Pakistan replaces Phl as deadliest country for journalists

BAGUIO CITY, Philippines  – Pakistan has replaced the Philippines as the “Deadliest Country For Journalists” this year.

The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) gave the “ugly tag” to Pakistan this year amid a rash of suicide attacks, with at least eight journalists killed in that country in connection with their work.

A notable drop in the number of journalists killed worldwide, from 72 in 2009 to 42 this year, is being hinged to the infamous Maguindanao massacre on Nov. 23, 2009 by the CPJ.

Also ranking high in journalism-related killings are Iraq (four), Mexico and Honduras (three each), according to CPJ executive director Joel Simon.

“From Afghanistan to Mexico, Thailand to Russia, the failure of governments to investigate crimes against the press contributes to a climate of impunity that ultimately fuels further violence,” he added.

The CPJ also found that murder was the leading cause of work-related deaths in 2010, as it has been in past years.

But 40 percent, a larger portion than usual, of the deaths were combat-related crossfire and in dangerous assignments such as street protests.

Suicide bombings and crossfire in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Thailand and Somalia accounted for the unusually high proportion, the yearend analysis of CPJ noted.

Worldwide, nearly 90 percent of the victims were local reporters covering issues that affected their communities, according to Simon.

Among all 2010 victims, the most common beats were politics, corruption, culture, and war.

The CPJ said about 90 percent of journalist murders go unsolved despite the fact that many victims – 60 percent in 2010 – reported receiving threats in the weeks before they were killed.

The group has been waging a “Global Campaign Against Impunity,” focusing on Russia and the Philippines, two nations with high rates of unsolved journalist murders.

No work-related murders were reported in Russia this year, although one journalist was severely beaten during the year, while two journalists were murdered for their work in the Philippines, “continuing a pattern of persistent anti-press violence.”

In September, Filipino prosecutors began trying the first 19 defendants in the Maguindanao case, but a CPJ investigation identified numerous problems that could thwart justice, according to Simon.

Among others, “witnesses have been intimidated, local police have not cooperated with prosecutors, and forensic evidence has been compromised,” he added.

CPJ has been compiling detailed records on journalist fatalities since 1992.

An independent probe is being done by CPJ staff members on every journalist killed anywhere in the world.

CPJ considers a case work-related only when reasonably certain that a journalist was killed in direct reprisal for his or her work; in crossfire; or while carrying out a dangerous assignment, according to Simon.

CPJ’s database of journalists killed for their work in 2010 includes capsule reports on each victim and a statistical analysis, he added.

A final list of journalists killed in 2010 will be released in early January, the CPJ said.  –Artemio Dumlao (The Philippine Star)