55 journalists killed in 2021, but alarming threats continue – UNESCO
NEWS DIGEST – According to a data collected by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, UNESCO, 55 journalists and media workers were killed across the globe in 2021.
The data shows that 2021 recorded the lowest annual death toll in over a decade. However, impunity for these crimes remains widespread and journalists still face a huge number of risks.
UNESCO’s data shows 87% of all journalist killings since 2006 are still unresolved.
Two-thirds of them occurred in countries not experiencing armed conflict, showing the continued risks faced by journalists in their daily reporting to expose wrongdoing.
This marks a complete reversal of the situation just a few years ago, in 2013, when two-thirds of killings took place in countries in conflict.
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The majority of deaths in 2021 took place in just two regions – the Asia-Pacific, with 23 killings, and Latin America and the Caribbean, with 14.
“Once again in 2021, far too many journalists paid the ultimate price to bring truth to light. Right now, the world needs independent, factual information more than ever,” UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay said.
“We must do more to ensure that those who work tirelessly to provide this can do so without fear.”
Journalists worldwide also continue to be subject to high rates of imprisonment, physical attack, intimidation and harassment, including when covering protests.
Women journalists especially face a shocking prevalence of harassment online – a report released by UNESCO in April showed nearly three quarters of surveyed women journalists had experienced online violence linked to their work.
