The International Press Institute (IPI) data has shown that 66 journalists and media workers worldwide were killed in the outgoing 2022, in connection with their profession, the figure marks a steep increase from the total of 45 journalists killed in 2021.
Penpushing reports that the attacks against journalists in Mexico as well as Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine were leading factors behind the rise in journalist killings, while fourteen journalists were killed in Mexico in 2022, the deadliest year for the country’s media since 2017.
The record equally showed that eight journalists were killed covering Russia’s war in Ukraine, including both Ukrainian and foreign reporters, as well as other shocking attacks on journalists, such as the fatal shooting of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh by Israeli forces while reporting on an Israeli raid in the West Bank in May.
Penpushing further reports that database of International Press Institute I(PI) categorizes journalist killings into five categories, which include 39 targeted killings in 2022, meaning that journalists were murdered due to their work.
The categories equally has it that 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.
Penpushing also reports that in the remaining 16 cases, the circumstances and motive behind the journalist’s killing remain unconfirmed, but a work-related killing cannot be ruled out, and the International Press Institute (IPI) statistics are based on the organization’s regular monitoring of attacks on journalists.
The International Press Institute(IPI), in addition, works closely together with its network of members and with local journalism organizations to assess whether the killing of a journalist was likely to be work-related or not.
Penpushing further reports that the Executive Director of International Press Institute(IPI) Frane Maroević calls on military forces to take all possible steps to ensure the safety of all journalists reporting on the ground, stressing that those responsible for targeting journalists must be held to account.
“This year has again demonstrated the critical and dangerous role of journalists covering wars. Without them, we would only hear from the military. IPI honours the memory of all the journalists who lost their lives reporting on the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine”, Marroevic said Penpushing also reports that findings showed that states failure to ensure justice for attacks on journalists continues to provide fertile ground for violence against the press,and therefore the International Press Institute(IPI) calls on authorities around the world to end impunity for these crimes and to ensure the protection of journalists.
‘It is outrageous that journalists are killed because they are bringing us information that someone wants to hide. It is unacceptable that families are losing their loved ones and that the public is denied information simply because someone wants to hide the information, because someone is killing the messengers”, Maroević’, emphasized
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