The IPI said 2022 witnessed a devastating decline in journalists’ safety, as 66 journalists and media workers worldwide were killed.
In its analysis of 2022, the IPI said despite the UN’s Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalist launched i in 1 2012 to most dangerous professions in the world and in at least nine out of 10 cases, the killers go unpunished especially e who ultimately ordered the IPI noted.
The IPI noted that the number of journalists in 2022 increased by 221 from 2021.
“2022 witnessed a devastating in journalists’ safety as 66 journalists and media workers worldwide were killed in connection with their profession,” the IPI revealed.
The IPI, which has been documenting Journalists killings since 1997, said the 66 who were killed in connection with their work or lost their lives on assignment eight were female and 38 were male. e.g. The IPI’s database categorizes journalist killings into five categories.
“There were 39 targeted killings in 2022, meaning that journalists were murdered due to their work. Seven journalists were killed while covering armed conflict compared to three cases in this category in 2021. Two were killed while covering civil unrest, and two lost their lives while on assignment. In the -remaining 16 cases, the circumstances and motive behind the journalists’ killing remain unconfirmed, but a work-related killing cannot be ruled out,” it indicated.
The IPI added that “‘violence against journalists remains a global issue.
“Although the number of killings in Asia and the Pacific declined somewhat to 11 cases compared to 18 cases recorded in 2021, the situation in the Philippines took a dark turn with a total of five radio broadcasters killed in 2022. Independent journalists in the Philippines work in a climate of intense hostility and violence following years of attacks on the press by former president Rodrigo Duterte,” the IPI said.
The IPI noted that in the Middle East and North Africa there was a slight increase compared to last year with five recorded killings.
“There were three documented killings in sub-Saharan Africa, including dissident Pakistani journalist Arshad Sharif who was shot dead in unclear circumstances in Kenya,” reported the IPI.
“Impunity fuels further violence. Impunity for journalist killings continues to drive the cycle of violence against the press. On November 2, as UN member states convened in Vienna on the International Day to End impunity, IPI held a public demonstration and launched a new campaign to draw attention to the ongoing global issue of impunity for crimes against journalists. IPI. also joined together with press freedom advocates around the world in a preliminary joint Call for Action to all states. The Call for Action includes a series of concrete recommendations to improve journalists’ safety and to tackle impunity in crimes against journalists.”