Tweet
MEDIA: JOURNALIST DEATHS STILL CLIMBING EVERY YEAR
By Haider Rizvi
Inter Press Service , Italy
Dec 18 2007
NEW YORK, Dec 18 (IPS) - For journalists across the world, this year
has been the deadliest in more than a decade, according to a report
released by a major media watchdog Tuesday.
In its year-end analysis of press freedom worldwide, the Committee to
Protect Journalists (CPJ) said as many as 64 journalists were killed
this year while performing their jobs. These numbers are up from 56
deaths recorded last year.
CPJ researchers who are still investigating another 22 deaths to
determine whether they were work-related called this year's death-count
as "unusually high".
According to the New York-based media rights group, 1994 was the worst
year, when as many as 66 journalists were killed. Most of those who
died that year were working in conflict zones such as in Algeria,
Bosnia and Rwanda.
The report describes Iraq as the "deadliest country in the world
for the press". For the fifth straight year, Iraq remains the most
dangerous place for media workers. Its 31 victims account for nearly
half of the 2007 toll.
CPJ said many journalists who lost their lives in Iraq, including
Washington Post reporter Salih Aldin, who died in Baghdad from a
single gunshot wound to the head, were victims of targeted killings.
The analysis shows that 24 deaths in Iraq this year were plain
"murders". Unidentified gunmen, suicide bombers, and U.S. military
activity pose serious risks to journalists. All but one of 31
journalists killed were Iraqi nationals. They worked mainly for local
media, although nine worked for international news organisations such
as The New York Times, ABC News, Reuters, and The Associated Press.
According to CPJ, the 2007 toll in Iraq is "consistent" with that of
2006, when 32 journalists died.
"Working as a journalist in Iraq remains one of the most dangerous
jobs on the planet," said CPJ executive director Joel Simon. "Members
of the press are being hunted down and murdered with alarming
regularity. They are abducted at gunpoint and found dead later or
shot dead on the spot."
"Those who die are nearly always Iraqi and many work for international
news agencies. These journalists gave their lives so that all of us
could be informed about what is happening in Iraq," Simon added in
a statement.
Twelve media support workers, such as bodyguards and drivers, also
died in Iraq. Since the beginning of the U.S. war in March 2003, more
than 120 journalists and nearly 50 media workers have been killed,
making it the deadliest conflict for the press in recent history.
More than one-third of those killed during this period of time worked
for international news organisations.
The report describes Somalia as the second-deadliest country for the
media in 2007, with seven journalist killed. "Horrific violence in
Iraq overshadowed the increasingly deteriorating environment for the
media in Somalia," said Simon. "Journalists reporting in Somalia face
great risks every day."
Included in the seven deaths in Somalia are the back-to-back
assassinations of two prominent journalists. Mahad Ahmed Elmi,
director of Capital Voice radio in Mogadishu, died after being shot
four times in the head. Hours later, a remotely detonated landmine
took the life of HornAfrik Media co-owner Ali Iman Sharmarke as he
left Elmi's funeral.
Overall, according to CPJ, deaths spiked in Africa, from two last year
to 10 this year. In 2007, two journalists were killed in Eritrea and
one in Zimbabwe.
Beneath the terrible numbers, the group's research also shows some
positive developments. There were no murders of journalists in
Colombia this year -- the first time in more than 15 years. Also,
for the first time since 1999, there were no work-related killings
of journalists in the Philippines.
Worldwide, according to CPJ, murder remains the leading cause of
work-related deaths for journalists. The group said seven in 10
deaths which occurred in 2007 were murders. The rest were either
combat-related deaths or a result of dangerous assignments.
Last month, CPJ launched a global campaign against impunity to seek
justice in journalist murders. The campaign focuses on the Philippines
and Russia, two of the deadliest countries for the press over the
past 15 years.
Despite recent convictions in both countries, the impunity rate in
each remains at about 90 percent. "Unsolved killings spread fear and
self-censorship, crippling the work of the media," said Simon. "We need
to break the cycle by bringing the killers of journalists to justice."
In every region of the world, journalists who produced critical
reporting or covered sensitive stories were silenced, said Simon,
noting that in Pakistan and Sri Lanka, five journalists were killed
for their work. In Pakistan, Muhammad Arif of ARY One World TV and
two other journalists lost their lives as a result of suicide bombings.
In Sri Lanka, air force fighter jets bombed the Voice of Tigers
radio station, killing three employees. One slaying occurred in the
United States, where a masked gunman shot Oakland Post Editor-in-Chief
Chauncey Bailey as he walked to work, in what police described as an
"assassination".
The report recalls how millions of people around the globe watched the
apparently deliberate murder of Japanese photographer Kenji Nagai by
Burmese troops during the crackdown on antigovernment demonstrators
in Rangoon. No apparent moves have been made to bring his killer
to justice.
It also mentions the assassination of Turkish-Armenian editor Hrant
Dink outside his newspaper office in Istanbul, which sent shock
waves through the Turkish press and the international community. In
Kyrgyzstan, ethnic Uzbek independent journalist Alisher Saipov was
shot and killed at close range, and in Peru, popular radio commentator
Miguel Perez Julca was gunned down in front of his family.
Nepal, the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Haiti, Honduras, and Russia
also made the list of places with journalist fatalities this year. Five
journalists are classified as missing, three of them in Mexico.
Noting that media support workers are increasingly at risk, CPJ has
compiled a list of media worker deaths. Worldwide, 20 translators,
so-called "fixers", guards, and drivers were killed in 2007. The
victims include three Mexican newspaper delivery workers slain by
drug traffickers seeking to silence their employer.
http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews= 40524
By Haider Rizvi
Inter Press Service , Italy
Dec 18 2007
NEW YORK, Dec 18 (IPS) - For journalists across the world, this year
has been the deadliest in more than a decade, according to a report
released by a major media watchdog Tuesday.
In its year-end analysis of press freedom worldwide, the Committee to
Protect Journalists (CPJ) said as many as 64 journalists were killed
this year while performing their jobs. These numbers are up from 56
deaths recorded last year.
CPJ researchers who are still investigating another 22 deaths to
determine whether they were work-related called this year's death-count
as "unusually high".
According to the New York-based media rights group, 1994 was the worst
year, when as many as 66 journalists were killed. Most of those who
died that year were working in conflict zones such as in Algeria,
Bosnia and Rwanda.
The report describes Iraq as the "deadliest country in the world
for the press". For the fifth straight year, Iraq remains the most
dangerous place for media workers. Its 31 victims account for nearly
half of the 2007 toll.
CPJ said many journalists who lost their lives in Iraq, including
Washington Post reporter Salih Aldin, who died in Baghdad from a
single gunshot wound to the head, were victims of targeted killings.
The analysis shows that 24 deaths in Iraq this year were plain
"murders". Unidentified gunmen, suicide bombers, and U.S. military
activity pose serious risks to journalists. All but one of 31
journalists killed were Iraqi nationals. They worked mainly for local
media, although nine worked for international news organisations such
as The New York Times, ABC News, Reuters, and The Associated Press.
According to CPJ, the 2007 toll in Iraq is "consistent" with that of
2006, when 32 journalists died.
"Working as a journalist in Iraq remains one of the most dangerous
jobs on the planet," said CPJ executive director Joel Simon. "Members
of the press are being hunted down and murdered with alarming
regularity. They are abducted at gunpoint and found dead later or
shot dead on the spot."
"Those who die are nearly always Iraqi and many work for international
news agencies. These journalists gave their lives so that all of us
could be informed about what is happening in Iraq," Simon added in
a statement.
Twelve media support workers, such as bodyguards and drivers, also
died in Iraq. Since the beginning of the U.S. war in March 2003, more
than 120 journalists and nearly 50 media workers have been killed,
making it the deadliest conflict for the press in recent history.
More than one-third of those killed during this period of time worked
for international news organisations.
The report describes Somalia as the second-deadliest country for the
media in 2007, with seven journalist killed. "Horrific violence in
Iraq overshadowed the increasingly deteriorating environment for the
media in Somalia," said Simon. "Journalists reporting in Somalia face
great risks every day."
Included in the seven deaths in Somalia are the back-to-back
assassinations of two prominent journalists. Mahad Ahmed Elmi,
director of Capital Voice radio in Mogadishu, died after being shot
four times in the head. Hours later, a remotely detonated landmine
took the life of HornAfrik Media co-owner Ali Iman Sharmarke as he
left Elmi's funeral.
Overall, according to CPJ, deaths spiked in Africa, from two last year
to 10 this year. In 2007, two journalists were killed in Eritrea and
one in Zimbabwe.
Beneath the terrible numbers, the group's research also shows some
positive developments. There were no murders of journalists in
Colombia this year -- the first time in more than 15 years. Also,
for the first time since 1999, there were no work-related killings
of journalists in the Philippines.
Worldwide, according to CPJ, murder remains the leading cause of
work-related deaths for journalists. The group said seven in 10
deaths which occurred in 2007 were murders. The rest were either
combat-related deaths or a result of dangerous assignments.
Last month, CPJ launched a global campaign against impunity to seek
justice in journalist murders. The campaign focuses on the Philippines
and Russia, two of the deadliest countries for the press over the
past 15 years.
Despite recent convictions in both countries, the impunity rate in
each remains at about 90 percent. "Unsolved killings spread fear and
self-censorship, crippling the work of the media," said Simon. "We need
to break the cycle by bringing the killers of journalists to justice."
In every region of the world, journalists who produced critical
reporting or covered sensitive stories were silenced, said Simon,
noting that in Pakistan and Sri Lanka, five journalists were killed
for their work. In Pakistan, Muhammad Arif of ARY One World TV and
two other journalists lost their lives as a result of suicide bombings.
In Sri Lanka, air force fighter jets bombed the Voice of Tigers
radio station, killing three employees. One slaying occurred in the
United States, where a masked gunman shot Oakland Post Editor-in-Chief
Chauncey Bailey as he walked to work, in what police described as an
"assassination".
The report recalls how millions of people around the globe watched the
apparently deliberate murder of Japanese photographer Kenji Nagai by
Burmese troops during the crackdown on antigovernment demonstrators
in Rangoon. No apparent moves have been made to bring his killer
to justice.
It also mentions the assassination of Turkish-Armenian editor Hrant
Dink outside his newspaper office in Istanbul, which sent shock
waves through the Turkish press and the international community. In
Kyrgyzstan, ethnic Uzbek independent journalist Alisher Saipov was
shot and killed at close range, and in Peru, popular radio commentator
Miguel Perez Julca was gunned down in front of his family.
Nepal, the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Haiti, Honduras, and Russia
also made the list of places with journalist fatalities this year. Five
journalists are classified as missing, three of them in Mexico.
Noting that media support workers are increasingly at risk, CPJ has
compiled a list of media worker deaths. Worldwide, 20 translators,
so-called "fixers", guards, and drivers were killed in 2007. The
victims include three Mexican newspaper delivery workers slain by
drug traffickers seeking to silence their employer.
http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews= 40524