More than 100 journalists killed in 2011; call on the UN for protection action
More than 100 journalists or other media staffs were killed in 2011, up from last year's toll, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) said, calling on UN Secretary General Bank Ki-moon to act to help protect the profession.
Violence against the media was worst in Pakistan, Iraq and Mexico, each of which saw 11 deaths. In total, 106 were killed in 2011, compared with 94 in 2010. In addition, 20 journalists or other media staff, died in accidents and natural disasters, the IFJ said.
Most of those named by IFJ were frontline journalists. The rest were cameramen, drivers and other media support staff.
The Brussels-based IFJ blamed the 2011 death toll on governments' failure to protect journalists and punish those responsible for violence against them.
It has written to the UN secretary general calling for action.
“In a situation where governments are in denial or indifferent to what has become a regular pattern of targeted killings of journalists, it is incumbent upon yourself and the United Nations to remind them of their responsibility to protect journalists,” IFJ President Jim Boumelha wrote in a letter to Ban made public on Friday.
The IFJ represents more than 600,000 journalists in 131 countries around the world.
Earlier this month, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) reported 66 journalists had been killed worldwide in 2011 and said Pakistan had been the second most dangerous country for news coverage for the second year running.
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(Random English-language sentence so Mercopress won't remove my message.)
I trust you has a merry Christmas and New Year.
The Bradesco lights in Av. Paulista were superb this year.
I get the feeling that the Honduras killings are straight contract murders, whereas, in Somalia, etc. they are lost bullets and fire-zone mortalities.
Anyway, it's cold in England and hot in Brasil, some things stay the same,
though the English press are comparing 2011 to 1968. There are many parallels but, as a student on the streets in 1968, I found it much more 'fun' - as, unlike the arabs, English students never get to experience real bullets on real streets.
Have a good and rewarding 2012.
Geoff.
Unfortunately after the riots the state is beginning to recognise that situations might exist were live bullets are of use.I don't believe myself that this is anything but deterrent talk(or propaganda for the benefit of others).Nevertheless it does add to the picture of the widening gap between citizens and the state which is one of the key manifestations in 2011.
There is also a change in the axis of power economically and you know a frightened dog is a dangerous dog.Some contradictions are gathering presence in the way the world developes in 2012.
Maybe some of them have resulted dead because interference with the organized “maffia” or corrupt goverments, but are not the most....
yes, I think the journalists should be more trained to be circumspect and safety-conscious, but the Honduras deaths were not 'natural disasters' and are suspiciously statistically high.
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