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Zohra Bensemra / Reuters file
Journalist Marie Colvin, second left, poses for a photograph with Libyan rebels in Misrata, June 4, 2011. She was among 67 journalists killed worldwide in 2012, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.
The civil war in Syria, targeted shootings in Somalia and continued violence in Pakistan made 2012 a particularly dangerous year for journalists, with at least 67 killed worldwide in direct relation to their work, according to an organization that defends press freedom.
The fatality numbers compiled through mid-December by the Committee to Protect Journalists represent a 42 percent increase over 2011. The committee says 2012 is on track to becoming one of the deadliest years for journalists since it began compiling records in 1992.
Coupled with snapshot figures showing a record-high number of journalists imprisoned worldwide – 232 on Dec. 1 – this year has been a year of living dangerously for those who work to gather and disseminate news, said Joel Simon, executive director of the Committee to Protect Journalists.
“You put all that together and it’s a very bleak picture,” Simon told NBC News on Thursday.
“I would say this has been one of the worst years. There’ve been years when we’ve had higher numbers of journalists killed, but the combination of near-record fatalities and record journalists imprisoned -- put those together and you have to acknowledge that this is one of the worst years on record."
Syria was by far the deadliest country for journalists in 2012. According to committee statistics, 28 journalists were killed in the fighting or targeted for murder by government or opposition forces. Among them were Marie Colvin, an award-winning American correspondent who worked for The Sunday Times of London, and French freelance photographer Remi Ochlik, both of whom were killed in a rocket attack in the Baba Amr neighborhood of the besieged city of Homs on Feb. 22.
Julien De Rosa/ho / EPA file
French photojournalist Remi Ochlik works in Homs, Syria, in 2012.
Twelve journalists died this year in Somalia, where the militant Islamist group al-Shabaab has been waging a violent insurgency against the Mogadishu-based federal government. All were murdered, according to CPJ, which says not a single killer of a journalist has been prosecuted in Somalia over the past decade.
Pakistan, the deadliest country for journalists in 2010 and 2011, dropped to third this year, but the number of fatalities held steady at seven, the committee reported.
In Brazil, four journalists were killed -- the country’s highest annual toll in more than a decade. “In small cities, bloggers and writers for small newspapers and Web portals who are calling out corruption are being targeted,” Gabriel Elizondo, a correspondent for al-Jazeera in São Paulo, was quoted as saying by CPJ. “The profile is usually the same: It’s a small-town journalist, working for a small outlet, who gets gunned down."
Watch World News videos on NBCNews.com
The worst year on record for journalist killings was 2009, when 74 people died because of their work — nearly half of them slain in a massacre in Maguindanao province, Philippines, according to CPJ.
Simon said the record-high number of imprisoned journalists as of Dec. 1 also was “extremely disturbing.”
“One reason is what’s happening in Turkey. There’s a massive crackdown under way on political expression and political dissent largely focused on the Turkish minority. Many of the journalists in jail are Kurdish,” he said.
NBC's Richard Engel and his production team made their homecoming late Thursday night. In their first in-depth interview since being freed, Engel and his team, including cameraman John Kooistra, producer Ghazi Balkiz and two other crew members, tell their story about spending five days in captivity in Syria and the trauma they survived. NBC's Savannah Guthrie reports.
“Other places we’ve seen an increase (in detentions) are places where there have been repressive policies (against the media) for some time, like China, Eritrea, Syria, Iran,” Simon said.
The imprisonment numbers, because they were tallied on Dec. 1, don’t include NBC News’ Chef Foreign Correspondent Richard Engel and members of his network production team. They were captured and held in Syria for five days before being freed after a firefight between the captors and a Syrian rebel group at a checkpoint on Monday, NBC News said. In any case, CPJ's tally doesn't include journalists who are abducted by "non-state actors," Simon said.
Journalists who worked online made up more than one-third of the death toll in 2012, compared with one-fifth in 2011, CPJ noted.
“More independent journalists are working online closer to the action and getting killed as a result,” Simon said.
“Think about how front-line news is being gathered today. In a lot of countries around the world, dissent is limited and curtailed. There’s no opposition to express critical views in the media, so people for last decade or more have been expressing those critical ideas online. Governments have been cracking down on this.”
You can see CPJ’s database of journalists killed in 2012 for their work here and the breakdown of journalists jailed here.
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- Engel, NBC crew believed they wouldn't leave Syria alive
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- Video: Syrian refugees speak out on the nightmare of exodus
- UFO lovers, light-seekers and lawyers await Maya end of days
- Rumors of plot to sterilize Muslims spark Pakistan killings
Leave a Comment:
Dangerous year for journalists, ? THAT'S YOUR JOB.
This has got to be the stupidest or most slanted headline ever.
How about a better one: "2012 has been a dangerous year for people showing up at various dangerous and unstable spots around the globe."
I would say 2012 has been a most dangerous year in general but given WWI and WWII it was a cake walk. I think more pedestrians are hit by cars and people die in other lines of work than these guys.
Israel killed two journalists just two days ago.
And I betcha these "Opionaters" get hazardous duty pay.
Too bad their articles are NOT fair and balanced......maybe their pay is based on how far left they report.
"Journalists who worked online made up more than one-third of the death toll..."
Sure it's dangerous. Look at all the Rambos lurking here.
I sure hope the journalist who wrote this didn't dislocate his shoulder patting himself on the back for DOING HIS JOB !
Journalist have been dying for ever covering wars, THAT'S THEIR JOB !
You know its been a tough 3 years in construction where is my article, about my tough time !
I salute these journalists for their dedication - it seems so glamorous when you hear about students of elite schools of journalism In Ivy League...starting their journeys into journalism. Many don't seem to realize the sacrifices and the danger involved.
.
Condolences to those who lost their lives in trying to report news and tell truth about some of the dark side of humanity in the 21st century.
Hi Pig, I understand and applaud intrepid journalists working for noble purpose, but too many come to harm. Not many stories are worth getting killed or kidnapped or sexually assaulted over... heavy risks to report what many people treat as daily entertainment.
Pigotry, why don't you do us all a favor and volunteer to go to a dangerous place. Take that big mouth Feisty and Beverly with you. Good luck
The point, to all you folks slamming the journalists for "doing their jobs", is that more journalists have been killed this year than... They aren't asking for your approval, it's a story you a$$holes. If they didn't do that job, you wouldn't have anything to read and vomit your uneducated opinion all over!
I just hope that NBC would extend the same consideration for ANYONE that has been kidnapped and not trip over CNN to report it, regardless of whether it endangers the person that's been abducted. Something tells me that I'm dreaming though. Maybe Richard Engel will become an advocate for kidnapping victims privacy now that he's been given a second chance at life and a glaring example. IMO as usual.
This is not even worth the time to discuss. The stories the the media report are so far from the truth and made to excite people and entertain society.
They all knew the risk when they took the job..if you can't take the heat..look for a new job then!
Actually i think these people get way too close to the action. I have no need to have these reporters so close you can count expended shells as the are fired. I don't need to see people fall as they are killed. They aren't making movies and it is not fiction. We see way too much of the gore associated with conflict and that we includes our children. The news media has pushed too far the live coverage of death and destructuion. Yes it is dangerous for them but that is thier choice. A stupid one to me i might add.It is one thing to end up in the middle of an attack by accident but to go there purposely just too show us what war looks like is too close IMO.
There is no such thing as a "journalist" in the 21st century.
Hasn't been such a thing for about thirty years or so...!
it would be nice if if the journalist...would print about how corrupt our government is...but i guess they're to chicken...to tell america the truth...how we are lead by corporate traitors who off shore our jobs...and off shore the money to keep from paying taxes...make their buddies rich working with lobbyist...getting all the freebees and denying our old and weak a decent retirement...letting corporation we built betray the american worker by employing foreigner's...not letting the people have a voice...while we go further in debt...but the journalist put their self in the middle east by choice...i guess they're stupid...we need to keep our ass out of their countries...they need to keep their ass out of ours...
Almost as dangerous as reading and/or listening to the tripe and drivel they are spouting.
What do you want to bet more farmers died in the line of duty than a bunch of biased reporters. As a matter of fact, farming is considered more dangerous than being a cop. But you won't see mslsd writing a story about them because most of them are in red states.
There are so many jobs that are dangerous. Why this one is highlighted in the news holds no real meaning.
Because they are the News Media!!!!
Didn't King David send Uriah to the front lines when he wanted Uriah eliminated?
uriah...said it was a ...easy live'n...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4o--q6xuvs
When you trade common sense for a news story and get your head blown off, too bad. The only tragedy here is that many of them get killed in providing data to be used in support of left and right wing propaganda. News is one thing, but getting material for the media to use to bolster support for islamic rebels that want to kill US over-throwing stable goverments so left-wing elements can chant the matra "Arab Spring-Democracy Building" is a waste. "Stupid is as stupid does"!
Right on
Maybe they should stick to taking pics of celebrities from a distance.
I'd have more sympathy of journalists were not biased.
There are plenty of dangerous jobs, this is just one. If one doesn't like it, get a safer one.
if they stopped playing cops & robbers, attys and doctors, maybe it wouldn't be so deadly.
I know journalism can be dangerous. But where have the stories about our troops been? Have we forgotten how long we've been at war? How about the numerous soldiers that put their lives on the line daily? I am not happy that journalists die; they are tragedies, too. But why the American media hasn't continually covered the truth about Iraq is beyond me. This is our longest war in history. The American people were lied to about the reasons for this war. The media had something to do with that. For that, I will forgive them but never trust them again.
John, those are all your liberal freinds, how dare you. They don't cover it now because king Obama is in charge and god forbid anything negative.
Apparently lies and Political correctness didn't protect them. Maybe they need to arm themselves.
those undocumented journalist...don't need no stink'n gun...
Thank God for the journalists, When one goes missing I pray for them, when the Richard Engels and crew the Bob Simons are rescued, I rejoice, when one of them is killed, I grieve.
Its been a dangerous year for our troops. The troops are the real heros.
The media can suck eggs. They lie worse than the politicians we elect. When does Andrea Mitchell get to go to Syria?
wonder why Bush hasn't gone for a walk in Baghdad...you would think since he's responsible for all that freedom they got now...he'd go over there and celebrate it with 'em...
Perhaps they need to file a greivance and have their Anchor person share the wealth:
War Correspondent Salary $25000.00 to $75000.00
News Anchors Salary $125,000.00 to $22,000,000.00
Matt Lauer (NBC Today): $21.5 million
Bill O’Reilly (The O’Reilly Factor): $15 million
Brian Williams (NBC Nightly News): $13 million My First Big Break
Diane Sawyer (ABC World News): $12 million
Anderson Cooper (Anderson Cooper 360 and Anderson Live): $11 million
Shepard Smith (The Fox Report) $8 million My First Big Break
Robin Roberts (Good Morning America) $6 million
Joe Scarborough (Morning Joe) $6 million
Scott Pelley (CBS Evening News) $4 million
Nancy Grace (Nancy Grace) $3 million
Really, go into a war zone and something bad happens. No sympothey here. If that is what you choose to do accept the results!
And no mention of the union's physical assault on a journalist in Michigan within the last couple of weeks!
i hope the union guy didn't hurt his fist...
It is unfortunate that journalists have to die, but the article needs to clearly differenciate between journalists being collateral damage and journalists being targeted to hide the truth. There is no mention of israel directly targeting journalists to hide the genocides they have committed in Gaza and the West Bank. israel is taking terrorism to another level, not only against civilians but against journalists and peace activists ( i.e. Rachel Corrie and others - RIP)...
Can't feel too sorry for them. They choose to go into those dangerous places. I feel sorry for the troops who do not choose to be deployed for three, four, five or more tours.
Nothing like self serving hero worship by the lefty media! who cares, they have killed more people through their greed for sensationalism than a terrorist organization. They protect their own, but sacrifice our troops with biased reporting and breaking of security, the press is nothing more than traitors.
We should tell them all that american troops are killing women and children, and then they will run there and we can drone them! and a few extremists in the process.
The generalizations in the comments here are ridiculous and offensive. The news hardly ever reports about journalists and often reports about troops, with good reason. But just because a journalist's job may seem less important than a soldier's does not mean they do not deserve a story.
The story focuses on the fact that this was the most dangerous year for journalists since 1992. That deserves coverage.
The ideals of journalism, in its purist form, are beautiful and essential. Without journalism, no one would have an idea what was happening around them. The world would be uninformed and unable to change a thing about their nation, their community, etc.
Not all journalism is biased, and not all journalists are out to persuade. These people traveled to dangerous areas to inform and report. These journalists sacrificed themselves to do their job and extremely well, I might add. They do not deserve the spite, hatred and cruelty I've seen in these past few comments. They deserve nothing but respect and honor.
Well said Mr. jkflyer. Have a good day Sir.
Dear jkflyer. I don't think you were responding to my post, but my point was that I believe the vast majority of journalists do not do their jobs. They do not ask the obvious and tough questions of anybody. i.e. Why wasn't the Bush administration hammered with questions about their role in the Iraq war. Why didn't they push to find out the truth? However, the media is relentless on Bengazi.
I don't feel most reporting today is objective. It's more about ratings and their organizations agenda.
"A year of living dangerously" for so-called journalists? GOOD!
Because there are no longer any REAL "journalists" out there.
There are only rabid left-wing people with very poor academic credentials, pretending to report non-biased news, when in fact they are simply promoting their own personal politics (or the politics of their employers) upon the general populace.
Journalism, as we educated (Ed.D and Ph.D.) septuagenarians knew it, no longer exists.
So, as far as I am concerned, the ranks of the so-called modern day "journalists" need to be thinned --- by whatever means necessary. Elimination is a good remedy.
So if the wimpy "journalists" cannot take the heat ..... (you know the rest).
Carrion, please.
Sorry, no sympathy here. When you put yourself in harms way as a career choice.....be prepared to suffer the consequences ! BTW...it's been a dangerous year for a lot of people including children. Must be a slow news day at MSNBC....
Journalists are always fascinated by stories about other journalists in harms way -- the rest of us, not so much.
67 Journalists killed world wide thats good news they onley promote more more war mongering == coyote.
Be sure to take good care of yourselves. We'd all be real sorry if you got hurt or killed.
It's about time these lying bastards get a dose of reality. Start telling the truth both in print and visual media and, maybe, your lives will change for the better.
Start telling the truth about what Obama is doing to America, maybe even vet him, perhaps. Tell the truth about Van Jones, Arne Duncan, Chuck Schumer, Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi, et al, and all the other czars Obama has appointed. Start telling the truth about what the republicans want to do and not the lies you've been spouting.
Until you start telling the real truth about events and not your version of it, you should be subjected to what the rest of us are subjected to every day of our lives and, yes, even death.
Start telling the truth.
Well said, can't argue that!!
Very well said....thank you Mephisto.
Cheers for the truth!