Save Our Journalists: A Reflection on the Status of Journalistic Safety, Justice and Freedom of Information

Journalism has played an integral role in documenting the rise and fall of nations since the dawn of time. With mass media and globalization having done wonders to accelerate the speed, reach, and longevity of journalistic work, it has become easier to keep alive all news big and small, with local news now available in the modern day which date back to over 2000 years ago. It is no question that 2024 has seen more journalistic content preserved, written and shared than ever before. 

The increased proliferation of journalistic work is impossible without the people behind the screen, and the very same newer media tools that have allowed for the preservation and dissemination of information have also given us avenues to be clued in on the welfare of our journalists around the world—and resultantly bear witness to crimes against them.  Countries including Palestine, Ukraine, Iraq, Bangladesh and Sudan have, in 2024, seen over 40 journalists killed notably because of their journalistic activities, according to Reporters Without Borders. This number excludes deaths of journalists whose work does not directly trace to their cause of death. Journalists in war zones face the same collective trauma as afflicted civilians—whether it be crumbling buildings, drone strikes, uninhabitable conditions, or lack of ability to contact external aid—plus the added impetus to observe, record and report on conflict itself. Reports on journalists posted in Palestine detail stories of journalists without food, water, Internet, or physical protection harmed or killed on the simple basis of their presence alongside civilians in the context of a genocide. The statistics are staggering, and the need for safety is more pressing than ever. 

Whilst bodies such as the United Nations have, for example, expressed concern and alarm over the killing and silencing of journalists in the Gaza region, there has been little to no substantial action to advocate for the protection of journalists against accusation or harm. Whilst new channels such as Al Jazeera have previously prepared a declaration fighting for the universal rights of journalists’ safety, the status of journalistic safety, particularly in the Palestinian context, continues to be increasingly compromised, seen for example with Israel’s recent revocation of press passes to Al Jazeera journalists. The revocation not only threatens the viability of free press within Israeli-occupied territories, but also compromises journalists’ access to already limited systems of protection that are offered by international law to journalists on the ground. 

The United Nations’ plan to address impunity for crimes against journalists has yet to be updated in relation to horrifying levels of violence in this year, and response to impunity by international bodies seems to mostly take an awareness-focused approach, limiting impact and failing to bring justice to journalists that have been missing, harmed or killed in the process of reporting within areas of war. The verdict is in — not enough has been, or is currently being, done to address journalistic safety in the current global climate. 

Any plan of action to combat impunity for crimes against journalists requires an understanding of the severity of targeting journalists, and of the impact of doing so. Journalists, first and foremost, are civilians— their protection under international law as such is of the utmost necessity, and at no point should that be compromised. Beyond basic human rights also lies the right to freedom of information—the urgency of war will never be responded to appropriately without the proliferation of information. Justice is incomplete without honesty. Hence, today, the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists, the message is clear: journalists are human beings first and need to be treated as such. 

With human lives and freedom of information on the line, the impetus for protection from impunity lies on international organisations that, having remained passive, now need to reflect on their values—particularly regarding the prioritisation of human rights. It is only with immediate and decisive measures that place human lives first that we can create a safer world for journalists now and in the future.