The aberrant and the abhorrent became the norm in 2024, compelling us to face the ugly reality that media freedom, justice and the sanctity of civilian life have been eroded, even in ostensibly democratic societies.
The death toll among journalists in Gaza was staggering, almost incomprehensible. Data compiled for Killing the Messenger by the Cardiff School of Journalism showed that 81 of the 145 journalists who died around the world were from Gaza.
According to the CPJ, at least 162 journalists and media workers have been confirmed dead as of February 6, including 153 Palestinians, 3 Israelis, and 6 Lebanese.
This is the part where I tell you how well we’ve done this year as an organization— supporting journalists, protecting them, making a difference.
Except we haven’t done that well at all. We have certainly tried, but we have also definitely failed. We all have. Gaza is where the buck stops, and where our words, our outrage, and our strategies have met a wall of indifference and impotence.
News organisations are increasingly turning to high-risk advisors to accompany news teams on dangerous assignments, but what is actually required of them? And how do you pick the right match for your journalists and your deployment?
Fran Unsworth has been appointed as the new chair of the International News Safety Institute (INSI).
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