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50 journalists have been killed in connection with their professional practice in 2020. Most of them were killed as a direct result of their reporting, Reporters Without Borders states in its annual summary.
Those who report on topics such as crime and corruption are particularly vulnerable.
– There is a risk of foraging into sophisticated networks of corruption among politicians, the judiciary, the business community, and high-powered individuals who have an incredible amount to lose when this comes to light. So the stakes are very high, says Erik Halkjaer, president of Reporters Without Borders Sweden.
Tracking protest movements is also becoming increasingly dangerous. Seven reporters covering demonstrations died this year in Iraq, Nigeria and Colombia.
Most dangerous Latin America
A couple of years ago, it was more common for journalists killed on the job to be in war-torn countries. This year, two-thirds of the 50 journalists have died in countries that were not at war, and Mexico is the most dangerous country to work for.
– Journalists have become more aware of the risks of reporting on war, thus having a greater security mindset. While when it comes to investigating corruption and local crime, you may not have the same security thinking, says Erik Halkjaer.
One strategy to spread risk is to collaborate across editorial boundaries and co-publish important reviews. Halkjaer believes this has become increasingly common.
– So you don’t focus on an individual journalist or an individual editorial team. You have to make sure you have a large number of backups.
Less than last year
The number of journalists killed this year is three less than last year. The reduction is explained by Reporters Without Borders by the fact that fewer journalists have worked in the field due to the pandemic.
Reporters Without Borders has registered 300 incidents related to the reporting of the pandemic during the year. This may involve arresting journalists who have violated local crown restrictions to go out and report.
