According to the International Federation of Journalists, in 2018 alone, at least 94 journalists were killed. The 2018 data indicates an increase from the previous year which concluded with 82 fatalities. The most dangerous countries for journalists in 2018 were Afghanistan with 16 fatalities and Mexico with 11, followed by Yemen with 9, Syria with 8 and India with 7. The data, presented by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), identifies slightly lower numbers of fatalities at 80 (with 49 deliberately killed and 31 killed while reporting). The RSF report further confirms that three journalists were reported missing, 60 held hostage and 348 detained. RSF names Afghanistan as the most dangerous place for journalists with 15 fatalities, followed by Syria with 11, Mexico with 9, Yemen with 8 and US and India with 6 each. Despite the difference in figures, both agree that 2018 witnessed an increase in such fatalities and the level of threat to journalists.
The serious threat to journalists’ safety is characteristic of conflict areas. However, the mentioned reports feature many countries without reputations for active armed conflicts. Places like Mexico, US or India. In the US for example, four journalists employed by the Capital Gazette in Annapolis, Maryland, were killed on June 28, 2018, when a man walked in and opened fire.
Recent years have shown that even strong and stable European countries do not escape violence against journalists. For example, in October 2017, Daphne Caruana Galizia, a Maltese journalist exposing government corruption and misconduct by Maltese politicians and Panama Papers, was murdered in a car bomb attack in Malta, a place considered to be peaceful and safe. Nineteen months later, Maltese investigators are still no closer to exposing those responsible for the act.
