In the last two years, the conditions of a difficult international situation have become synonymous with the suffering of civilians. Along with the thousands of victims, journalists became part of these bloody statistics. Reporters on the front line, since the start of the war in Ukraine and Gaza, have seen record losses. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CJP), 86 journalists have died since the beginning of the year, and according to the International Federation of Journalists (FJP), 94. Reporters Without Borders reports 45 journalists who have died on the job through December.
The two conflicts show the danger of this profession devoted to the defense of freedom of speech. An example of the high mortality among reporters was Gaza, where in a few months the victims numbered dozens.
The number of journalists killed in the conflict between Israel and Hamas since October 7 has risen to at least 68, according to the CPJ.
The CCJ said it is also investigating numerous unconfirmed reports of other journalists who have been killed, disappeared, detained or injured.
On November 21, Al Mayadeen reporter Farah Omar and cameraman Rabih al-Mamari were killed in an Israeli strike in southern Lebanon. The Israeli military said: "This is an area of active military operations where there is a firefight. It is dangerous to be in the area" regarding the incident. The TV channel accused Israel of deliberately targeting its workers.
The KZH data indicate that the dead journalists were 61 Palestinians, 4 Israelis and 3 Lebanese.
By comparison, at least 15 journalists were killed in Ukraine in 2022 after Russia's full-scale invasion of the country on February 24. The CPJ confirmed that 13 of them were killed while engaged in news gathering and reporting and is investigating whether two others killed during the conflict lost their lives because of their work in the media. In 2023, 2 more deaths were confirmed.
Both wars are extremely dangerous for journalists trying to report from the scene of the conflict. The dead journalists are not only of local publications, but also of global hegemons in the media industry. These are just some of the "martyrs" in the name of freedom of speech:
Issam Abdallah, a Reuters video reporter, died near Alma al-Shaab in Lebanon on the border with Israel. His death occurred after a cross-border shelling.
"We are deeply saddened to learn that our videographer Issam Abdallah has been killed," Reuters said in a statement, adding that he "was part of the Reuters team in southern Lebanon."
In the same incident, two AFP reporters, two Reuters and two Al-Jazeera reporters were injured.
Idan, a photographer for Israel's Inet newspaper, was initially reported missing when his wife and daughter were killed in an October 7 Hamas attack on Kibbutz Kfar Azza. The KZH confirmed that he was working on the day of the attack.
AFP Gaza Bureau
The agency's office was significantly damaged by an impact on the building. The IDF said they did not target it, but it is possible that a close strike caused the destruction.
AFP is the only one of the world's three major international news agencies currently broadcasting live video from Gaza City that has not been interrupted despite the damage.
Soldin, AFP's video coordinator in Ukraine, was killed in a missile attack in eastern Ukraine. His death drew condolences and tributes from around the world. French President Emmanuel Macron hailed Soldin's "courage" in a letter.
Bogdan Bitik - "Republic"
Ukrainian journalist Bohdan Bitik was shot dead. His Italian counterpart, Corrado Zunino, was wounded in the shoulder. They worked on the Antoniv bridge on the outskirts of Kherson, southern Ukraine. The attack was carried out "most likely by Russian snipers", the newspaper reported.
Ukraine and Gaza should not be compared
The two wars were extremely bloody, with journalists being only part of the many casualties of hostilities. Differences in the number of deaths among reporters should not be used as arguments for the magnitude, suffering and intensity of conflicts.
The size of the territory of hostilities is one of the many differences. There is a dedicated front line in Ukraine, while Gaza is a densely populated city. Operations in urban areas are extremely bloody with a high number of collateral damage.
It is also important to note the differences between the warring parties. Israel is waging war with a terrorist organization that operates asymmetrically. Hamas and Hezbollah rely on the gray area between civilian and combatant to defend the territories they control. The war in Ukraine is an example of a war between two armies - symmetrical.
Comparing casualties in different conflicts always needs clarification of the differences between them. The large number of journalists killed in Gaza is proof of the high intensity of the military operations.
This year saw a decline in the number of journalists killed in Latin America. The difference is palpable, with Latin America being the most dangerous place for journalists in 2022, with at least 30 deaths. This year, according to Reporters Without Borders, 6 have died. The decrease in deaths among media workers in the region does not make it any less risky. An example of this is that of the 84 missing journalists, about a third are Mexican.
Gang wars make killing extremely easy and almost always unpunished.
"The cost of attacking or killing a journalist is extremely low. Most of the cases are never resolved. "Justice is never achieved," the CPC stated.
The bloodiest year for journalism in the last 30 years
The journalists who died this year will mark the darkest point in the industry for the last 30 years. The death toll approaching 100, according to various sources, is ahead of the latest peak. In 2007, the Middle East again became the cause of the huge number of reporters killed, with 51 of the 81 killed in Iraq. Gaza this year will surpass this anti-record, according to KZH data. It is important to point out that death is not the only risk that reporters face, prison and aggression are far more common outcomes for anyone who chooses to pursue this noble profession. The number of journalists jailed was 521. Belarus (39) joined China (121) and Myanmar as "one of the world's top three prisons" for journalists. Iran (24) and Turkey (23) also rank at the head of this black statistic. /BGNES
Georgi Vasilev, editor in the International Department of BGNES Agency
