The number of journalists killed in combat or crossfire has reached its highest level since 2013 mainly due to ongoing conflict in the Middle East, with 107 killed in Syria since the civil war began five years ago.
The latest analysis by the Committee to Protect Journalists found that at least 48 journalists were killed due to their work between 1 January and 15 December 2016, with 26 killed in fighting. A further 27 deaths are under investigation to determine whether they were linked to reporting.
Despite the increasing risks of reporting from conflict zones, the total number of journalists killed across the year was down from 55 in 2015 as murders in retaliation for reporting fell to 18, its lowest level since 2002 and the first time murders have accounted for less than half of those killed.
For the fifth year running Syria was the most deadly country to report from, with 14 deaths in 2016.
Among those killed was 20-year old Osama Jumaa, a photographer and video journalist, who was injured in an artillery barrage that hit the ambulance he was riding in, before being killed in a second strike which also killed a paramedic treating him.
Iraq and Yemen were the joint second deadliest countries for journalists. The CPJ said that six were killed in each over the year.
The CPJ said the reasons for the decline in murders was unclear, but could be down to a combination of factors including less risk taking, increased global attention and the “use of other means” to silence journalists.
The report says that journalists have begun self-censoring and leaving the profession in Pakistan where 33 journalists have been murdered since 1992. Russia, which has had 36 murders over the same period, has introduced measures such as legislation, the closure of news outlets and other forms of harassment to limit reporting.
The CPJ also said that the political cost of murdering journalists was rising, with growing international pressure from organisations such as the UN and a modest increase in the number prosecutions for the murder of journalists.
The 10 deadliest countries for journalists in 2016:
- Syria 14
- Iraq 6
- Yemen 6
- Afghanistan 4
- Somalia 3
- Libya 3
- Pakistan 2
- Mexico 2
- Turkey 2
- India 2