I will not be in Brighton next week, which is a pity because I would like to have heard the guest speaker at the city’s National Union of Journalists’ next branch meeting.
In a timely address, Turkish press freedom advocate Umit Ozturk will talk about the threats to journalism and human rights under the current regime led by Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
According to the NUJ press release, he will reveal examples of censorship, media restrictions, intimidation, prosecution, imprisonment and physical attacks on journalists.
Ozturk, who has lived in the UK since 1992, has worked as a human rights reporter, editor and broadcaster. He has also been a book publisher.
He chaired Amnesty International’s international journalists’ network for 12 years and was a co-founder of the first UK chapter of Reporters Without Borders. He has been the recipient of several media prizes.
As if that isn’t enough, Ozturk is the founder and coordinator of the Brighton-based community support charity Euro-Mediterranean Resources Network and also something of a stand-up performer.
Journalists in Sussex shouldn’t pass up the chance to hear him on 27 July (7 for 7.30pm) at the Craft Beer Company in Brighton’s Upper North Street.
