Law
Watch
Journalists killed most often by murder, not accident
"Murder
is the leading cause of job-related deaths among journalists
worldwide, and the Philippines is the most murderous country
of all, a new analysis by the Committee to Protect Journalists
[CPJ] has found. Iraq, Colombia, Bangladesh, and Russia
round out CPJ's list of the 'Most Murderous Countries
for Journalists.'
"In
issuing its analysis to mark World Press Freedom Day,
May 3, CPJ called murder with impunity the most urgent
threat facing journalists worldwide. CPJ studied more
than five years of death records beginning January 1,
2000, and found that the vast majority of journalists
killed on duty did not die in crossfire or while covering
dangerous assignments. Instead, 121 of the 190 journalists
who died on duty worldwide since 2000 were hunted down
and murdered in retaliation for their work....
"In
more than 85 percent of these slayings, CPJ found, the
killers have gone unpunished. The five 'Most Murderous
Countries' [Philippines, Iraq, Colombia, Bangladesh, Russia]
have the worst records. Of the 58 murders in those nations,
all have been committed with impunity. Alleged gunmen
have been arrested and charged in a small handful of cases,
but no charges have ever been brought against those who
directed the killings.
"'By
failing to investigate and punish the killers, the governments
in these five countries embolden all those who seek to
silence the press through violence,' CPJ Executive Director
Ann Cooper said. 'The violence becomes self-perpetuating
and the free flow of information is cut off.'
"Other
patterns emerged in CPJ's analysis:
* "In most cases, journalists were murdered in retaliation
for reporting on government corruption, crime, drug trafficking,
or the activities of rebel groups....
* "Even in war zones such as Iraq, journalists were
frequently targeted in reprisal for their work.
* "Many of the slain journalists were overtly threatened
beforehand, illustrating the brazen nature of their killers.
* "And the five Most Murderous Countries stand well
apart from the rest of the world. Together, they account
for nearly half of the murder toll since 2000.
"'The problem is enormous, but not intractable,'
Cooper said. 'Governments must recognize what's at stake
is not only justice for those murdered but also the collective
right of society to be informed. Journalists cannot do
their jobs in a climate of violence and impunity. Governments,
particularly those in the five most murderous countries,
must devote the resources and exercise the will to solve
these crimes".
Source:
Committee to protect journalists.
