DEATHS OF MEDIA WORKERS HAVE INCREASED BY OVER 40% SINCE LAST YEAR

Sat 10 December 2022:

According to a new report released on Friday, the number of journalists and media professionals killed while performing their jobs in 2022 has climbed by more than 40% compared to last year.

According to the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), 67 media professionals have been killed while performing their jobs this year, up from 47 in 2021, reversing the trend of prior years’ drop.

“The surge in the killings of journalists and other media workers is a grave cause of concern and yet another wake-up call for governments across the globe to take action in the defense of journalism, one of the key pillars of democracy,” IFJ General Secretary Anthony Bellanger said in a statement.

According to the organization with its Brussels headquarters that represents almost 600,000 journalists in 146 countries, the conflict in Ukraine, the unrest in Haiti, as well as the activities of criminal organizations in Mexico, were important factors in the rise in incidents.

The IFJ report also called out the fatal shooting of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh who was killed by Israeli forces on May 11 as she was covering an Israeli military raid on a refugee camp in Jenin in the northern occupied West Bank. The Al Jazeera network this week formally requested the International Criminal Court investigate and prosecute those responsible for killing Abu Akleh.

The group also warned of growing violence against journalists in Colombia, which threatens to make the South American country “a killing zone for journalists and media workers once again and shattering the prospects for media freedom following the political settlement to end decades of bloody civil war.”

Overall, the deadliest country for media personnel was Ukraine, with 12 reported fatalities, while North and South America was the deadliest region, with 29 deaths.

The report, released on the eve of the United Nations’ Human Rights Day, also shows that “political repression has reared its ugly head” in 2022, recording at least 375 media professionals – 10 more than last year – who are currently in prison for doing their job.

“These figures make for grim reading and cast serious doubts on the political will on the part of governments to address such grave threats to media freedom,” Bellanger said.

The group is demanding “immediate action” from the international community to protect journalists across the world.

“The failure to act will only embolden those who seek to suppress the free flow of information and undermine the ability of people to hold their leaders to account, including in ensuring that those with power and influence do not stand in the way of open and inclusive societies,” Bellanger added.

The report, released on the eve of the United Nations Human Rights Day, also shows that “political repression has reared its ugly head” in 2022. IFJ recorded at least 375 media professionals –10 more than last year – currently in prison for doing their job.

Most of those jailed are in China, Myanmar, Turkey, Iran and Belarus.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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