UNESCO: Most cases of crimes against journos yet to be resolved
Despite the fact that 2020 saw a "slight decrease" in the rate of impunity for crimes against journalists, 87 percent of such cases worldwide were still not resolved, according to UNESCO, the UN agency tasked with defending press freedom, among other things.
In line with the Safety of Journalists and the Threat of Impunity, a written report by the Director-General of UNESCO on the occasion of International Day to get rid of Impunity for Crimes against Journalists, only 13 percent of cases globally involving crimes against journalists were reportedly resolved, in comparison to 12 percent in 2019, and 11 percent in 2018, reports US News, reports UNB.
The biennial report also said that in 2018-19, a complete of 156 killings of journalists were recorded worldwide, and over the past decade, a journalist was killed - typically - every four days.
In 2018, 99 killings were recorded, while in 2019, 57 journalists were killed, the cheapest death toll within the last ten years.
As of the finish of September, 39 journalists lost their lives in 2020, the report added.
'A dangerous profession'
"Journalism remains a dangerous profession: the threats faced by journalists are many and wide-ranging," the UN Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) said in the report.
"While casualties related to countries experiencing armed conflict have declined, fatal attacks against journalists covering stories linked to corruption, human rights violations, environmental crimes, trafficking, and political wrongdoing have risen far away."
The report is submitted every 2 yrs to UNESCO's International Programme for the Development of Communication(IPDC) Intergovernmental Council, providing a celebration for UNESCO member States to take stock of global developments and discuss challenges associated with promoting the safety of journalists and combating impunity.
Attacks are gendered
The report also noted that gender factors play a role in violence against journalists: in 2018-2019, men continue to represent a lot of the victims of fatal attacks against journalists, 91 % of the victims in 2019 and 93 per cent in 2018.
The bigger number of male victims could be explained by the actual fact there are fewer women journalists employed in dangerous areas and, at least in some regions, fewer who are assigned to cover sensitive matters such as for example political corruption or organized crime. The gap could be partly explained by the existence of prevailing stereotypes which sometimes prevent women journalists from being sent on assignments in high-risk areas or covering certain beats, said UNESCO.
While there are drastically fewer women journalists among the victims of fatal attacks, they are particularly targeted by offline and online gender-based attacks putting their safety at risk - these attacks can range from harassment, physical and sexual assault, trolling and doxxing - obtaining and publishing private and identifiable information.
TV and local journalists most vulnerable
Like in previous years, television set journalists constitute the most significant group among the victims, based on the report.
Over 2018 and 2019, TV journalists constitute thirty percent of the journalists killed with 47 fatalities, followed by radio with 24 %, and print media with 21 percent of the killings.
Furthermore, as with previous years, most victims were local journalists covering local stories, with 95 local journalists killed in 2018 and 56 local journalists lost their lives in 2019, representing 96 per cent and 98 % of the fatalities for the two years, respectively.
Despite 'slight drop', impunity continues to prevail
While impunity for crimes against journalists still prevails, 2020 saw a "slight decrease" in the rate of impunity, said UNESCO.
Based on the info supplied by the UN agency's member States, the percentage of resolved cases worldwide was measured at 13 per cent in 2020, in comparison to 12 in 2019 and at 11 in 2018.
In 2020, compared to 2019, an increased number of States also provided responses to UNESCO's obtain information on the status of judicial enquiries into the killings of journalists, with a reaction rate of 71 %.
