Frontline Television News is a cooperative of freelance cameramen formed during the chaos of the

Romanian Revolution The Romanian revolution () was a period of violent Civil disorder, civil unrest in Socialist Republic of Romania, Romania during December 1989 as a part of the revolutions of 1989 that occurred in several countries around the world, primarily ...

in 1989. Founded by Vaughan Smith, Peter Jouvenal,

Rory Peck Rory Peck (13 December 1956 – 3 October 1993) was a Northern-Irish freelance war Camera operator, cameraman who was killed while covering the events of the 1993 Russian constitutional crisis. Work Rory Peck covered the first Gulf War; the ...

and Nicholas della Casa. During the next 15 years they went on to film some of the most memorable images of modern television, despite paying a huge cost. Altogether eight cameramen, some linked directly with Frontline News TV, others indirectly, were killed while working.Loyn, David. ''Frontline: The True Story of the British Mavericks Who Changed the Face of War Reporting''. Michael Joseph (Penguin Books), 2005. Apart from providing independent news coverage of major events, many members used their military background and knowledge of local culture in places like Afghanistan to navigate dangerous battle situations and obtain pictures few other journalists could obtain. They also pioneered some technical innovations, such as using small

Hi8 The 8mm video format refers informally to three related videocassette formats. These are the original Video8 format (analog video and analog audio but with provision for digital audio), its improved variant Hi8, as well as a more recent digit ...

cameras in the early 1990s, and live satellite newsfeeds in the early 2000s. In 2003, Vaughan Smith, one of the two surviving founder members of Frontline News TV, turned the operation into a club in London aimed at offering a gathering place for those who believe in independent journalism, a place to remember colleagues that had died and a lobby to push for better support of the freelance community. This became the

Frontline Club The Frontline Club is a media club and registered charity created by Vaughan and Pranvera Smith, located near Paddington Station in London. With a strong emphasis on conflict reporting, it aims to champion independent journalism, provide an effe ...

, one of the leading media talking-shops in the UK today. Image:Rorypeck camera.jpg,

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...

Image:RoryPeckFrontlineClub.JPG, Rory Peck's camera and Russian

Press Pass A press pass (alternatively referred to as a press card or a journalist pass) grants some type of special privilege to journalists. Some cards have recognized legal status; others merely indicate that the bearer is a practicing journalist. The n ...

in a display at the Frontline Club Image:PeterJouvenalBBCcamerman.JPG, Peter Jouvenal in

Kabul Kabul is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. Located in the eastern half of the country, it is also a municipality, forming part of the Kabul Province. The city is divided for administration into #Districts, 22 municipal districts. A ...

Image:FrontlineClubDisplayVaughanSmithSniperTelephone-1.JPG, Display

of Vaughan Smith's mobile telephone showing the sniper's bullet still lodged within it, which saved his life

Frontline journalists who have died

* Nicholas "Nick" della Casa (1960–1991) * Rosanna della Casa (1960–1991) * Roddy Scot (1971–2002) * Charles Maxwell (1952–1991) *

(1956–1993) * James Miller (1968–2003) * Richard Wild (1978–2003) * Carlos Mavroleon (1958–1998)

References

{{Reflist

External links

Frontline Home Page

The Rory Peck Trust

Frontline: The True Story of the British Mavericks Who Changed the Face of War Reporting, by David Loyn
Former co-operatives of the United Kingdom Media cooperatives