US journalists raise funds for kin of slain RP mediamen

CHICAGO, Illinois – Several news organizations in the United States have launched fund drives for the families of the Filipino journalists slain in the politically motivated killings in Maguindanao.

Los Angeles-based Media Breakfast Club (MBC) will be launching a “Support for the Orphans of Slain Journalists" (SOS-J) drive. MBC head Bobby Reyes said the group had discussed the plan among their members.

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We must never forget their courage and willingness to risk their lives to get their stories to the public.
– Allen Rafalson, president of the Chicago Journalists Association
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Meanwhile, the Chicago Journalists Association will hold a brief ceremony for the slain journalists at their upcoming 71st annual dinner.

“Far too many men and women in our profession have been killed reporting on wars, corruption and crime. We must never forget their courage and willingness to risk their lives to get their stories to the public," said Allen Rafalson, president of the Chicago Journalists Association.

Other US media groups meanwhile, condemned the act committed against the Filipino journalists.

The Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA), one of the biggest press organizations in the US, said the massacre would have strong repercussions for Filipino mediamen.

“The brazen act, we fear, could have a chilling effect on reporters and their work," said AAJA national president Sharon Chan.

“And to the Filipino journalism community at large, we express solidarity and offer our encouragement. We look to them to help reveal what happened in Maguindanao this week, and to continue the important journalistic role of pursuing truth and reporting without fear. We, at AAJA, stand with them on these shared principles," she added.

The number of identified journalists who had died in the November 23 massacre in Ampatuan town in Maguindanao province has risen to 30, based on the list complied by GMANews.TV and the non-government, Center for International Law. [See list of slain journalists in the Maguindanao massacre here.]

New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists, an independent, non-profit organization, acknowledged the government’s efforts to seek justice for the slain mediamen but stressed the need for more information on the tragedy.

“The state of emergency declared in the province must not interfere with journalists seeking access and information to report on the killings," Bob Dietz, CPJ’s Asia program coordinator said.

“[President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo] might not be able to reverse the culture of violence that surrounds so much of political life in the Philippines, but she can certainly use this terrible incident to fight the impunity that surrounds journalists’ deaths," Dietz added. - JHU, ARCS,

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