Freedom of expression and the right to be informed are the basic conditions for any society to be defined as democratic, and any threat to these fundamental rights seriously damages society and endangers democracy, says Mr Parkinson.

WAN President, Roger Parkinson. Photo Courtesy of El Correo

Those rights are being threatened in Spain, where the terrorist group ETA has been targetting media and killling journalists in the Basque Country. That is the focus of testimony at the Terrorism in the Media Conference organised by WAN, the World Editors Forum and the Spanish Newspapers Publishers Association (aede), and why it is being held in Bilbao, Spain.

But the conference also examines attacks on free and independent media in other parts of the world – Algeria, Colombia, Indonesia, Ireland and Israel. And, as we know to our horror, the threats to society by terrorism go much farther than that.

"In these days of hirthero unseen and horrifying terror against humanity, it is more urgent than ever to stand up against every single violation of the fundamental principles for democratic and civilized societies. Exactly this is the aim of the conference," said Mr Parkinson.

Mr Parkinson also noted that terrorism is not only a threat to societies, but also to individuals. Journalists who face car bombs, Molotov cocktails, public harassment, violence in the streets, attacks and killings cannot live normal lives, and must have great courage just to do their jobs.

He put it this way: "How do you explain to your four-year-old daughter that you are down on your knees every morning to look under your car? You say you are looking for the cat or for some toys gone missing? At the same time, some journalists have to refrain from using the metro or the tram because they might bring other people’s lives in danger. It has become necessary for editors and journalists to have bodyguards around them throughout the day. It has become necessary to equip newspaper offices like a fortress and to x-ray every single back."