THE National Union of Journalists and organisations representing media managements have pledged to work towards implementing a set of principles in memory of Veronica Guerin.
The principles, to be known as the Guerin Principles, are:
. The existence of a fair, free and independent media is essential to democracy.
. The state must ensure that a constitutional and legislative environment exists to facilitate freedom of expression and free media.
. Media organisations must continue to provide the resources necessary for investigative journalism.
. Media organisations must ensure that workers are given the maximum protection in the pursuit of their duties.
. Media workers resolve to resist any attempt at intimidation in whatever form and from whatever quarter.
The principles have been agreed by the NUJ, the Association of Independent Radio Stations, the National Newspapers of Ireland and the Provincial Newspapers Association of Ireland.
Among those at yesterday's seminar was the Minister of State at the Department of the Tanaiste, Ms Eithne Fitzgerald, the Fianna Fail spokeswoman on Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht, Ms Sile de Valera, the general secretary of the NUJ, Mr John Foster, the deputy general secretary, Mr Jake Ecclestone, the Irish Secretary of the NUJ, Mr Eoin Ronayne, the chairman of the Irish Executive Council, NUJ, Mr Barry McCall, the managing director of Independent Newspapers, Mr David Palmer, the editor of the Sunday Independent, Mr Aengus Fanning, the news editor of the Sunday Independent, Mr Willie Kealy, who also delivered an appreciation of Ms Guerin, the Father of The Irish Times chapel of the NUJ, Mr Joe Culley, as well as Ms Guerin's colleagues from Dublin and provincial journalism, media academics, students and trade unionists.