Doha, Qatar, May 23, 2005—The Committee to Protect Journalists issued a report today to an ad hoc group investigating journalist safety issues. The group requested the statement from CPJ as part of its yearlong effort to study the causes and effects of the rising death toll of journalists worldwide.
Known as the Committee of Inquiry, the ad hoc group is headed by Richard Sambrook, director of the BBC’s Global News Division, and sponsored by the International News Safety Institute, a consortium of news organizations and press freedom groups. The report was released during a meeting of the Committee of Inquiry, which includes CPJ Journalist Security Coordinator Frank Smyth, in Doha, Qatar.
The CPJ report, titled “Who is Killing Journalists and Why,” draws on CPJ research dating back 10 years. The report concluded that murder is the leading cause of work-related deaths among journalists, accounting for nearly three out of every four journalists killed. Battlefield killings are the next leading cause of death; the high number of journalists killed in Iraq has focused attention on safety issues in combat.
To read the full report: CLICK HERE.
