Media unions and publishers are trying to strengthen international protection for reporters, especially since an increase in reporter deaths has shaken the industry.
The valiant cause might have unseen complications, and there is no clear answer if strengthening international laws will make an impact.
The International Federation of Journalists, based out of Brussels, is promoting the International Convention on the Safety and Independence of Journalists and Other Media Professions, a conference that asks countries to recognize U.N. resolutions on the confidentiality of reporters' sources, punish those who do not adhere to the protection rules and to spread information about government protection of journalists.
The convention allows a committee to enforce the rules and investigate crimes against journalists.
However, the U.N. would have to define who a journalist is, and some countries might ask more of the journalists they protect such as carrying press credentials and creating additional restrictions on journalists.