THREE HUNDRED and seventy reporters have been killed over the last decade, again reaffirming the point that journalism is probably one of the world's most dangerous occupations, according to Koichiro Matsuura, Director-General of UNESCO.
Addressing delegates at the two-day international conference marking World Press Freedom Day at the Jamaica Conference Centre, downtown Kingston yesterday, Mr. Koichiro said his organisation is disturbed by the growing number of crimes and attacks against journalists worldwide, noting that the "crimes oftentimes go unpunished."
"Of the 370 journalists killed over the past decade, only 16 per cent were killed in crossfire," he said. "The rest were direct targets... killed in the line of duty... for expressing their views and for doing their jobs... most of the perpetrators are still walking freely on the streets." And noting that, "we owe journalists a great debt of gratitude, the UNESCO director said that it was imperative that media owners not only recognise the safety of their own staff but also that of "the freelancers and the stringers" who also play an integral role in news gathering.
"Every year, journalists are killed during their coverage of violent conflicts and political crises," he said. "The 2002 statistics provided by numerous NGOs, particularly on violence perpetrated against journalists, are especially worrying. It appears that more journalists have been subjected to harassment, physical threat, kidnapping and direct violence than in previous years. Numerous editors and journalists were also forced by difficult and life threatening work circumstances to flee into exile."
