62 journalists killed in line of duty – UNESCO

WASHINGTON – The United Nations Cultural Agency, UNESCO has said that a total of 62 journalists were killed in the year 2020 in the line of duty.

The agency also said that between 2006 and 2020, a total of 1200 professional journalists were killed while doing their jobs, adding that the killers go unpunished in nine out of 10 cases.

In a message, UN Secretary General , Antonio Guterres said  many of the journalists lost their lives while covering conflicts.

“In many countries, simply investigating corruption, trafficking, human rights violations or environmental issues puts journalists’ lives at risk”, he said.

According to him, impunity for killing journalists is extremely high and that journalists face countless other threats – ranging from kidnapping, torture and arbitrary detention to disinformation campaigns and harassment, particularly in the digital sphere.

“Women journalists are at particular risk of online violence.  Crimes against journalists have an enormous impact on society as a whole, because they prevent people from making informed decisions”, he said adding that the COVID-19 pandemic, and the shadow pandemic of misinformation, has demonstrated that access to facts and science is literally a matter of life and death.

He noted that when access to information is threatened, it sends a disturbing message that undermines democracy and the rule of law.