In the last two decades, a staggering total of 1,668 journalists have been killed worldwide during the course of their work, 58 in 2022 with the most dangerous countries to be a journalist being Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, Yemen, Mexico, Russia, Ukraine, Palestine and Somalia.
There are 65 journalists currently being held hostage and a record total of 533 are currently detained worldwide with those worst nations being Russia, China and Iran.
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) 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.
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 organised 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:
journalists don't seem to be very smart...
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