Death toll of journalists rises sharply in 2022

The death of journalists in 2022 has reached a maximum. According to information provided by the International Federation of Journalists, 67 media workers have died in the world this year. The surge in deaths was noted against the background of the war in Ukraine, chaos in Haiti and the activity of criminal groups in Mexico.

What is stated in the annual report of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), published on December 9. According to the Brussels-based organization, 67 journalists have been killed globally since the start of the year, up from 47 last year. Ukraine is the most dangerous country, where 12 media workers have been killed while covering a military conflict – more than in any other country this year. Most of them are Ukrainians, but there are also representatives of other nationalities, for example, American documentary filmmaker Brent Reno. Many deaths occurred in the first weeks of a full-scale Russian invasion, IFJ notes.

“The increase in the number of murders was also facilitated by the terror of criminal organizations in Mexico, and the violation of law and order in Haiti.” In these countries, 11 and 6 journalists, respectively, were killed. The highest criminal record rates among media workers are in China, Myanmar and Turkey. Last year, 365 journalists were imprisoned, the report says.

“The sharp increase in the number of murders of journalists and other media workers is of great concern and is another wake-up call for governments around the worldIFJ Secretary General Anthony Bellanger said, calling for “action to protect journalism, one of the key pillars of democracy,” adding that “inaction will only spur those who seek to suppress the free flow of information.”

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