Hirondelle News Agency Charter
1. Leading Principles of Fondation Hirondelle Hirondelle News Agency is a project of Fondation Hirondelle, with headquarters in Geneva. Fondation Hirondelle creates and supports independent media in crisis areas and transition countries. It is independent from political and economic powers and, in this specific case, from the IInternational Criminal Court, the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and other jurisdictions ion which it reports.It stands for non-partisan information. No one, unless he/she is appointed by the Foundation, is entitled to demand or to prohibit the broadcasting or publishing of content by a Fondation Hirondell e media outlet. 2. Hirondelle News Agency's Objective Considering the universal relevance of judgments on genocide,crimes against humanity and war crimes, and in order to contribute to the fight against impunity, Fondation Hirondelle created the Hirondelle News Agency to contribute to the best possible coverage of proceedings.at the ICC, the ICTR and other jurisdictions. The IDTA as a press agency strives to offer to the media in Rwanda and in the sub-region (Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Uganda, the DCR and Kenya), as well as to international media -- and via these, to populations -- a factual, accurate, honest, swift and as comprehensive as possible coverage of ICTR proceedings. The IDTA also publishes all or part of its production on the Fondation Hirondelle's internet site. Moreover, the IDTA contributes to the journalistic coverage of judicial proceedings by providing its collaborators with ongoing training to judiciary news reporting. 3. Field of Coverage The IDTA covers as a priority ICTR proceedings, but it may also process any news directly related to after-effects of the genocide in Rwanda. If required by the situation, the IDTA may also provide information concerning the ICTR's operating mode itself and its political environment. Moreover, it can cover major judiciary events in neighbouring countries if they are part of a national reconciliation process, in the aftermath of the genocide in Rwanda. 4. Type of Coverage The IDTA reports on ICTR developments in a factual, accurate and as comprehensive as possible manner, via agency news reports. The IDTA may also refer to the context of this judicial news by recalling past historical or judiciary events, by sketching portraits of major actors or, more generally, by highlighting elements necessary to understand judiciary developments. In such cases, news reports are clearly identified as such by the mentions "synthesis", "feature" or "portrait" which precede the news report's headline. The IDTA may also provide radio news programmes and magazines related to the judicial news that it covers otherwise. 5. Balanced Information The IDTA reports on ICTR hearings in a balanced manner. It does not claim to relate the historical facts itself, but solely the judicial debates. A well-balanced presentation of the different points of view expressed by the parties (defence and prosecution) must be ensured in a continuous, long-term way -- that is, it must cover the overall process of the hearings; each party's point of view does not necessarily have to be recalled in a given report if it was not expressed during the hearing that is being related. 6. Facts and Opinions The IDTA establishes a strict distinction between facts and opinions. When reporting opinions, it states them as such. The IDTA itself expresses no judgement of value or comment. 7. Responsibilities of the Collaborator The collaborator is aware of the particular requirements he must meet given the specific nature of the information that he/she is processing. Respect for all victims must be constant concern. Whenever he/she faces a delicate matter, he/she consults with his/her superior, according to the hierarchic line defined by the Fondation Hirondelle. 8. Legal For Any request for a right to reply will be processed according to Swiss legislation. For any judicial action, the legal for is in Geneva.