According to Reporters Without Borders (RSF), the number of journalists killed while doing their job, 45 as of December 1, 2023, is the lowest since 2002, despite the situation in the Middle East. 521 media professionals are imprisoned around the world.
In its annual report Reporters Without Borders (RSF), indicates killed during the exercise of their duties 45 journalists lost their lives in the exercise of their duties during this year 2023, compared to 61 last year. which is 16 fewer than the previous year (61). This is the lowest figure recorded since 2002 (33).
The conflict between Israel and Hamas is particularly deadly for journalists, 17 of them have died in the course of their work.
Still, the overall number of reporters killed worldwide has been at its lowest level since 2002.
We have to go back more than 20 years to find a total lower than this year (33 in 2002), where more than a third of the losses are linked to the conflict in the Middle East, including 13 in Gaza alone.
Conflict zones cause deaths of journalists
In the Gaza Strip, since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas, 17 journalists have been killed in the exercise of their profession, and 56 in total if we include journalists killed without an obvious link to their work. . Worldwide, 521 journalists are behind bars for arbitrary reasons linked to their profession.
“In Gaza, journalists pay a heavy price among civilians. We note that the number of journalists killed in the exercise of their profession is very high: at least 13 for a very small territory. We have filed a complaint with the International Criminal Court (ICC) to establish the facts and how journalists were knowingly targeted. knowingly targeted. At the global level, it appears that the number of journalists killed in the exercise of their profession or as a result of -it has declined sharply over a long period. What are the reasons? Security measures in newsrooms, training and allocation of protective equipment, caution, effects of the fight against impunity and the action of intergovernmental organizations. The work of NGOs undoubtedly also has an effect…” declared Christophe Deloire, secretary general of Reporters Without Borders (RSF).
In 2012 and 2013, more than 140 journalists lost their lives, mainly due to the wars in Syria and Iraq. The gradual decline in the number of people killed in the line of duty over the past five years is partly explained by increased security for journalists and the end of the civil war.
Significant drop in the number of journalists killed in Latin America
Although the number of reporters killed in Latin America has decreased significantly, from 26 in 2022 to 6 in 2023, journalists are not working safely in Latin America, as evidenced by recent kidnappings and armed attacks in Mexico.
Record numbers of violent incidents in Latin America are prompting journalists to self-censor, leading to the proliferation of black holes in the region, where organized crime and corruption top the list of topics journalists are tapped to cover. .
Journalists imprisoned around the world
In addition to the number of journalists killed while carrying out their duties, the RSF report also mentions 521 journalists detained around the world: Belarus becomes one of the three prisons in the world, with China and Burma.
521 media professionals will start the year 2024 behind bars – there were 569 in 2022.
569 in 2022. This year again, China remains the world’s largest prison for journalists.
for journalists. 121 media professionals are locked up in Chinese prisons (including 12 in Hong Kong and 42 in Xinjiang), or nearly a quarter (23%) of all journalists.
