A leading organization representing journalists around the world expressed deep concern on Friday (8/12) over the number of media professionals who will be killed around the world while doing their work in 2023.
In its annual tally of media worker deaths, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) said 94 journalists had been killed so far this year and nearly 400 others jailed. IFJ also said that Israel’s war with Hamas caused the most journalist deaths in more than 30 years.
This year’s death toll is an increase from 67 in the same period in 2022, and double the total of 47 deaths recorded in all of 2021.
The group is calling for better protection for media workers and demanding that perpetrators of attacks on media workers be held accountable.
AFPTV journalist Nicolas Garcia Ferrari takes pictures near the Gaza Strip in southern Israel on October 12, 2023 amid ongoing fighting between Israel and Hamas. (Photo: AFP)
“The importance of new global standards for the protection of journalists and the effective enforcement of international law is critical,” said IFJ President Dominique Pradalie.
The group said 68 journalists have been killed while covering the Israel-Hamas war since Hamas attacked Israel on October 7 – more than one journalist a day and accounting for 72% of all media deaths worldwide this year.
IFJ said that most of them were Palestinian journalists who were in the Gaza Strip, where Israeli forces launched their attacks.
“The war in Gaza has been deadlier for journalists than any conflict since the IFJ began keeping track of journalists killed in the line of duty in 1990,” the group said.
Ukraine also “remains a dangerous country for journalists” nearly two years since the Russian invasion, the organization said. IFJ notes that three journalists or media workers have died in the war so far this year.
The organization also regrets the deaths of media workers in Afghanistan, the Philippines, India, China and Bangladesh.
They expressed concern that crimes against media workers are generally overlooked by the law and urged the government “to give full attention to these killings and take steps to ensure the safety of journalists.”
The report noted a decrease in the number of journalists killed in North and South America, from 29 last year to seven in 2023.
The group said three Mexican journalists, one Paraguayan journalist, one Guatemalan journalist, one Colombian journalist and one American journalist were killed while conducting investigations into armed groups or embezzlement of public funds. (ab/uh)