Today is World Press Freedom Day and The UN is highlighting the vital role of a free press for democracy with the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres saying that: 'No democracy is complete without access to transparent and reliable information' but in the current climate that can be deadly.
In 2018, there were 95 journalists killed during the course of their work according to the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) with the most deadly being Afghanistan (16 deaths), Mexico (11), Yemen (8), Syria (8), India (7), and America (5).
The IJF reason that increasing intolerance to reporting, populism, as well as corruption and crime are important factors as they contribute to an environment in which there are more journalists killed for covering their communities, cities and countries, than for reporting in armed conflict zones.
Almost 260 journalists are imprisoned worldwide for activities related to their work and the Committee to Protect Journalists, says anti-press rhetoric has become endemic in many countries, pointing in particular to the Philippines and the US where: 'Online harassment and its very real threats to journalists, especially women, has compounded the already challenging environment'
In its World Press Freedom Index, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) describes the situation in the US as 'problematic' and adding 'Never before have US journalists been subjected to so many death threats'.
RSF also raise the issue of journalism in Mexico where collusion between officials and organisd crime pose a grave threat to journalist's safety.
Journalism is far more than simple fact reporting, it shines a bright light on the places where some shady people in power don't want it shining which makes it so vitally important to all of us.
1 comment:
Journalism has become less about the journalism and more about being run as a business, especially as the 'press' has been losing readers to the internet hand over fist for the past decade or so. Sensationalist headlines sells newspapers or attract viewers and standards have been lowered, especially in the last decade or so in the press journalism, in a business that is self-regulating.
Where before it was more subtle, now all ideologies are front and center as they try to appeal to their core demographic as their readership/viewers falls.
Broadcast journalism here is strictly regulated and it works but the press is self regulated and it's a joke so my guess would be in America, as with the UK newspapers, your broadcast and press journalism is used to drive firstly readers/advertising/money and the quality of journalism is secondary which annoyingly paints all journalists everywhere with a very broad brush.
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