80 dead, 348 jailed: violence against journalists reached ‘unprecedented’ level this year
- New figures from Reporters Without Borders (RSF) paints grim picture of profession
- Afghanistan was most dangerous country for journalists while China is top jailer. The US was the fifth most dangerous country following a mass shooting
Hatred whipped up by “unscrupulous politicians” has contributed to the shocking rise in the number of journalists murdered in 2018, a media watchdog said Tuesday.
Eighty journalists have been killed worldwide so far this year – most notably the Saudi columnist Jamal Khashoggi – with 348 in jail and 60 more held hostage, according to figures from Reporters Without Borders (RSF).
“Violence against journalists has reached unprecedented levels this year, and the situation is now critical,” said the organisation’s head, Christophe Deloire.
“The hatred of journalists sometimes very openly proclaimed by unscrupulous politicians, religious leaders and businessmen … has been reflected in this disturbing increase,” he said.
RSF did not directly point the finger at US President Donald Trump, who regularly rails against journalists and has branded some “enemies of the people”. But Deloire said “expressions of hatred legitimise violence, thereby undermining journalism and democracy itself.”
