SRINAGAR: A Geneva-based media watchdog has said 2020 proved a terrible year for the journalists’ world wide. While 86 journalists were murdered, 53 were killed by Covid-19.
Geneva based media watchdog Press Emblem Campaign said that India witnessed the murder and suspected killings of 14 journalists (compare to 86 global incidents) in 2020 till date. This has put India on top of the list followed by Mexico with 12 and Pakistan by eight journalist killings.
The pandemic year also witnessed the deaths of 53 journalists to Covid-19 in India where the global tally reaches 531 in 57 countries, revealed a watchdog. Its website has listed every single journalist who fell to the two situations worldwide.
Peru leads the world with the highest number of journalists killed because of Covid-19. It is 93 followed by India, with Brazil at No 3 with 48journalists.
Other countries who lost a substantial number of journalists to the pandemic include Ecuador (41), Bangladesh (40), Mexico (38), USA (27), Turkey (16), UK (12), and Pakistan (12).
“Over the year, over 600 journalists died as a result of the violence and the pandemic, a very heavy price, the worst since the Second World War. Since the beginning of March 2020, the PEC has started a corona-ticker to pay tribute to the journalists killed by the Covid-19 around the world,” said Blaise Lempen, general secretary of PEC adding that its figures may be higher than other concerned organizations as it considers all media workers killed, whether it is work-related or not.
