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News and reporting it.....often at a cost!

In any democracy we are, whether we like it or not, dependant on the Fourth Estate. The media is the life-blood - or should be! - of informing us know of what is happening in our own backyard and elsewhere.

It is therefore troublesome, and disquieting, to read this report, from Reuters, on how many reporters were killed during 2006:

"At least 81 reporters were killed in 2006, the highest toll in more than a decade, with Iraq once again proving the deadliest place for journalists, media watchdog Reporters without Borders (RSF) said on Sunday.

In its annual report, RSF said 32 media assistants were also killed this year, at least 871 reporters arrested and at least 1,472 attacks or threats against the media registered around the world -- a new record.

RSF said it was the worst year for journalists since 1994, when 103 reporters died as a direct result of their work, almost half of them during the genocide in Rwanda. In 2005, 63 reporters were killed against 53 in 2004 and 40 in 2003.

For the fourth year running, Iraq claimed the highest number of deaths, with 39 journalists killed there against 24 in 2005. Some 25 media assistants also died in Iraq in 2006."

Comments

BwcaBrownie said…
Death Toll:
enlisted persons 3000+
Reporters 81
Saddams 1
Presidents and Prime Ministers zero.

since you mention Reuters, may I mention that one of it's Directors is Richard Olver the CEO of BAE Systems which manufactures all the evil things being used in this war. BAE makes a lotta moolah for Bliar's UK and you won't see any Reuters report on that thank you Mr Olver.

wishing you a trouble-free 2007 pianoman
January 01, 2007 10:00 am
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