The Asia Pacific region has again been named as the deadliest region for journalists in 2018, with 32 journalists and media workers losing their lives in targeted killings, bomb attacks or crossfire incidents in the region last year.
The 2018 annual 'Killed List', released by the International Federation of Journalists and now in its 29th year, recorded the deaths of 95 journalists and media workers worldwide.
The killing of 32 journalists and media workers in the Asia Pacific region represented 34 per cent of the global total.
It was the second year in a row the region has been named the most dangerous for journalists.
“As the report states, the pursuit of the truth makes journalists unpopular everywhere. In many regions, it’s deadly,” said Paul Tolich, Senior National Industrial Officer for E tū, the union for journalists in New Zealand.
Mr Tolich noted the high death toll in the Philippines, where three journalists died last year, with 12 killed there since 2016.
The report notes the forces behind the figures, including increasingly polarised views globally, “the rise of dangerous nationalist and populist forces in many countries and the stigmatisation of journalists and media by politicians and the enemies of media freedom".
Mr Tolich said: “While journalists in this country work in a benign environment, this report is a stark reminder this is not the case for their counterparts in many parts of the world.
“The report is also a testament to the bravery of the many working journalists prepared to risk their lives to shine a light in dark places - despite the risks," he said.
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