AMWJU, EGM float 'Media Legal Assistance Fund'
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, September 27 2024: All Manipur Working Journalists' Union (AMWJU) and Editors' Guild, Manipur (EGM) have jointly announced floating of a "Media Legal Assistance Fund" to provide legal and financial aid to journalists and media persons facing legal challenges related to their work.

This decision comes in light of the ongoing case in which Editors' Guild of India (EGI) dragged the two journalists' bodies of the state in the Supreme Court instead of appearing before the court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) Court, Imphal East.

AMWJU and EGM expressed concern over the high costs of defending the case in the Supreme Court.

In a joint statement, AMWJU and EGM informed that the newly established fund aims not only to manage the expenses associated with the current Supreme Court case but also to offer future support to journalists facing intimidation through legal actions.

However, the fund will exclusively cover cases related to journalism, reporting, and publication.

Personal legal cases unrelated to the profession will not be considered for assistance, it said.

Applications for assistance will be reviewed by a management committee, which will ensure that requests are aligned with ethical journalism, following Press Council of India (PCI) guidelines and accounting for local contexts.

No support will be provided for cases involving "yellow journalism" or "paid news".

The Media Legal Assistance Fund will be transparently managed by a management committee composed of representatives from AMWJU, EGM, a legal team led by a legal advisor, and a chartered accountant.

The presidents of AMWJU and EGM will serve as co-chairs of the committee.

Donations to the fund will be publicly acknowledged, with the account statement published annually.

In addition to financial donations, legal professionals are encouraged to offer their services pro bono to defend press freedom in Manipur, the two bodies urged.

The statement further informed that in the present case, advocate Sapam Bishwajit and his team are representing AMWJU and EGM on a pro bono basis, though the organisations will cover their travel and incidental expenses.

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