International media suffered relatively few incidents while in Rio; but, as is so often the case, local journalists outside of the Olympic bubble weren't so lucky. Rio 2016 showcased Brazil's rich and diverse culture but ignored the difficulty of its journalists who operate within the country. On August 17, as the games entered their last few days, Brazilian journalist Mauricio Campos Rosa was shot dead in the region of Minas Gerais, a neighbouring state of Rio de Janeiro. He became the fourth journalist killed in Brazil this year, simply for doing their job. August was also a fatal month for the media in Pakistan, Iraq and Yemen. In Pakistan, both Mehmood Khan and Shahzad Khan lost their lives in a suicide bombing that targeted a hospital in Quetta where the media had gathered to cover a high-profile death. Following the tragic earthquake in Italy, we advised journalists on the safety considerations for reporting on natural disasters.
Finally, we would like to thank Richard Sambrook for all of his hard work and dedication to journalists' safety. Sambrook will be standing down after almost five years as Chair and 10 years on the board of INSI, and will be replaced by Sue Inglish.
"I’m thrilled that Sue is coming on board as INSI’s new Chair and am looking forward to embarking on this new chapter in our history with her," said INSI Director Hannah Storm.
"With Sue’s vast experience in the industry, her vision and her commitment to promoting journalism safety, she will help ensure that INSI continues to lead the way as the news industry’s safety body at a time when safety needs to be on the agenda of each and every one of our news media colleagues.”
Images by AFP.
