Top 10 Deadliest Countries for Journalists in 2018

53 journalists lost their lives on the job in 2018 an increase from 47 in 2017 according to The Committee to Protect Journalists. The advocacy group claims that 34 of them were singled out for murder.

Three types of deaths were tracked – punishment murders, deaths in combat or crossfire and deaths on other dangerous assignments like covering protests that turned violent. After two years of decline, the number of killings increased in 2018 while the number of journalists behind bars remained at a sustained rate amid a global clampdown on press freedom.

The murder of Jamal Khashoggi, Washington Post columnist, in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, was the most high-profile killing of the year and resulted in a first-time diplomatic crisis for the government in Riyadh.

The war in Afghanistan has continued to rage and the country remains the most dangerous place for journalists. So far, 13 journalists have been killed including 9 in a single bombing incident at the end of April when extremists detonated a bomb to target first responders and journalists.

Syria comes in second after 9 journalists were killed in the country last year. India followed with 5 journalists killed in 2018. Mexico came in at fourth place with 4 journalists having been killed that year.

Other countries in turmoil have seen multiple journalists lose their lives with Yemen being a notable example, recording 3 deaths. The Central African Republic was the only African country that made it on the list having recorded deaths of 3 journalists in the past year.

Some countries seemingly more peaceful have also experienced fatalities, including the United States where 4 journalists died on the job in 2018.

Brazil, Colombia, Israel and occupied Palestinian territories each recorded 2 deaths per country in 2018.

The Committee to Protect Journalists highlights the rising animosity against journalists across the world encountered in the past year, as a problem that has been inflamed by world leaders’ and politicians’ invectives against the media, including the frequent “enemy of the people” bombardments fired off by President Donald Trump.