Somalia: Press freedom at its worst

This week I found out that Amnesty International (AI) has expressed severe concerns on the press freedom situation in Somalia. Since last year, nine Somali journalists have lost their lives whilst reporting the war between the Ethiopian-supported Transitional Federal Government forces (TFG) and various armed opposition groups in the country. As well as this, at least fifty journalists have been forced to leave their country due to arrests and death threats. An example of this was found by Amnesty International:

“I wrote a story that two insurgents were killed. I was called on my mobile, and the caller said, ‘Why did you write that?’ I said, ‘It is the truth, I have to write it’. He said, ‘You are going to be in the list which we are going to kill’,” said one journalist.

Somalia has been named “Africa’s deadliest country for journalists” in Reporters Without Borders 2008 annual report.

“The killings, arrests and death threats targeting Somali journalists are not just another unfortunate by-product of the conflict and general insecurity in Somalia – they are a deliberate and systematic attempt by all parties to the conflict to stem the flow of information out of the country”, said Michelle Kagari, Deputy Director of AI’s Africa Programme.

“It is the journalists that are telling the world what is happening… This is why everyone wants to silence us. I have thought I will die in this job, but even when I am scared I can’t be silent because, if I do not tell these stories, no one will protect the civilians. We are their only advocates.” – A Somali journalist

This qoute pretty much repeats what I mentioned in my first post about journalists having “a sense of duty.” Here, we see a different agenda of some Somali journalists which is not only to tell a story but to tell the truth FOR the people, and with this they are putting their own lives at risk. 

Below, is a video clip of the views on the journalist killings in Somalia and the fight for press freedom (you might have to wait abit for it to load though)

 

“172 journalists around the world killed last year”

Journalists’ first obligation is to the truth. However, for journalists, searching for the truth has a high price which has only come to our attention within the recent years.

While pursuing their careers, many journalists receive death threats. Many have lost their lives through assassinations and some have been killed in war zones.

Last year for the third year running, the International Federation for Journalists (IFJ) reported a shockingly high number of deaths of journalists and media staff. In 2007, the total of journalists killed came up to 172, again dominated by the number of Iraqi journalists in a war that has now accounted for more than 250 media killings. With this in mind, it’s easy to see why the release of BBC journalist Alan Johnston after being held hostage by Palestinian extremists last March gave light in an otherwise bleak year for journalism.

After Iraq, Philippines is said to be the second most dangerous place for journalists to work thanks to its terrible press freedom and journalist safety situation. Many were murdered for reporting on government corruption. As a Filipino journalism student, I can’t help but feel a tad discouraged. Hopefully I’ll develop the same attitude as those surviving journalists who believe that it is not bravery that motivates them to find the truth, but a sense of duty. The governments, on the other hand, have a duty to do more to protect journalists and with the deaths of journalists rising, they must act now.

Yes, like everyone else journalists are just doing their job, however the major risk which comes with the job seems to be less acknowledged…and perhaps less important.