News Broadcasting
United Nations adopts plan of action to improve safety of journalists
NEW DELHI: More than 500 professionals have been killed in the course of their duties over the past decade. Many more have been assaulted, abducted, sexually violated, intimidated, harassed, arrested or illegally detained. The vast majority of these crimes did not concern international war correspondents but journalists working in their home countries, often in times of peace, and covering local stories. The instigators for the most part, remain unpunished.
Concerned with this data, a coordinated inter-agency mechanism is in the process of being established to handle issues connected to the safety of journalists and impunity which will involve monitoring of progress at both national and international levels.
Safety and impunity are also to be incorporated into United Nations contributions to national strategy, notably development assistance programmes and the possible inclusion of media stake holders in some of the preparatory processes of the UN’s development projects.
The decision was taken at a meeting of representatives of UN agencies, programmes and funds meeting at UNESCO in Paris which drafted an Action Plan to improve the safety of journalists and combat impunity of crimes against them.
The Draft Action Plan was prepared at the meeting held on 13 and 14 September under the chairmanship of Information and Broadcasting Ministry Secretary Raghu Menon, who is Chairperson of the Impunity to Programme for the Development of Communication (IPDC).
UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova; UN Under-Secretary General for Communications and Public Information Kiyo Akasaka; UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression Frank la Rue, and representatives of leading freedom of expression and press freedom organisations also attended the two-day meeting.
The meeting was endorsed by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay, who addressed the participants at the start of session.
The Draft also foresees the extension of work already conducted by UNESCO to prevent crimes against media workers. This notably includes assisting countries to develop legislation and mechanisms favourable to freedom of expression and information, and by supporting their efforts to implement existing international rules and principles, especially the 1997 UNESCO General Conference Resolution concerning violence against journalists. This stipulates that there should be no statute of limitations on crimes against freedom of expression.
To further reinforce prevention, awareness raising campaigns will also be conducted with member states, civil society, non-governmental organisations and concerned bodies about issues of freedom of expression, journalists’ safety and the danger of Impunity to Programme for the Development of Communication (IPDC) at its next session in March 2012 and will then be submitted to the bodies in charge of UN-wide coordination.
UNESCO is the UN agency mandated to “promote the free flow of ideas by word and image”, with the aim of establishing a coordinated, UN system-wide approach to preventing and combating these crimes.
News Broadcasting
UDF poised to return to power in Kerala, says Manorama-CVoter survey
Massive opinion poll projects shift in Kerala politics ahead of 2026 Assembly elections.
MUMBAI: The winds of change appear to be blowing through Kerala’s political landscape and this time, they seem to favour the United Democratic Front. A comprehensive mega opinion survey conducted by Manorama News in partnership with CVoter projects a potential comeback for the UDF in the upcoming Kerala Legislative Assembly Elections 2026. The survey, covering all 140 constituencies with a massive sample size of nearly 90,000 respondents, predicts the UDF could win between 69 and 81 seats.
The ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) is expected to secure 57 to 69 seats, a significant drop from the 99 seats it won in the 2021 elections. This would mean the LDF losing 30 to 42 of its sitting seats. Meanwhile, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which drew a blank in 2021, is projected to open its account with 1 to 5 seats.
Region-wise, the UDF is expected to make strong gains in Malabar, winning 25 to 34 out of 48 seats, and in Central Kerala, where it could bag 29 to 33 out of 53 seats. In South Kerala, the LDF is likely to retain an edge with 21 to 25 seats, while the UDF may improve to 12 to 16 seats. The NDA could pick up 1 to 3 seats in the southern region.
The survey was conducted between 14 and 26 March 2026, with additional tracker and snap polls carried out from December 2025 to March 2026. A total of 89,693 respondents participated, ensuring representation across all demographics and social segments.
Manorama News has a strong track record of accuracy, with its previous projections closely matching the actual results of the 2019 and 2024 Lok Sabha elections as well as the 2021 Kerala Assembly polls.
In Kerala’s famously fierce political battles, this survey suggests the pendulum may be swinging back. Whether the final verdict matches these numbers or throws up another surprise, one thing is clear, the 2026 Assembly elections are shaping up to be one of the most keenly watched contests in the state’s history.
