42 Journalists Killed Worldwide Because of Their Work in 2020

THE INTERNATIONAL Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has revealed that 42 journalists were killed because of their work across the globe this year, while 235 are in prison for their reporting.

Mexico topped the list of countries where reporters and media workers lost their lives for their journalism for the fourth time since 2015, with 13 murdered. Pakistan was second on the list with 5 deaths. Afghanistan, India, Iraq and Nigeria all saw 3 journalists killed each since January.

“These are not just statistics. They are our friends and colleagues who have dedicated their lives to, and paid the ultimate price for, their work as journalists.” said in the INJ. “We don’t just remember them but we will pursue every case, pressing governments and law enforcement authorities to bring their murderers to justice.”

The figure of deaths is roughly the same as when the INJ began recording journalist killings in 1990, and in the last 30 years, they say that 2658 journalists have been killed in their line of work. Despite a mild recent decline in annual deaths, the INJ say that the ”decrease in journalist killings in recent years cannot disguise the deadly dangers and threats journalists continue to face doing their work”.

Alongside the fatalities, the INJ reported that 235 journalists are currently imprisoned because of their reporting. The union’s director said: “These findings shine a spotlight on gross abuse by governments who seek to shield themselves against accountability by jailing journalists and denying them due process.

“The staggering numbers of our colleagues in detention is a sober reminder of the exacting price journalists around the globe pay for their pursuit of truth in the public interest.”

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