2014 Was Another Exceptionally Deadly Year For Reporters

Covering the news can come at a horrible price.

posted on Dec. 24, 2014, at 3:58 a.m.

David MackBuzzFeed News Reporter

 

 

 

 

 

At least 60 reporters were killed working around the world in 2014, marking another deadly year for media professionals, the Committee to Protect Journalists found in its annual report.

AP Lefteris Pitarakis

While the total number of reporters killed was down from last year’s figure of 70, the watchdog group found 2014 to be particularly deadly for international journalists and correspondents, whose work often took them to volatile conflict zones.

In that vein, Syria proved to be the deadliest nation for journalists, with 17 killed in the country’s civil war this year. Five other reporters were killed covering the conflict in Ukraine.

However, the overwhelming majority of journalists killed were local reporters, targeted for reporting on corruption or crime, or simply caught in the cross fire of chaotic events. Pakistan, which has long been dangerous for local media, saw another three deaths in 2014, while two Indian reporters lost their lives.

Central and South America also proved dangerous, with three journalists killed in Paraguay, two in Brazil, and two in Mexico.

At least one reporter, Facely Camara, was found killed in Guinea while covering the Ebola outbreak, which some locals had blamed on foreign doctors and reporters.

CPJ, a New York-based group, said it is investigating the deaths of 18 other reporters to determine if they were work-related.

Here are the faces of just some of the reporters killed in 2014 while reporting the news:

Egyptian journalist Mayada Ashraf was shot dead on March 28 while covering clashes between security forces and Muslim Brotherhood protesters in Cairo.

AFP/AFP / Getty Images

German photojournalist Anja Niedringhaus was killed in Afghanistan on April 4 by a man dressed as a police officer. She was in the country to cover the Afghan elections.

AP Photo/Peter Dejong, File

Freelance journalist James Foley was beheaded by ISIS insurgents somewhere inside Syria in a video uploaded on Aug. 19. He had been held captive since November 2012.

Steven Sotloff, who held both American and Israeli citizenship, was also beheaded by ISIS militants in a video uploaded on Sept. 2. Sotloff, who had written for Time magazine and others, was kidnapped in August 2013.

Handout / Reuters

U.S. freelance photojournalist Luke Somers was killed Dec. 6 during a failed rescue attempt in Yemen by U.S. special forces. He had been held hostage by an al-Qaeda branch since September 2013. South African charity worker Pierre Korkie was also killed.

AP Photo/Hani Mohammed, File

Italian video journalist Simone Camilli was one of at least seven people killed during the conflict in Gaza. Camilli, who worked for the Associated Press, was killed when an unexploded missile blew up on Aug. 13.

AP Photo

Freelance Palestinian translator Ali Shehda Abu Afash was also killed in the same blast.

AP Photo

French photojournalist Camille Lepage was killed in May in the Central African Republic while embedded with a pro-government militia.