UN Chief expresses grave concern over soaring journalist fatalities in 2022

New Delhi: UN Secretary-General António Guterres has voiced alarm at the sharp surge in the number of journalists who lost their lives, faced threats, or were detained worldwide in the year 2022. 

His message, issued in observance of the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists, which falls on November 2nd, emphasizes the pivotal role played by journalists and the media in upholding democracy, ensuring accountability, and striving for the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals.

While journalists play a vital role in society by uncovering the truth, their commitment to revealing facts places them at risk of attack, unlawful imprisonment, and even death. Disturbingly, 88 journalists were killed in the line of duty in 2022, marking a significant increase compared to previous years, according to data from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

The ongoing conflict in Israel and Hamas has had a devastating impact on journalists. Around a dozen journalists have been killed in the ongoing conflict in less than a month.

The majority of these casualties in 2022 were not war reporters; rather, they were investigative journalists working in peaceful countries, exposing corruption, trafficking, human rights violations, and environmental concerns.

The UN Secretary-General's deep concern extends to the rise in various threats against journalists. Detention of journalists is currently at an all-time high, while online harassment, particularly targeting women in the field, is being used as a tool to silence their voices. He emphasizes the urgent need for enhanced safeguards to protect these individuals who keep us informed and preserve the truth.

On the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists, the Secretary-General calls upon all nations to prevent violence against journalists, establish a safe working environment for them, bring to justice those responsible for crimes against journalists and media professionals, and provide support for victims and survivors.

Today and every day, we extend our gratitude to journalists and media professionals who risk their well-being and lives to keep us informed, upholding the beacon of truth added further the Secretary-General

In the released 2022 Freedom of Expression report, UNESCO documented the loss of 86 journalists in the preceding year, amounting to an average of one journalist's death every four days, a significant increase from the 55 fatalities in 2021. 

These findings underscore the severe dangers and vulnerabilities that journalists continue to face while performing their work.

The UNESCO report also highlighted  - nearly half of the journalists killed were targeted when they were not on duty. Some were attacked while travelling, in parking lots, or other public places unrelated to their assignments, and others lost their lives within their own homes. This grim revelation implies that there are no safe spaces for journalists, not even in their leisure time.

The UNESCO study underscored the challenges journalists confront, including the weaponization of defamation laws, cyber regulations, and legislation aimed at combating "fake news," which are used to restrict freedom of speech and create a toxic environment for journalists to operate in.