At least 64 percent of journalist murders in the world took place in the Middle East.
On Wednesday, the Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) presented a report showing that 2023 was the deadliest year in the last decade for media professionals, with at least 140 violent deaths of reporters in 28 countries.
This figure represents a year-over-year increase of over 20 percent compared to the 2022 data when 116 journalists were killed.
The Gaza Strip has been the region with the most media professional killings worldwide, with 81 deaths since the beginning of the Israeli offensive in October 2023.
This is the highest number of casualties among the media during a conflict in such a short period, with almost one journalist killed per day in the last three months of 2023.
PEC President Blaise Lempen pointed out that it is “difficult” to verify whether these journalists were intentionally targeted because of their profession or if they died in indiscriminate attacks by Israel against civilians.
In this regard, the NGO urged the United Nations to initiate an independent investigation to determine the exact circumstances in which journalists in Gaza have died, as “those responsible for these crimes must be brought to justice as soon as possible.”
In some regions of Latin America, the situation did not improve either, such as Mexico, which was the world’s second deadliest place for journalists with nine reporters killed. With five murders, Guatemala was the world’s third country with the most victims of this scourge.
By regions, the Middle East occupied the first place with 64 percent of the deaths recorded in 2023, followed by Latin America with 20 deaths; Asia, with 12; Africa, with 11; Europe, with four; and North America, with three. (https://www.telesurenglish.net/news/140-Journalists-Were-Killed-in-2023-Worldwide-20240104-0001.html)
