More journalists were killed last year – UNESCO

UN cultural body, UNESCO has revealed that killings of journalists and media workers surged by 50 percent in 2022 to reach 86 worldwide, marking one death every four days.

Last year’s increase followed three years of lower violence against reporters, with an average of 58 killings annually in 2019-2021.

According to UNESCO Director-General, Audrey Azoulay, after several years of consecutive declines, the steep rise in the number of journalists killed in 2022 is alarming. UNESCO has meanwhile revealed that no one was brought to justice in 86 percent of the cases.

The UNESCO boss has now appealed to authorities to step up their efforts to stop these crimes and ensure their perpetrators are punished.

The report shows that the motives for the killings of journalists included reprisals for reporting on organized crime, armed conflict, or the rise of extremism, and covering sensitive subjects such as corruption, environmental crimes, abuse of power, and protests.

Written by Ritah Kemigisa