Journalist deaths jumped 50 per cent in 2022

Killings of journalists around the world jumped by 50 per cent in 2022 compared to the previous year driven largely by attacks in Ukraine Mexico and HaitiAccording to a report on Tuesday by the New Yorkbased Committee to Protect Journalists at least 67 news media workers were killed worldwide in 2022 the highest number since 2018 Journalists in the three countries say the increased danger has forced them to work under extreme stressThe effect is particularly notable in Haiti where seven journalists were killed in 2022 a huge number for a small island country of about 12 million people Some were killed by violent street gangs that have basically taken over the capital Port au Prince but at least two were shot by policeRadio Caraibes reporter Mackenson Remy who still covers news on the street said journalists no longer know whom to trustReporting in Haiti nowadays is extremely difficult for journalists specifically in the capital Remy said Corruption is all over the place there is no one you are able to count onRemy compared his work driving around the citys streets carved up into gang territories to the 1998 movie The Truman Show in which the protagonist always feels like hes being watchedThe CPJ noted that more than half 35 of the 67 killings took place in just three countries Ukraine Mexico and Haiti Mexico saw 13 news workers killed according to the committee Other media groups have put the number at 15 which would make 2022 the deadliest year in at least three decades for Mexican journalists In warbattered Ukraine 15 news workers were killed last year CPJ saidThe CPJ said it had confirmed that 41 of the 67 journalists were killed in direct connection with their work and that it is investigating the motives for the 26 other slayings The CPJ said journalists covering the war in Ukraine face enormous riskMembers of the press are frequently injured by shelling while covering the conflict and some report that they have been targeted by Russian forcesiquest the committee said in its reportAlso read Days after Myanmar attack on rebels Mizoram official says shrapnel found in Tiau riverbedIn Mexico the slayings appeared to be due to a toxic mix of drug gang violence local political corruption and a lack of punishment for killers Sonia de Anda reports for the Esquina32 news website in the northern border city of Tijuana where two journalists were killed in the space of a week in January 2022 She said reporters there have changed their work habits or requested police protection since the killingsThis changed our entire work dynamic De Anda said If reporters go to a highrisk area thats further away theyll tell their colleagues where they are going She also noted that requests for official protection increased exponentially after the killingsOn January 17 2022 crime photographer Margarito Martiacutenez was gunned down outside his home Five days later on January 23 reporter Lourdes Maldonado Loacutepez was found shot to death inside her carInvestigators said a local drug gang boss paid gunmen about USD 1000 to kill the news photographer because he thought Martiacutenez had taken a picture of either him or his family The photo in question was not MartiacutenezsAuthorities have arrested and put on trial a few lowranking gunmen but not those who ordered the killings The message that the authorities are leaving is that anyone can come around and kill you for USD 1000 the CPJ saidThe 2022 killings also included four journalists in the Philippines and two each in Colombia Brazil and Honduras Two journalists each were also killed in Bangladesh India Myanmar Somalia and ChadOne journalist was killed in the United States last year on September 2 Jeff German a reporter for the Las Vegas ReviewJournal A Las Vegasarea elected official about whom German had written articles has pleaded not guilty to the slayingThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever