Journalism group: 65 journalists were killed in 2020

Journalists faced increased violence in 2020, with 65 media members worldwide killed on the job, 17 more than the previous year, according to a report by the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ).

Both reporters and media workers were victims of violence caused by organized crime groups, extremists and sectarian organizations, the IJF said in its Annual Report on Killings of Journalists and Media Staff. The report focuses on journalists killed by targeted attacks, bomb attacks and crossfire.

The group found that Mexico was the most dangerous country for journalists in 2020 based on total deaths, with 14 members of the media killed last year. Mexico has topped the list in four of the past five years.

Afghanistan was next with 10 deaths, followed by Pakistan with nine, India with eight, the Philippines and Syria with four each, followed by Nigeria and Yemen with three killings each. Two journalists were killed in Iraq and Somali while Bangladesh, Cameroon, Honduras, Paraguay, Russia and Sweden each recorded one killing.

“In this regard, 2020 was no exception,” said IFJ General Secretary Anthony Bellanger about the report. “The ruthless reign of crime barons in Mexico, the violence of extremists in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Somalia, as well as the intolerance of hardliners in India and the Philippines have contributed to the continued bloodshed in the media.”

The 65 media members killed last year represented a 35 percent increase in total deaths from 2019. In all, the IFJ said, violence has claimed the lives of 2,680 journalists and media workers since 1990.