RP is 4th bloodiest country for journalists in 10 yrs - INSI

The Philippines is the fourth bloodiest country for journalists in the last 10 years, according to a study by an international media safety group. In its study from 1996 to 2006, the International News Safety Institute or INSI (www.newssafety.com) said the Philippines had 55 journalists killed between 1996 and 2006, behind Iraq (138), Russia (88), and Colombia (72). The INSI also found that the news media death toll has increased steadily since 2000. The last full year covered by the report, 2005, was a record with 147 dead. It has since emerged that 2006 was even worse, with 167 fatalities, according to INSI's annual tally. In the Philippines, 50 - out of the 55 journalists killed in the past 10 years - were killed since 2001, a report by the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) said. "This report confirms the shocking reality that journalists and the people who work with them are at risk today more than ever before ... It is a wake-up call to the industry and the international political community - we must do more to find and prosecute the killers and we must act together to reduce the risks our people face," Christopher Warren, president of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), said in a statement. Warren said every journalist and media organization should study this report in detail as it provides clear evidence that "the industry must work together to address this crisis." "Every union and every employer should pledge to adopt a joint strategy to confront the threats we all face," he said. INSI was created in 2003 on the proposal of the IFJ and the International Press Institute, which brings together media executives and employers. Warren said the IFJ will reinforce this message in Colombia on May 3 on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day. IFJ represents over 500,000 journalists in more than 100 countries. The INSI study showed that on average, at least two journalists have been killed every week over the last 10 years. The INSI (www.newssafety.com) said the other "Top 21" bloodiest countries over the past 10 years include Iran (54), India (45), Algeria (32), the former Republic of Yugoslavia (32); Mexico (31), Pakistan (29), Brazil (27), USA (21), Bangladesh (19), Ukraine (17), Nigeria, Peru, Sierra Leone & Sri Lanka (16), Afghanistan, Indonesia and Thailand (13). It said the statistic is one of the main findings of the world's most comprehensive inquiry into the deaths of journalists and other news media professionals. According to INSI, a coalition of media and press freedom groups, the survey was conducted between January 1996 and June 2006. The survey also found that: * Only one in four journalists died in war and other armed conflicts; * At least 657 men and women were murdered in peacetime - reporting the news in their own countries; * In two-thirds of cases the killers were not even identified, and probably never will be. "In many countries, murder has become the easiest, cheapest and most effective way of silencing troublesome reporting, and the more the killers get away with it the more the spiral of death is forced upwards ... Most of those killed were murdered because of their jobs; eliminated by hostile authorities or criminals as they tried to shine light into the darkest corners of their societies," said INSI director Rodney Pinder. British Broadcasting Co. (BBC) Global News Director Richard Sambrook, who directed the survey, said the figures show that killing a journalist is virtually risk free. He noted that nine out of 10 murderers in the past decade have never been prosecuted. "This encourages more of the same. This is the most shocking fact at the heart of the inquiry," he said. "Ongoing impunity for the killers of journalists, who put themselves in harm's way to keep world society informed, shames not only the governments who are responsible for their own lack of action but also the democracies that stand aside in silence. Following this inquiry, the most comprehensive ever in its field, they can no longer plead ignorance of the scale and nature of the problem," he added. The report recommended that: * Governments pledge to live up to their responsibilities under UN Security Council Resolution 1738 which condemns attacks on journalists and other news professionals by putting an end to such practices. * Governments pledge to respect the letter and spirit of the Resolution and ensure an end to impunity for those who harm journalists by prosecuting those responsible for serious violations. * International development institutions, like the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank, include a country's record on the murder of journalists when assessing the granting of aid. * Individual governments ensure crimes against journalists are investigated thoroughly and all perpetrators prosecuted. * All militaries recognize the right of news media personnel to be present in the battle space. * Every military and national security entity hold full and open inquiries whenever a member of the news media is killed in an incident involving its personnel. * All news organizations provide proper safety training (including those covering hostile environments) and equipment for staff. - GMANews.TV