Last but not least: Bad news for journalists
Some professions are more dangerous than others. Journalists often run the risk of talking too much or not getting enough sleep. The writing profession is also commonly said to have a penchant for excessive consumption of coffee, red wine, and cigarettes.
Certain professions are more dangerous than others. Journalists often run the risk of talking too much or not sleeping enough. Excessive consumption of coffee, red wine and cigarettes is also a popular misconception among writers. But that's not what Timothy Balding means when he says, "Today, journalism is more dangerous than ever." The CEO of the World Association of Newspapers (WAN) has a sad record to report: with 75 journalists killed, 2006 is already the most fatal year so far in the statistics kept since 1996. According to WAN figures, reporting from Iraq is particularly dangerous. This year alone, 26 journalists have died there in the course of their work. This is not simply due to the inherent dangers of war, but because media professionals in Iraq are being hunted down and murdered. Timothy Balding finds clear words: "These murders are not just attacks on individuals, but on society as a whole.
The perpetrators are rarely brought to justice and the victims often remain nameless and are quickly forgotten. The Norman town of Bayeux and Reporters Without Borders have taken action on the issue. On Saturday, a memorial city for journalists will open in Bayeux, commemorating all those who have been killed around the world during or because of their work since 1944. As visitors walk through the memorial - a landscaped path lined with white stones engraved with the names of those who died - they can bring to mind the 2,000 journalists who have died over the past 60 years because of their profession. And surely one or the other will raise a glass to the fact that there are always enough professionals who are not deterred by anything to tell the truth.
The perpetrators are rarely brought to justice and the victims often remain nameless and are quickly forgotten. The Norman town of Bayeux and Reporters Without Borders have taken action on the issue. On Saturday, a memorial city for journalists will open in Bayeux, commemorating all those who have been killed around the world during or because of their work since 1944. As visitors walk through the memorial - a landscaped path lined with white stones engraved with the names of those who died - they can bring to mind the 2,000 journalists who have died over the past 60 years because of their profession. And surely one or the other will raise a glass to the fact that there are always enough professionals who are not deterred by anything to tell the truth.
