Media blackout: Over 200 media outlets across globe join mass editorial protest against Israel

For potentially the first time in modern history, over 200 media outlets across the globe participated in a large-scale editorial protest for Gaza on Monday. The Global Media Blackout was coordinated by Reporters without Borders (RSF), the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and the campaign movement Avaaz. As part of the blackout protest, print newspapers will run blacked-out front pages, broadcasters and radio stations will pause programming with a joint statement and online outlets will black out their homepages or banners in solidarity.

The joint led campaign gave print publications four options: an entirely black front page with unified message, entirely black front page without unified message, a partially black page or a black masthead. For online publications, ISJ, RSF and Avaaz suggested a black banner with or without a unified message.

For broadcasters, the following message on a black TV screen or spoken over a metronome sound was encouraged: “At the rate journalists are being killed in Gaza by the Israeli army, there will soon be no one left to keep you informed. In nearly 23 months, at least 210 journalists have been killed by the Israeli army in this territory, according to Reporters Without Borders. We, and more than 150 other media outlets across the world, condemn these crimes. And we call on the Israeli authorities to allow independent access for the international press in the Gaza Strip.” (Read More)