At Least 50 Journalists Killed in 2020, Most Were ‘Deliberately Targeted’ for Their Work – Watchdog

Although COVID-19 prompted some journalists to shy away from actively working out in the field, new figures indicate that even amid the devastating pandemic reporters continued to be killed.

A new report released by watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF) on Tuesday revealed that at least 50 journalists were killed in 2020 as a result of the journalistic work they were conducting at the time.

The annually published report notes that of the murdered individuals, 45 were deemed as professional journalists, four were media workers, and one person was identified as a non-professional journalist.

The top five deadliest countries for journalists were Mexico, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India. Additionally, the report found that the majority of the reporters (34) were killed in countries not at war, and that all but one of the journalists were nationals of the country where they were killed.

“In 2020, nearly seven out of every 10 journalists killed (68%) lost their lives in countries ‘at peace,’ whereas in 2016, it was only four out of every ten.” 

The watchdog also determined that Mexico “tragically confirmed its position [in 2020] as world leader of the most dangerous countries for the media” after accounting for 10 murdered journalists. Investigators are still trying to determine whether two of those victims were killed for their work.

Several attacks against journalists in Mexico have been documented throughout the years, with cases involving drug cartels taking center stage. The RSF report highlights two severe cases that saw journalist Julio Valdivia Rodríguez beheaded and editor Víctor Fernando Álvarez Chávez murdered and cut into pieces.

Data collected by the Committee to Protect Journalists details that since 1992, at least 125 reporters have been killed in Mexico, of which at least 53 were confirmed to have been killed due to their profession.  

RSF’s report examined cases that took place between January 1 and December 15. It states that this year’s tally brings the number of journalists killed over the past 10 years to 937.

Sourse: sputniknews.com