The murders of war correspondents James Foley and Steven Sotloff have resonated with a particular horror in American newsrooms. Even if your main job is covering some small-town parking dispute, not risking your life as a free lancer in a field of slaughter, journalists feel that they're part of a community that transcends beats and news organizations. That community transcends political boundaries as well, and all of us should pay attention to the world war against journalists.
Frank Smyth of the Committee to Protect Journalists writes that the back-to-back videotaped beheadings of journalists is "unprecedented" in the advocacy group's 33-year history. But he points out that only three years ago, the "decapitated remains" of a Mexican journalist named Maria Elisabeth Macias Castro were discovered, along with a note explaining that she had died for her investigative reporting into organized crime. She was one of 75 journalists and media workers killed in Mexico since 1994. (In the United States during that time, there have been three). Mexican journalists continue to work in conditions that make the Obama Administration's hostility to national security reporters seem like minor irritations (not that we should put up with that, either).
Not long ago, working as an investigative reporter in Minneapolis could get you killed. Three editors were murdered between 1934 and 1945, and no one was punished for their deaths. These days, thanks to CPJ and other groups, the targeted killings of journalists are more likely to be recognized as the human rights violations that they are. It's essential for all of us to remember the courage of those who went to bear witness in places few of us would have the interest, or the guts, to go. And to recognize that for so many of our colleagues in other countries, reporting on their own communities can leave them dead on the side of the road. Yet they still do it.
Data from CPJ:
Journalists killed since 1992: 1,073
Journalists and media workers killed in 2014: 52
Their names:
34 journalists killed in 2014: Motive explained
Steven Sotloff, Freelance
James Foley, Freelance
August 2014, in Unknown, Syria
Simone Camilli, The Associated Press
August 13, 2014, in Beit Lahiya, Gaza, Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory
Leyla Yildizhan (Deniz Firat), Firat News Agency
August 8, 2014, in Makhmur District, Iraq
Sameh al-Aryan, Al-Aqsa TV
July 30, 2014, in Shijaiyah, Gaza, Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory
Rami Rayan, Palestine Network for Press and Media
July 30, 2014, in Shijaiyah, Gaza, Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory
Khaled Reyadh Hamad, Continue Production Films
July 20, 2014, in Gaza, Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory
Anatoly Klyan, Pervy Kanal
June 30, 2014, in Donetsk, Ukraine
Yusuf Ahmed Abukar, Radio Ergo, Mustaqbal Radio
June 21, 2014, in Mogadishu, Somalia
Ahmed Hasan Ahmed, Xinhua News Agency
June 20, 2014, in Damascus, Syria
Edgar Pantaleón Fernández Fleitas, Belén Comunicaciones
June 19, 2014, in Concepción, Paraguay
Igor Kornelyuk, VGTRK
June 17, 2014, in Metallist, Ukraine
Khalid Ali Hamada, Al-Ahad TV
June 15, 2014, in Diyala province, Iraq
Muftah Bu Zeid, Brnieq
May 26, 2014, in Benghazi, Libya
Andrea Rocchelli, Cesura photo agency
May 24, 2014, in Andreyevka, Ukraine
Camille Lepage, Freelance
May 2014, in Bouar region, Central African Republic
Fausto Gabriel Alcaraz Garay, Radio Amambay
May 16, 2014, in Pedro Juan Caballero, Paraguay
Mouaz Alomar (Abu Mehdi Al Hamwi), Freelance
April 25, 2014, in Kafr Zita, Hama province, Syria
Bilal Ahmed Bilal, Palestine Today TV
Unknown, in Sednaya, Syria
Anja Niedringhaus, The Associated Press
April 4, 2014, in Khost, Afghanistan
Mayada Ashraf, Al-Dustour
March 28, 2014, in Cairo, Egypt
Nils Horner, Sveriges Radio
March 11, 2014, in Kabul, Afghanistan
Muthanna Abdel Hussein, Al-Iraqiya
March 10, 2014, in Hilla, Babil province, Iraq
Khaled Abdel Thamer, Al-Iraqiya
March 10, 2014, in Hilla, Babil province, Iraq
Ali Mustafa, Freelance
March 9, 2014, in Aleppo, Syria
Omar Abdul Qader, Al-Mayadeen
March 8, 2014, in Deir Al-Zour, Syria
Gregorio Jiménez de la Cruz, Notisur and Liberal del Sur
Between February 5 and 11, 2014, in Las Choapas, Veracruz, Mexico
Turad Mohamed al-Zahouri, Freelance
February 20, 2014, in Arsal, Lebanon
Vyacheslav Veremiy, Vesti
February 19, 2014, in Kiev, Ukraine
Germain Kennedy Mumbere Muliwavyo, Radio Télévision Muungano
February 16, 2014, in Oïcha, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Pedro Palma, Panorama Regional
February 13, 2014, in Miguel Pereira, Brazil
Santiago IlÃdio Andrade, Bandeirantes
February 10, 2014, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Firas Mohammed Attiyah, Fallujah TV
January 20, 2014, in Khalidiya, Iraq
Shan Dahar, Abb Takk Television
January 1, 2014, in Larkana, Pakistan
8 Media Workers Killed in 2014
Ali Abu Afash, Freelance
August 13, 2014, in Beit Lahiya, Gaza, Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory
Mohammed Nour al-Din al-Deiri, Palestine Network for Press and Media
July 30, 2014, in Shijaiyah, Gaza, Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory
Hamid Shihab, Media 24
July 9, 2014, in Gaza City, Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory
Anton Voloshin, VGTRK
June 24, 2014, in Metallist, Ukraine
Andrei Mironov, Memorial
May 24, 2014, in Andreyevka, Ukraine
Waqas Aziz Khan, Express TV
January 17, 2014, in Karachi, Pakistan
Mohammad Khalid, Express TV
January 17, 2014, in Karachi, Pakistan
Ashraf Arain, Express TV
January 17, 2014, in Karachi, Pakistan
11 Journalists Killed in 2014/Motive Unconfirmed
Nery Francisco Soto Torres , Canal 23, Radio Full FM
August 14, 2014, in Olanchito, Honduras
Jorge Torres Palacios, Dictamen, Libertad Guerrero Noticias
May 29, 30, 31, June 1, or 2, 2014, in Acapulco, Mexico
Nilo Baculo, dwIM Radyo Mindoro
June 9, 2014, in Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro province, Philippines
Tarun Kumar Acharya, Kanak TV, Sambad
May 27, 2014, in Odisha state, India
Samuel Oliverio, Radio Ukay, Supreme Radio
May 23, 2014, in Digos City, Philippines
Richard Nadjid, dxNN
May 4, 2014, in Bongao, Philippines
Rubylita Garcia, Remate
April 6, 2014, in Bacoor City, Philippines
Shah Alam Sagar, Oporadh Domon
March 2, 2014, in Dhaka, Bangladesh
Ijaz Mengal, Daily Intekhab
February 14, 2014, in Khuzdar, Pakistan
Suon Chan, Meakea Kampuchea
February 1, 2014, in Kampong Chhnang province, Cambodia
Noor Ahmad Noori, Bost
January 23, 2014, in Lashkar Gah, Afghanistan
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