1,668 journalists killed in 20 years globally — Report

1,668 journalists have been killed worldwide in connection with their work in the last two decades (2003-2022) whether with murders, contract killings, ambushes, war zone deaths and fatal injuries.

In a report by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), at the end of a year, at the number of journalists killed in connection with their work rose again.

According to RSF’s tallies based above all on its annual round-ups. This gives an average of more than 80 journalists killed every year. The total killed since 2000 is 1,787.

The RSF secretary-general, Christophe Deloire stated that “Behind the figures, there are the faces, personalities, talent and commitment of those who have paid with their lives for their information gathering, their search for the truth and their passion for journalism. In each of its annual round-ups, RSF has continued to document the unjustifiable violence that has specifically targeted media workers.

This year’s end is an appropriate time to pay tribute to them and to appeal for full respect for the safety of journalists wherever they work and bear witness to the world’s realities.”

The annual death tolls peaked in 2012 and 2013 with 144 and 142 journalists killed, respectively. These peaks, due in large measure to the war in Syria, were followed by a gradual fall and then historically low figures from 2019 onwards.

“Sadly, the number of journalists killed in connection with their work in 2022 – 58 according to RSF’s Press Freedom Barometer on 28 December – was the highest in the past four years and was 13.7% higher than in 2021, when 51 journalists were killed.”

80 percent of the media fatalities have, during the past two decades, occurred in 15 countries.

The RSF disclosed that the two countries with the highest death tolls are Iraq and Syria, with a combined total of 578 journalists killed in the past 20 years, or more than a third of the worldwide total. They are followed by Afghanistan, Yemen and Palestine. Africa has not been spared, with Somalia coming next.

The report named America as the most dangerous continent for media with 47.4% of the journalists killed in 2022, which justifies the implementation of specific protection policies. Four countries – Mexico, Brazil, Colombia and Honduras – are among the world’s 15 most dangerous countries.

“During the past decade, reporters have run the greatest risks in areas where armed clashes were taking place. Of the 686 killings since 2014, 335 have been in war zones (including Syria, Afghanistan and Yemen). The five deadliest years were from 2012 to 2016, with 94 killed in 2012, 92 in 2013, 64 in 2014, 52 in 2015 and 53 in 2016.”