Little doubt is left that Jamal Khashoggi — an op-ed writer and a columnist of Washington Post — is just one victim from among thousands others that are silenced brutally so as to avoid criticism or for protecting the dirty secrets of the perpetrators.
Though the killing of Khashoggi is taking center stage at the moment because of the killer’s suspected links with Prince Mohammad Bin Salman, however, one must not forget the killing of Daphne Caruana, who was fiercely writing against the corruption in Malta and was suspected to have been killed by state-sponsored agents. One must also not forget the brutal rape and murder of Viktoria Marinova, who was a Bulgarian journalist and an investigative reporter. Jamal’s death is neither an isolated incident nor one of its kind.
The job of News reporters, op-editors, columnists or any other form of journalists reporting or analyzing the news of whatever country they are in is indeed a risky business. A pertinent question to ask is what do these killings tells us about the future of the peace of the world? If we look at the statistics, we will find that a total of 273 journalists were killed around the world during 1982 and 1989. About 69 percent of them died in acts of revenge. The IFJ reports that exactly 100 journalists were killed just in the year 2001. During the year 2002 and 2013, at least 1300 journalists died whilst reporting or investigating, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, Reporters without Borders and the International Press Institute.
The available statistics from various sources show that the journalists were killed all across the globe without the distinction of being killed in a developed or a third world country. Journalists are also killed not only whilst reporting from the front line of wars but also while being stationed in peaceful cities. Some of the worst countries for journalists are located in South America followed by countries such as Philippines, or Indonesia.
Many of the journalists killed in countries where regimes are moderate to extremely oppressive. It should not be astonishing that many journalists in such countries are actually not killed by criminals but by state-sponsored agents; often such killers remain at large. Those countries that are involved in the killing of journalists are characterized by political imprisonment, murder, executions and defaming of the journalists. In such countries, journalists are killed whilst reporting on the involvement of corrupt politicians that are sitting ministers, bureaucrats or are part of other state-related sensitive organizations.
Exact data on how many perpetrators involved in the killing of journalists brought to justice remains elusive. Those killings in which the state is involved, are never properly investigated nor much follow up is available on such cases. Killing of journalists is also a symptom of decreasing transparency in the country and the dictatorial trends in governing the state. This also represents a weakening economy.
The state is not only responsible for protecting local and foreign journalists, it is also necessary that the journalists play their role more consciously. Writing articles that incriminates a government and a country, may benefit a journalist in the short term, however, it may also affect the nest in which he is feeling independent in his thinking.
Often such journalists are more interested in flying in private jets with various prime ministers, and being invited for prestigious press briefings or taken along on foreign tours. Any irresponsible act of journalism, blinds the journalist from his prime responsibility of pursuing the truth and standing with the oppressed.
If we look at the statistics, we will find that a total of 273 journalists were killed around the world during 1982 and 1989. About 69 percent of them died in acts of revenge. The IFJ reports that exactly 100 journalists were killed just in the year 2001. During the year 2002 and 2013, at least 1300 journalists died whilst reporting or investigating, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, Reporters without Borders and the International Press Institute
Pakistan is relatively a peaceful country when it comes to the safety of journalists at least when compared to countries such as Brazil, Indonesia, Myanmar and North Korea. However, there is indeed a factor of intimidation and harassment involved in reporting and analysing reports. With the rise of the Oxford-educated liberal politician Imran Khan to the office of the Prime Minister, there is indeed a chance that more freedom shall be granted to the practice of journalism. However, it is also necessary that the state condemns acts of violence against journalists in clear words.
The author is an Assistant Professor
Published in Daily Times, November 25th 2018.