The report found that Ukraine was the most dangerous country for journalists in the first six months of 2014 with seven journalists killed. Six members of the news media also died in Iraq where government forces and their allies have been battling an insurgency spearheaded by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS). Syria and Pakistan were the third and fourth most dangerous places for journalists, with five members of the news media killed in each country. Four journalists died in Afghanistan in the first six months of the year and three in the Philippines. Killing the Messenger is carried out for INSI by the Cardiff School of Journalism and compiled in cooperation with our regional contacts. INSI records all deaths –be they deliberate, accidental or health-related – of journalists, media workers and support staff who are killed while on assignment. INSI is dedicated to safeguarding the lives of all journalists operating in hostile environments whether they are covering conflict, natural disasters or civil unrest. According to our research, 61 journalists have died carrying out their work so far this year – a worrying increase from the 40 journalists who had died by this time in 2013. The death toll continued to rise in July with journalists killed in Gaza, Honduras, Afghanistan and Nigeria. INSI’s safety advisories this month focused on journalists travelling to Gaza where the Israeli government made clear that it would not take responsibility for injuries caused to media workers. Palestinian cameraman Khaled Hamad and Hamid Shihab, a driver for a Gaza-based news agency, both died despite being clearly identified as journalists. We also worked closely with our members at the world’s leading news organisations this month, to share the latest safety advice and discuss the challenges facing their news crews covering conflict, crime and civil unrest across the globe. We know they take safety seriously, but INSI is concerned that many local journalists lack the proper safety training needed to make them aware of the risks they face and how best to react when confronted with dangerous situations. Our support to local organisations includes training journalists in how to identify and avoid unnecessary risks but also training trainers so that national staff can also deliver this vital training which is paramount to reducing casualties. If there are specific areas of the world or subjects you would like to see covered in a future safety advisory please contact us at info@newssafety.org.