“Never let your sense of morals get in the way of doing what´s right.” – Isaac Asimov

The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines´ stand on media junkets is clear.

We believe accepting sponsored trips from those accused of committing genocide is downright unethical. There ought to be no moral dilemma in rejecting offers from Israel. Our guide should be simple: Whose interests are you serving?

In the NUJP Ethical Guide for Filipino Journalists on media junkets, we clearly stated that “journalists may not accept an invitation to a media junket or an all-expense paid trip where there is no work involved or the purpose is only to get on their good side with expectation of positive coverage in the future, or to establish a friendship with the host.”

Far from being benign, trips sponsored by Israel are designed to bury the truth and whitewash reportage of the ongoing genocide against the Palestinian people.

Furthermore, participating in these trips provide space to justify violations of international humanitarian law (IHL) and contravenes the principles of justice and humanity we uphold in journalism.

Newsrooms and journalists should reject such offers.

As of June 11, 2026, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has documented 259 killings of journalists in Gaza since 1992, exposing Israel´s disregard for the lives of journalists and making the Gaza war the deadliest on record for journalists. This alone is a compelling reason for any discerning journalist and those advocating press freedom to reject any trips or offers from Israel.

We ask fellow journalists to uphold ethical practice, report on the IHL violations of Israel and its partnership with the Philippine government, and stand in solidarity with media workers in Palestine by demanding that Israel stop its brazen assault on press freedom and committing genocide on the Palestinian people.

Reference:
National Directorate
secretariat@nujp.org