WEST PAPUA MEDIA SOURCE PROTECTION POLICY

West Papua Media has a policy of absolute non-identification of our sources and stringers. Our entire Protective Witness Journalism model is based on the anonymity of our active crew on the ground, to prevent the killings, threats and intimidation of journalists and media workers that is so common in Papua, and to ensure that they can continue to work effectively without threats to their security or freedom to report.

If the human rights abusers do not know who is witnessing them and reporting on them, knowing that their actions could be broadcast internationally, then they are more likely to be behaving with restraint against civilians and people seeking to engage in peaceful free expression. This is the best weapon we have against continued impunity against human security abuse perpetrators.

For fixing services and co-productions for and with international media outlets, WPM is adamant that none of our sources on the ground are identified publicly. Though we can provide them to satisfy your verification requirements, it is on condition that they are never publicly identified – or identified outside the immediate production team. The risks are too great.

Furthermore, our sources – especially direct witnesses – for stories on any human security abuse (direct human rights or environmental abuses, corruption, or violations of the rights to freedom of expression, amongst others) must have their anonymity protected as a matter of policy. We do maintain source records in electronically and physically protected formats, using (electronically) 4096-bit MINIMUM encryption, and physical offsite safe data storage. We expect anyone who requires bona-fide access to source records to adhere to this data protection policy, and will provide the necessary training and open source software resource to those that do not currently have this capability (at reasonable cost for commercial requests).

All communications that may potentially identify protected sources in any way, or travel plans for clandestine reportage, must – again as a matter of safety and policy – be encrypted and follow our Safe Witness Journalism guidelines. We will advise what communications methods are safe and unsafe, and expect journalists to adhere to this. We have a large suite of extremely simple solutions to enable this to occur, and can provide reasonable cost training and equipment in this to any journalist that wishes to go into Papua.

Legal documents required to enter Papua have always been the responsibility of journalists, and whilst WPM advises a specific method, final choice rests with the journalists.

Nothwithstanding WPM’s pre-existing implicit application of financial responsibility by commissioning organisations according to established journalistic ethics, to be thoroughly clear, any breach or reckless abandonment of the WPM Source Protection Policy will require mitigation, advocacy and/or protection measures to be supported and paid for the contracting party, up to and including full resettlement, contingency and security costs for affected sources, fixers, translators, journalists or other personnel. It is important that any foreign journalists carry liability insurance that covers this. Fixing services are only provided on condition also that any person arrested or threatened by security forces will be provided with advocacy and financial Provision of fixing

services has always been implicit with WPM Source Protection Policy, this policy is now making protection liability explicit. Failure to abide by these conditions will also result in factual publication of conduct. An ethical journalist should ALWAYS be responsible for the safety of a source or fixer.

In case of unlawful arrest or security force harassment of foreign or local journalists, fixers or associated sources during or after the story-gathering, commissioning organisations will be fully cooperative, communicate securely, truthfully, safely, and in a timely fashion with WPM, in order to engage in effective and pre-agreed media advocacy options with the Papua chapter of the Alliance of Independent Journalists; the national journalists union of the journalist’s home country, and international media safety organisations such as Reporters sans Frontieres. We will develop a protocol with you to prepare for this situation.

We want West Papuan people to not be afraid of speaking out, and we want West Papua’s voice to be its weapon, to broadcast its songs for Freedom.

Provision of fixing and/or co-production services are all subject to full acceptance of this Source Protection Policy. Please fill in your details, check all points below and sign to accept the WestPapuaMedia Source Protection Policy.

☐I, Click here to enter name., of Click here to enter organisation/employer, have read and agree to abide by the entirety of the WestPapuaMedia Source Protection Policy for the duration of fixing services and collaboration with the West Papua Media team.

☐I understand that failure to abide by these conditions, may result in reasonable security and mitigation expenses being payable, and I will agree to provide full support for remediation of issues caused by this.

☐Deliberate, Reckless, manipulative and/or malevolent breaches will be subject to litigation, compensation, remediation, human security protection obligations, and will also result in factual publication of breaches and recklessness that may be injurious to reputation.

☐Acceptance of this policy is a contract under law, even without exchange of monies.

Signed,

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