Journalism is one of the most dangerous professions in China, Turkey, US

Journalism has become the most dangerous profession steadily around the world, including in the United States in 2020, in light of a global pandemic and widespread social unrest, according to the Washington Post.

This trend continued, and according to the annual survey of the Committee to Protect Journalists, the number of imprisoned journalists reached 274, which is more than any previous year.

Corona was a major factor in the increase in repression, as a number of journalists were arrested for covering the pandemic, and at least two died after contracting the disease while in detention, according to the CPJ report.

Meanwhile, political unrest has resulted in the imprisonment of at least 10 journalists in Belarus and at least seven in Ethiopia, and in the United States, 110 people have been arrested or charged with criminal charges and about 300 people have been assaulted. In many cases, journalists have been subjected to abuse. The photographers were attacked by the police while they were covering the "Black Lives Matter" protests, according to the US Press Freedom Tracker. Although American journalists were not imprisoned at the time of the survey, dozens of journalists are still facing criminal charges.

Turkey now ranks second, after China, in the number of imprisoned journalists, with 37 journalists behind bars as of December.

CPJ report spoke of the closure of news outlets in Turkey, the operations of acquisition by pro-government businessmen, and judicial hostility effectively wiped out the mainstream media.

CPJ argues that the incoming Biden administration has an opportunity to change the global climate on press freedom by reasserting American leadership, and it can do so, the report says, by "ensuring accountability for domestic attacks on journalists as well as directing diplomats abroad to attend journalist trials." Speak out in support of independent media. "

US President-elect Joe Biden had said that he would restore human rights as a priority in the foreign policy of the United States, and advocacy for the freedom of imprisoned journalists should be an essential part of that initiative, according to the commission.

T/S

ANHA