PH 2nd Deadliest
Myrtle
Freedom under threat: PH, 2rd deadliest country for Journalists Journalism has long been a high-risk profession, many journalists and reporters have put their lives on the line for a story. Journalists often have to go through extreme measures just to get information. Intensive research, live coverage and interviews are being demanded more and more by the public and in order to get such vital information, being on the scene is necessary.
According to Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), an independent, non-profit organization that promotes press freedom worldwide; a journalist dies every week while doing his/her job. This year, the Philippines was listed as the second most dangerous place for journalists next to Syria with more than 72 killings.
In a report released by the CPJ, 51 percent of journalists that were killed were from the print media while the remaining percentage comes from radio and television medium.
Murder is the leading work-related deaths among journalists and these cases have four things in common: first, the victims were provincial journalists, usually not affiliated with major news organizations; second, the victims were exposing anomalies involving government officials – either through commentary or reportage – corruption and abuse of power in their locality. Third, the murderers were unknown gunmen, presumably hired killers, and fourth, hardly any of the killers have been caught.
The country also ranks 3rd in the Impunity Index, a ranking of countries based on unsolved cases of journalist murders.
The impunity is sustained by one simple fact: the absence of justice. When it comes to investigating journalist murders, the Philippine judicial system isn’t just slow, it’s practically immobile. One reason why the victims are mostly provincial journalists is that in this country, provinces and its courts are dominated by powerful families, warlords and entrenched elites. Research has shown local courts to be ineffective in trying
Freedom under threat: PH, 2rd deadliest country for Journalists Journalism has long been a high-risk profession, many journalists and reporters have put their lives on the line for a story. Journalists often have to go through extreme measures just to get information. Intensive research, live coverage and interviews are being demanded more and more by the public and in order to get such vital information, being on the scene is necessary.
According to Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), an independent, non-profit organization that promotes press freedom worldwide; a journalist dies every week while doing his/her job. This year, the Philippines was listed as the second most dangerous place for journalists next to Syria with more than 72 killings.
In a report released by the CPJ, 51 percent of journalists that were killed were from the print media while the remaining percentage comes from radio and television medium.
Murder is the leading work-related deaths among journalists and these cases have four things in common: first, the victims were provincial journalists, usually not affiliated with major news organizations; second, the victims were exposing anomalies involving government officials – either through commentary or reportage – corruption and abuse of power in their locality. Third, the murderers were unknown gunmen, presumably hired killers, and fourth, hardly any of the killers have been caught.
The country also ranks 3rd in the Impunity Index, a ranking of countries based on unsolved cases of journalist murders.
The impunity is sustained by one simple fact: the absence of justice. When it comes to investigating journalist murders, the Philippine judicial system isn’t just slow, it’s practically immobile. One reason why the victims are mostly provincial journalists is that in this country, provinces and its courts are dominated by powerful families, warlords and entrenched elites. Research has shown local courts to be ineffective in trying