94 journalists, media staff killed in 2018: IFJ

By Munira Abdelmenan Awel

ANKARA

Some 94 journalists and media staff were killed while carrying out their jobs in 2018, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) said.

In a new report released Monday, the Brussels-base trade association said 84 journalists, camerapersons, fixers, and technicians died in targeted killings, bomb attacks, and crossfire incidents.

Ten other media staff members lost their lives while working as drivers, protection officers, and a sales assistant. Women count 6 among the total death toll.

IFJ said the 2018 figures marked a slight increase up from 82 killings recorded in 2017 and represented a reversal of the downward trend from the last three years.

It highlighted the killing of the Washington Post columnist and Saudi national, Jamal Khashoggi, in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2.

Philippe Leruth, the IFJ President noted a concern over violations against journalists saying: "Once again, the IFJ is asking United Nations' Members States to adopt at their General Assembly the Convention on the security and protection of journalists which the IFJ presented to diplomatic missions at the UN in New York last October."

Anthony Bellanger, IFJ's secretary general, on his part said: "The numbers on this list are a sad reminder that the safety of journalists will remain elusive as long as countries boasting institutions which should be enforcing the law but have been paralyzed by corruption and incompetence in the face of unrelenting assault on journalism."

In countries like Afghanistan, Syria, and Yemen, armed conflict and militant violence killed most journalists while there was a slight drop in violence against journalists in Iraq last year since armed groups lost ground in the country.

India, Pakistan, and the Philippines recorded intolerance to independent reporting throughout the year and there was an organized crime against journalists in Mexico.

IFJ data of 2018 shows that the Asia Pacific has the highest killing score of journalists with 32, followed by the Americas with 27. The Middle East and the Arab World recorded 20 killings while 11 journalists lost their lives in Africa. Europe recorded the least number with 4.