Media advocacy group cites Iraq war for surge in journalist killings

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

in 2003,

This is further information on a previously discussed topic and covers points not previously discussed. If I am posting this in error, Mods, please move or delete at your discretion. Thanks.

<snip>

The Paris-based group blamed U.S. armed forces for the deaths of at least five journalists, adding that "in no case did they (the military) hold any investigation worthy of that name."

In 2002, the group counted 25 journalists who were killed.

Meanwhile, arrests of journalists and censorship of the media rose to a record high last year, "undoubtedly linked to terrorism and to anti-terror laws adopted by some countries since the Sept. 11 attacks," the group said.

Reporters Without Borders said at least 501 media outlets were censored, up from 389 in 2002, while at least 766 journalists were arrested -- compared with 692 a year earlier.

more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/news/archive/2004/01/06/international1510EST0674.DTL

[deek]

1. 2003 Bad Year for Press Freedom

at yahoo--keep it visible!:
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/oneworld/20040106/wl_oneworld/4536761611073399161

Jim Lobe, OneWorld US

WASHINGTON, D.C., Jan 5 (OneWorld) - More journalists were killed in the line of duty in 2003 than in any other year in almost a decade, according to two major international press watchdogs, Paris-based Reporters Sans Frontieres (Reporters Without Borders) and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) in New York.


RSF counted 42 journalists slain in 2003, while CPJ concluded in a separate report that the total death toll was 36. Both groups said the toll was about twice as high as in 2002 and that the war in Iraq (news - web sites) was the primary reason for the increase.


But arrests of journalists and media censorship also soared during the year, according to RSF, which attributed the trend to new laws and tactics adopted by a number of governments around the world as their contribution to the post-September 11, 2001, U.S.-led anti-terrorism campaign.

more.......

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

2. Thx, deek, good piece. Rated it a 5. Important stuff here. n/t