JournalismPakistan.com | Published November 03, 2018
Join our WhatsApp channel
The killing of journalists around the world for doing their job is “outrageous” and should not become the “new normal,” UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said.
In just over a decade, some 1,010 journalists have been killed for reporting the news, and in nine out of 10 cases, the perpetrators are never brought to justice. In 2018 alone, at least 88 journalists have been killed according to the UN.
Many thousands more have been “attacked, harassed, detained or imprisoned on spurious charges, without due process,” Guterres said in a video message for The International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists, marked annually on November 2.
Secretary-General Guterres paid tribute to the reporters in the field “who do their jobs every day despite intimidation and threats.” And he called on the international community “to protect journalists and create the conditions they need to do their work.”
To mark the International Day, the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) is launching an initiative to fuel awareness on the issue of journalists killed on the job. Called “Truth Never Dies,” it encourages people to share stories by and about fallen journalists to keep their legacies alive and to push for investigations into their deaths to be continued.
“The truth never dies. And neither must our commitment to the fundamental right to freedom of expression, the UN chief said, highlighting that when journalists are attacked “societies as a whole pay a price.”
A study on global trends in media published by the UNESCO in 2017 highlights that impunity for crimes against journalists remains the norm, and trends in kidnappings, disappearances, and torture have shown substantial increases since 2012.
The UN Human Rights Council adopted a resolution in September, calling on the international community to promote strategies that protect journalists and bring perpetrators of violence against the media to justice.
The latest incident against a scribe was the killing of Saudi dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi last month. Khashoggi was last seen entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Turkey.
The Saudis, under intense pressure to explain Khashoggi’s whereabouts, have offered conflicting accounts. They initially said he had left the consulate on October 2, but later admitted that he had been killed in a fight. Agencies/Photo: YouTube
March 16, 2025: Senior analyst Imtiaz Gul joins the growing list of journalists and commentators banned from Pakistani television, raising fresh concerns about declining press freedom in the country.
March 14, 2025: Explore how exiled Pakistani journalists are leveraging digital platforms to deliver independent analysis and fill critical information gaps that state-controlled media leaves behind, transforming the country's media landscape from abroad.
March 07, 2025: The Supreme Court of Pakistan has questioned the delay in the Arshad Sharif murder investigation, as the government seeks additional time to finalize a mutual legal assistance agreement with Kenya.
March 07, 2025: Former Suno TV anchor Paras Jahanzaib breaks silence on her sudden removal, exposing government pressure tactics against journalists who refuse to follow official narratives in Pakistan.
March 05, 2025: The Federal and Punjab governments have denied advertisements to Dawn since October 2024, allegedly due to its critical reporting. In an editorial, the paper vowed to uphold journalistic integrity despite pressure tactics.
March 04, 2025: ARY News faces mounting pressure, as top journalist Kashif Abbasi remains off air, exposing the deepening crackdown on free speech in Pakistan. How far will censorship go to silence dissent?
March 01, 2025: Pakistani authorities' efforts to silence critical media voices are backfiring as prominent anchors build massive audiences on alternative platforms. This analysis explores how media suppression undermines democracy while empowering digital journalism.
February 27, 2025: Pakistan's media landscape faces unprecedented restrictions as prominent journalists Habib Akram and Khalid Jamil join the growing list of silenced voices, highlighting the dangerous consequences of state-sanctioned censorship.
March 16, 2025 The Trump administration has ordered furloughs at U.S.-funded broadcasters, including Voice of America (VOA) and Radio Free Asia, raising concerns about press freedom and government control over media funding.
March 15, 2025 Explore the dynamic relationship between athletes and sports journalists, examining the challenges, ethical dilemmas, and mutual benefits that shape the sports media landscape.
March 14, 2025 The National Press Foundation is offering a fully funded journalism training workshop in Singapore from June 22 to 25. The workshop will cover sustainable global trade, investment, politics, and more. Apply by April 6.
March 14, 2025 The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) urges Maharashtra authorities to ensure their AI-driven media monitoring plan does not undermine press freedom. The initiative, which classifies news as positive or negative, raises concerns over government overreach and self-censorship.
March 13, 2025 The McGraw Fellowship for Business Journalism offers up to $15,000 in grants and editorial support for investigative journalists. Apply by April 14, 2025 for the Spring Fellowship.