Killing the Messenger
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KILLING THE JANUARY – JUNE MESSENGER 2016 An analysis of news media casualties carried out for the International News Safety Institute by Cardiff School of Journalism The killing of journalists knows no limits. That The growing prevalence of censorship is another possible much is clear from INSI’s list of journalism factor in the decrease in journalist deaths in the first six casualties for the first six months of 2016. They months of this year. In countries like Mexico, Guatemala span the globe from Afghanistan to Guatemala, and the Philippines, where powerful political and business Somalia to Georgia, an insidious response from interests often combine to violently silence the news media, those who feel threatened by the work done by our the stakes are too high for some to continue reporting. colleagues shining a light in dark places. We’re often asked how we compile our statistics and how we decide who to include. It isn’t an exact science. One With 49 deaths from January to June, the list is not as thing I’ve learned in more than six years of working at INSI long as it was at this time last year when it stood at 60, is the motives behind the murders of journalists are often but that isn’t a cause for celebration and doesn’t mean not that clear cut. Sometimes it isn’t possible to determine the situation is improving for journalists around the if someone has been killed because they were a journalist word. Far from it. One reason for this slight decline in or because of other activities they may have been involved media casualties is likely to be a decrease in the number in. In countries where journalists do other work outside of of journalists reporting from bloody conflicts like Syria the media, this can be particularly difficult to resolve. where in the past dozens have died – 28 were lost in 2012 for example. Certain countries have become no-go zones, At every international conference I attend, I hear the particularly for international media outlets, leaving word impunity, but little has changed. The murderers of bloggers and citizen journalists to bravely monitor and journalists are almost never punished. In only two killings publicise the abuses of groups like ISIS and the Taliban, this year were suspects identified or arrested. Instead of often with fatal consequences. waving the word around, the international community would do well to put its money, and its might, where its mouth For this reason, in future, INSI will for the first time is and pressure governments to investigate journalist include the bloggers who are doing the work of murders. Donor money should depend on this. Impunity will journalists in a separate casualty count. We have long remain and journalists will continue to die while ineffective struggled with whether or not to include the deaths of authorities allow their killers to get away with murder. citizen journalists, but in some places in the world, they are the only people who are sharing the news. – Hannah Storm, INSI Director Relatives and friends gather around the coffin of Afghan reporter Zabihullah Tamanna, who was killed alongside US journalist David Gilkey during a Taliban ambush. 2 INTERNATIONAL NEWS SAFETY INSTITUTE JOURNALISTS KILLED: THE NUMBERS Country of journalists’ death Georgia 1 Turkey 2 Syria 3 Afghanistan 10 Iraq 4 Mexico 8 Guatemala 5 Guinea 1 Yemen 5 El Salvador 1 India 4 Philippines 2 Somalia 1 Bangladesh 1 Brazil 1 Employer/commissioner Country of journalists’ origin TV 16 Print 13 1 killed from Bangladesh, Brazil, Georgia, News Agency 8 Somalia, Turkey, USA, El Salvador and Guinea. Radio 8 Online 3 2 killed from Philippines. Unknown1 1 4 killed from India, Iraq and Syria. 1 Freelance photographer killed in Yemen. 5 killed from Guatemala and Yemen. 8 killed from Mexico. TOTAL KILLED 9 killed from Afghanistan. 49 INTERNATIONAL NEWS SAFETY INSTITUTE 3 A Tunisian gendarme stands guard as a journalist leaves a house where two suspected jihadists were killed during a security operation just outside Tunis. L-R: Yemeni mourners carry the coffin of Yemeni freelance journalist Almigdad Mojalli, who was killed in an air raid by the Saudi-led coalition; and Palestinian journalists run for cover from tear gas canisters fired by Israeli forces during a demonstration in support of Palestinian journalists. 4 INTERNATIONAL NEWS SAFETY INSTITUTE JOURNALISTS KILLED: THE NUMBERS Professional position Status of journalist in country Context of death Peacetime 26 Journalist/media worker 42 Local 47 International armed conflict 17 Support worker 7 International 2 National armed conflict 6 Cause of death “In countries like Mexico, Guatemala and 28 the Philippines, where powerful political and Shot business interests often 15 combine to violently 2 One electrocuted, one drowned. 3 silence the news media, Blown up Bodies found with evidence of violent deaths. the stakes are simply too high for some to 2 continue reporting.” 3 2 2 2 – Hannah Storm, INSI Director Stabbed Other accident Other non-natural Perpetrator4 Unknown assailant(s) 22 Armed militants 15 TOTAL KILLED Crossfire 10 49 4 Accidents are not included here. INTERNATIONAL NEWS SAFETY INSTITUTE 5 JOURNALISTS KILLED: THE NUMBERS Deaths unrelated to war reporting 11 TOTAL KILLED UNRELATED TO WAR Unspecified 26 4 3 Crime 2 2 2 1 Politics 1 Insurgency Accident Unclear Corruption Civil unrest War/conflict zone reporting TOTAL KILLED Without military/ IN CONFLICT police escort 18 With military/ police escort 5 23 Legal outcome5 TOTAL No identification + no legal proceedings 33 35 Identification6 2 Journalists duck for 5 This does not include accidents, crossfire, aerial cover while covering bombardments, or an attack on a convoy that heavy shelling between journalists were part of. pro-Russian forces and 6 Suspects have been identified or arrests made. the Ukrainian army. 6 INTERNATIONAL NEWS SAFETY INSTITUTE “At every international conference I attend, I hear the word impunity, but little has changed. The murderers of journalists are almost never punished.” – Hannah Storm, INSI Director INTERNATIONAL NEWS SAFETY INSTITUTE 7 Thomson Reuters Building 30 South Colonnade Canary Wharf London E14 5EP United Kingdom [email protected] www.newssafety.org twitter.com/insinews All images © AFP.