By HEATHER BAKKEN
UNESCO’s report marking the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists is both a somber reminder and a rallying cry for the need to protect press freedom globally.
These biennial reports highlight the challenges journalists face in regions plagued by conflict and authoritarianism, but the 2024 report carries a particularly stark warning: the killing of journalists is on the rise.
The data from the Director General, Audrey Azoulay, includes the number of journalists killed in 2022 and 2023. On average, one journalist was killed every four days. But data also show a disturbing trend that has a longer tail.
Since 2006, more than 1,700 journalists have been killed worldwide. Some 85 per cent of those cases remain unsolved. This shocking rate of impunity is not just a failure of justice; it’s a systemic danger to free speech, human rights, and democracy itself.
The wars in Gaza and Ukraine, and conflicts in countries like Sudan and Myanmar, underscore how violence against journalists often spikes amid military operations. In Mexico, the drug cartels and corrupt officials are the principle menace.
This UNESCO report must be a clarion call to urgent action.
The high cost of impunity for crimes against journalists extends far beyond individual reporters. As UNESCO aptly warns, the silencing of journalists stifles access to truth, covering up potential abuses and perpetuating cycles of violence without any oversight or accountability.
If perpetrators know they can intimidate or kill reporters without consequence, the outcome will have profound implications for the public’s access to first-hand information, especially in regions where journalists risk their lives to expose war crimes, corruption, and humanitarian crises.
Of course, these numbers represent more than lives lost; they signify a chilling trend of disregard for press freedom as an underpinning of democracy. Journalists are not simply casualties of conflict; they are often targeted to stifle voices of dissent, to hide crimes, and to prevent public accountability. Without a free press, justice hangs in the balance.
UNESCO’s data also show a deepening gender dimension to this violence. 14 female journalists were killed over this period, the highest number since 2017. These murders highlight the distinct threats faced by women in media, threats that include both physical violence and gender-specific harassment.
Ending impunity requires an unwavering commitment to investigate and prosecute those who attack journalists. Equally important, democratic nations must support legal and logistical protections for journalists operating in dangerous environments. That ranges from conflict zones abroad to increasingly violent protests here in Canada.
UNESCO’s 2024 report calls for more responsive measures from governments. It makes clear that safeguarding the free press is not only about protecting journalists; it’s about protecting everyone’s right to reliable information.
