No convictions in 90% of 1,109 journalists’ murders – Unesco

MANILA, Philippines —Almost 90 percent of those responsible for the killing of 1,109 journalists around the world from 2006 to 2018 have not been convicted, according to a new report of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

The report “Intensified Attacks, New Defenses,” published ahead of International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists (IDEI) on Nov. 2, noted that killings of journalists have soared by 18 percent in the past five years (2014-2018) compared to the previous five-year period.

The deadliest countries for journalists, according to the statistics, are Arab states, where almost 30 percent of global killings took place. The Latin American and Caribbean region (26 percent), and Asian and Pacific states (24 percent) are the next most dangerous.

The report showed that from 2017 to 2018, 55 percent of journalists’ killings happened in non-conflict zones.

Journalists are often murdered for their reporting on politics, crime and corruption, and this is reflected in the report, which reveals that from 2017 to 2018, more than half of journalist fatalities or 55 percent of journalists’ killings happened in non-conflict zones.

“This trend exemplifies the changing nature of killings of journalists, who are often targeted because of their reporting on politics, crime and corruption,” the report said.

UNESCO has recorded fewer killings in 2019 than at the same time last year, with 43 journalist killings condemned by UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay as of Oct. 30, 2019 compared to 90 at the same date in 2018.

“UNESCO holds to account all those who put journalists at risk, all those who kill journalists, and all those who do nothing to stop this violence,” declared Azoulay in her message for IDEI. “The end of a journalist’s life should never be the end of the quest for truth.”

In his statement, UN Secretary-General António Guterres noted the rise in the scale and number of attacks on journalists and media workers, as well as incidents that make their work much harder, including “threats of prosecution, arrest, imprisonment, denial of journalistic access and failures to investigate and prosecute crimes against them.”

“Without journalists able to do their jobs in safety, we face the prospect of a world of confusion and disinformation,” Guterres warned in a statement.

“When journalists are targeted, societies as a whole pay a price,” added the UN chief. "Without the ability to protect journalists, our ability to remain informed and contribute to decision-making is severely hampered.”

This year UNESCO has launched the #KeepTruthAlive social media campaign, which draws attention to the dangers faced by journalists close to their homes, highlighting the fact that 93 percent of those killed work locally, and featuring an interactive map created for the campaign – providing a vivid demonstration of the scale and breadth of the dangers faced by journalists worldwide.

The #KeepTruthAlive global communication campaign was developed pro bono by the creative agency Doyle Dane Bernbach (DDB Paris).

A map was developed with Google Maps to locate every killing condemned by UNESCO since 1993. Users will have access to information on each case and will be able to share the map on social networks to demand justice. The map can be accessed through keeptruthalive.co.