On Friday I spoke at a National Union of Journalists vigil protesting Israel's ongoing killing of journalists in Gaza.
I was grateful to be invited along this to this demonstration to speak. I am not a campaigner, nor an activist. I have no experience of delivering the kinds of speeches you hear at rallies.
Besides the fact that there has long been historical precedent for newspapers campaigning on all kinds of topics, my view is that this is not a campaigning issue. This is a human issue.
But we all have a duty to use the platforms we have to speak out against genocide.
As I said in my speech, you cannot report impartially on genocide. This is a not a "two sides" issue.
I thought I would share my speech from the demonstration for those who could not make it along.
"Israel, stop killing journalists" rally speech, 22.08
There have been so many journalists killed by Israel since October 23 that nobody really knows for sure what the true number is.
The United Nations says 242. Al Jazeera says its more like 270.
Across Gaza the level of destruction is such that it cannot be quantified.
We can at least compare a rough estimate with historic examples of war.
You may have seen graphics going around showing more journalists have been killed in Gaza in two years than were killed in any major war since 1800.
I told my mum this in horror. She looked at me unphased and said “It’s no surprise. They’ve destroyed everything.”
People are becoming numb to the scale of the horror.
We are normalising genocide on a global scale.
The very least journalists can do is speak up for our colleagues.
Maybe you think you are not an expert in politics, or conflict, or that it is not your place as a reporter to speak up.
I am sure that among the hundreds of journalists killed in Gaza, there were general news reporters who would not have considered themselves to be experts in war reporting.
But they were left with no choice as bombs were dropped over them and their colleagues were picked off one by one.
We all have a duty to say something and stand in solidarity with our colleagues. You would want the same if it were you.
We have real power and platforms in our profession. I don’t think we understand that fully.
The questions we ask those in power can have a major impact on the political agenda.
But if we don’t ask, we don’t get.
I urge journalists across Scotland and the UK to use their platform with a conscience.
- Ask politicians why we are still exporting weapons to Israel.
- Ask them why we give information collected from spy planes to a government accused of genocide, a government whose leaders face arrest warrants from the International Criminal Court.
- Ask institutions why they continue to operate contracts with firms profiting from genocide.
- Ask why taxpayers’ money is being given to companies whose weapons have killed not just the journalists we are remembering tonight but tens of thousands of people.
Do not think it is nothing to do with you.
This is to do with every single one of us.
Use your voice, use your platform. There is no impartial reporting on genocide.
