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WORLD NEWS Monday 31 deceMber 2018

Journalist group counts 94 slayings of media staff in 2018

By RAF CASERT the past quarter-century, there - allegedly by Saudi der pressure to sever eco-
MARK CARLSON long topped the federa- agents. nomic and political ties.
Associated Press tion's annual list. The fed- Khashoggi wrote critically "Jamal Khashoggi was a
BRUSSELS (AP) — An inter- eration identified a photo- of Saudi Arabia's royal re- very well-known figure, but
national trade association journalist as the one victim gime, and the alleged in- you know, the most shock-
says on-the-job slayings of in the country this year. volvement of Saudi Crown ing statistic is that we know
journalists and news media While 2018 brought a world- Prince Mohammed bin that nine of 10 journalist
staff rose again in 2018 fol- wide increase, the total re- Salman in the journalist's murders remain unpun-
lowing an overall decline mained in the double digits slaying has put the govern- ished in the world," Leruth
during the past half-dozen for a second year running. ments of other countries un- said.q
years. The total of 155 in.
The International Federa- The IFJ connects some
tion of Journalists said in 600,000 media profession-
an annual report set for als from 187 trade unions
release Monday that 94 and associations in more
journalists and media work- than 140 countries. The
ers died in targeted killings, group said the new report
bomb attacks and conflict showed that journalists
crossfire this year, 12 more face dangers apart from
than in 2017. the risks of reporting from
Before the declines seen in war zones and covering ex-
five of the past six years, 121 tremist movements.
people working for news "There were other factors,
organizations were slain in such as the increasing in-
2012. Since the federation tolerance to independent
started its annual count reporting, populism, ram-
in 1990, the year with the pant corruption and crime,
most work-related killings, as well as the breakdown
155, was 2006. of law and order," the Brus-
The deadliest country for sels-based group said in a
people who work in the statement.
news media this year was Suddenly high on the list, in
Afghanistan, where 16 of sixth place, was the United
the killings occurred. Mex- States with five killings. On
ico was next, with 11. Ye- June 28, a gunman in An-
men had nine media slay- napolis, Maryland, opened
ings and Syria eight in 2018. fire in the newsroom of the
Beyond the tragedy of lives Capital Gazette newspa-
lost, such killings affect the per and fatally shot four
pursuit of truth and sharing journalists and a sales asso-
of information in commu- ciate. The man had threat-
nities and countries where ened the newspaper after
they happen, the president losing a defamation law-
of the International Federa- suit.
tion of Journalists said. The Oct. 2 slaying of Saudi
"Journalists are targeted writer Jamal Khashoggi, a
because they are witness- columnist for The Washing-
es," the group's president, ton Post who lived in self-
Philippe Leruth, told The As- imposed exile in the United
sociated Press. "And the re- States, had worldwide im-
sult of this, when a journalist pact. He went to the Saudi
or many journalists are killed Consulate in Istanbul to
in a country, you see an in- formalize a divorce so he
crease of self-censorship." could marry his Turkish fian-
Iraq, where 309 media pro- ce, but instead was stran-
fessionals were killed over gled and dismembered