Free Press: New York Times about Azerbaijan and translated here by me.
First Wednesday: Is there a common enemy?
By Julie Tomlin We’ve started putting together April’s First Wednesday event: After the bomb blasts in Moscow on 29 March and in Dagestan two days later, we will be talking about Russia and its response to the recent terrorist attacks. We are currently working on inviting guests to speak about that. The focus of the […]
Russian suicide attacks: Where does this leave the War on Terror?
By Ewan Palmer How serious is the threat from terrorism to the modern world? The suicide bombings in Moscow and Dagestan this week altogether killed 51 and, despite the likely localised inspiration for the attacks, fears of more violence elsewhere in Europe have been raised once again. But is there any justification for the current […]
Going solo: Is this the time for freelancers and hyperlocal?
By Ewan Palmer By now it’s unlikely that journalists want to hear any more about how their industry is in turmoil. So how about suggesting ideas to sustain the craft: is the future in freelancing? Does it lie in entrepreneurialism? From employment to self-employed Working for yourself is an obvious solution for the […]
Reporting the Moscow Metro bombings
ПоÑмотреть на ЯндекÑ.Фотках (Link to Tatiana Krasnova’s album) Two female suicide bombers were believed to be responsible for the deaths of 38 commuters in Moscow at rush hour this morning. Russian officials say that 60 people were also injured in the attacks at Lubyanka and Park Kultury Metro stations. There are more details here […]
MPs as ‘cabs for hire’: sleaze, lies and lobbying
With trust in politicians already at an all time low after the MP expenses scandal and the election due to be announced any day now, could the row over cash-for-influence be the final act for George Brown and the Labour Government? Here’s ITN’s report of the scandal… Tomorrow night at the Frontline we host a […]
BBC Azeri: Social media and Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict transformation
When Arzu Geybullayeva and I first started to use blogs and social networking sites to connect a growing number of liberal, tolerant and progressive Armenians and Azerbaijanis despite the still unresolved conflict between the two countries over the disputed territory of Nagorno Karabakh, I don’t think we ever could have imagined where it […]
On the Media: Celebrity dominance of mass media isn’t going anywhere
If you’re jaded by the vast number of column inches and broadcast airtime given over to the lives of the rich and famous, you may just have to live with it. The verdict of a panel of celebrity experts at the Frontline Club on Thursday – speaking at an On The Media panel debate in […]
On Expenses
I know no-one will believe me when I say this, but I’ve never been very creative with my expenses. In fact my first ever claim, at The Press and Journal, was returned by my news editor for "letting the side down". A swift tutorial in high teas, good dinners and elevenses followed. A new claim […]
WRL: New media, Afghanistan, Iraq and Al Qaeda
A few bits and pieces I’ve spotted recently: 1. Leveraging New Media (pdf): A US military report on the Israeli Defence Force’s use of new media in the conflict in Gaza re-published in the Australian Army Journal. It’s from the middle of 2009 but I’d not picked it up before. It’s authored by Lieutenant General […]
Nigeria: Violence, unrest and uncertainty
Nigeria is coming to terms with a spate of violent attacks that have left hundreds dead and a political system mired in uncertainty following the return of ailing president Umaru Yar’Adua. We will attempt to unpick the complex wider political situation and make sense of this month’s events at a Frontline Club debate on April […]
Embedded journalism in Afghanistan
Yesterday, I travelled up to Coventry for a conversation about embedded journalism in Afghanistan. It was hosted by Coventry University and the BBC’s College of Journalism. I’m not sure I ever really understood the question that was supposed to frame this debate: "Afghanistan: Are we embedding the truth?" (Answers on a postcard etc…) But as […]
John Simpson: BBC under threat from politicians and Rupert Murdoch
By Gouri Sharma John Simpson is in no doubt over the very real political and regulatory threats the BBC is facing and doesn’t trust either of the main UK political parties to protect the organisation. The BBC world affairs editor, who was at the Frontline Club on Wednesday night to talk about his latest book, […]
Journalists and kidnap: what happens to the freelances?
BBC journalist Alan Johnston said on his release after 114 days of captivity that he received a "psychological boost" from hearing messages of support from colleagues and well-wishers around the world on the radio he was allowed to listen to. In contrast to the sustained public campaign for his freedom, the kidnap of Canadian freelance […]
Timothy Garton Ash on Europe, Obama and the ignorance of George W Bush
Download this episode View in iTunes By Rebecca Omonira-Oyekanmi The rise of China, not Islamist terrorism, is the story of our time, declared Timothy Garton Ash at the Frontline Club last night. If you missed the event, you can watch the whole thing here… “The story of the next 20 years is about China, […]
Journalists and kidnap: the modern dangers of reporting from the frontline
“When you get it right you win awards. When you get it wrong people say you’re naive.” That’s how freelance journalist Sean Langan describes the dilemma facing journalists working in hostile conflict zones every day. In a sense, just to be there reporting from a war zone is a risk – but if there were […]
‘A sort of extreme camping trip with people trying to kill you’
Cameraman Stuart Webb describes his experience of being on patrol with the Coldstream Guards in Afghanistan. He was working for Channel 4 News with Alex Thomson. The pair came under fire as they moved along a ditch with the Guards… "As-live" Twitter reportage Alex Thomson’s report from Babaji in Helmand was broadcast on Channel […]
Journalism doesn’t pay, so what?
I never thought about making money when I set up Kigali Wire. From the beginning it has always been an experiment and it remains so. I never thought about making money when I shot my first photojournalism essay – which is in dire need of an editor’s hand… forgive me, it is my first bash […]
War reporting fail
A Georgian TV channel caused panic at the weekend after a mock up news report suggested Russian troops had invaded the country and President Saakashvili had been killed. Many viewers had missed a warning that went out before the broadcast. The video below is Russia Today’s report on the biggest (non)-story so far this year:
Club quiz
With quiz master Marcus Berkmann.
Join us for another quiz evening in the Clubroom. You can enter as an individual or as a team of six. All money will go to the Fixers’ Fund which raises money for families of fixers around the world killed or injured while working with the international media.
The Charles Douglas-Home Journalism Competition
We are pleased to announce that Frontline is to join The Charles Douglas-Home Memorial Trust in running a journalism competition which the Trust has awarded for some time. The winning article will be published in the next issue of Frontline. The writer should have been working in journalism for under 7 years. The winner of […]
Charles Douglas-Home Memorial Trust Competition
We are pleased to announce that Frontline is to join The Charles Douglas-Home Memorial Trust in running a journalism competition which the Trust has awarded for some time. The winning article will be published in the next issue of Frontline. The writer should have been working in journalism for under 7 years. The winner of […]
Broadsheet Spring Issue Editorial
Editors of newspapers across Britain will soon be deliberating that peculiar duty they feel (unlike most of their counterparts overseas) to endorse a political party at the coming election. It seems a curious thing for any publication that considers itself independent to do at the best of times, which this is not. This time round, […]
Round up: Marjah; war reporting; Facebook and the IDF.
Fighting the Taliban in Marjah, Afghanistan. There was an interesting little sub-plot in this article in The Times about the aim of protecting and winning over the population in a counterinsurgency operation. On the one hand these US Marines were being asked to exercise some level of restraint: "The new rules of engagement, dubbed “Courageous […]
Ed Kashi at the Frontline: Curse of the Black Gold
Photographer Ed Kashi was at the Frontline Club in March to talk about his work and experiences in the Niger Delta. Sean O’Hagan, who moderated this event, later reviewed Ed’s book for his On Photography column in the Guardian- and kindly gave the Club a mention too. Have a read here. If you missed the […]
Samoan Tsunami appeal today @ Financial Times
The Financial Times is hosting an auction of fantastic photographs on Tuesday 9th March to raise funds for Oxfam’s relief effort in Samoa. It is seven months since an 8.3 magnitude earthquake triggered a tsunami in Samoa, American Samoa and Tonga. In the immediate aftermath of the disaster Oxfam provided safe water, sanitation and food […]
Somali Victory at the SA World Cup
In recent years Somalia has often made the headlines for all the wrong reasons. Piracy, poverty and lawlessness have cast a long shadow over the Horn of Africa. Two generations of Somalis have been scattered forming a diasporas across the world. Many still live in refugee camps in Ethiopia, Yemen, Kenya and as far away […]
Frontline Club publishing update: blogs, podcast and video
We’re proud of what we do at the Frontline, bringing our members and guests a unique programme of debates, talks, film screenings and training all year round. But as well as inviting our friends to our home at 13 Norfolk Place, we also want people in the UK and around the world who can’t attend […]
First Wednesday: The challenges of telling the full story of war in Afghanistan
Download this episode View in iTunes Watch the full event here. By Heather Christie Media coverage of the conflict in Afghanistan is misinforming the public because it’s too heavily influenced by military strategy, practical challenges, and cultural preconceptions. That was the clear message at March’s first Wednesday event at the Frontline Club on Afghanistan and […]