At INSI, we know there can be no press freedom without a guarantee of press safety, so with your support we are committed to ensuring that journalists around the world are able to do their jobs without fear of harm or reprisal. Our job is more important than ever. This month, we have been saddened to learn about the deaths of colleagues in countries as far afield as Paraguay, the Central African Republic, Libya, Bangladesh and Ukraine  – proof, if it were needed, of the global scourge of attacks against news media workers by those who believe they can silence the messenger. We call on the authorities in each of those countries to bring the killers of these individuals to justice and show that impunity cannot exist as an incentive to those who do not agree with what a journalist says, writes or photographs. This was the message of our work throughout this month, as we took part in discussions, ran training and issued safety advice. INSI Director Hannah Storm attended the International Festival of Journalism in the Italian city of Perugia, moderating a discussion on World Press Freedom Day that heard the testimonies of brave and inspiring journalists covering dangerous beats, from the Mafia in Italy to Mexico, Turkey and Egypt. As part of the panel, filmmaker Eric Matthies spoke about his documentary ‘Killing the Messenger – the Deadly Cost of news’, and INSI was delighted that the film was screened at the festival.  INSI’s President, former head of BBC Global News Richard Sambrook, attended a UNESCO World Press Freedom Day event in Paris focussing on the safety of journalists, the sustainability of journalism and the media’s importance in development. Read more about the international conference, entitled ‘Media Freedom for a Better Future: Shaping the post-2015 Development Agenda’, here. Richard carried on the discussion as a moderator at a Council of Europe round table on the safety of journalists at a conference in Strasbourg. The event was designed to promote dialogue between international institutions and media freedom organisations, and look at ways to better address human rights violations against the media. Read more about the event here. We are proud to support Al Jazeera’s World Press Freedom Day video, which raises awareness of the number of journalists killed over the past two decades and demands an end to impunity for those responsible. Watch the video on INSI’s newly-launched YouTube channel here. And in an open letter marking the anniversary of the death of prominent Pakistani journalist and writer Saleem Shahzad, we called on Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to end impunity enjoyed by those who threaten, attack, abduct, torture and kill journalists in Pakistan. Read the joint statement, signed by key international human rights and freedom of expression organisations, here. We were delighted to be able to provide safety training this month for members of the International Association of Women in Radio and Television (IAWRT) at their regional conference in Istanbul. The two days of training covered topics such as personal security and first aid for women journalists around the world. In addition to this we returned to Brazil to mentor and support INSI-trained journalists, who are delivering safety training at various locations around the country. This type of training ensures a sustainable model for local journalists to be able to train their colleagues – and comes at a particularly important time ahead of the FIFA World Cup, which poses a number of potential safety concerns for the newsmen and women planning to cover it. Our INSI security consultant will be providing updates from Brazil ahead of the World Cup. If you are a journalist covering the World Cup and have concerns about your personal security, contact us, and keep monitoring INSI’s website for updates from the ground.  Visit INSI’s new Flickr account for photos of past training, here.

Photo: A protester, with his head covered in a black plastic bag while another wears a mask of President Benigno Aquino III to symbolize their indignation allegedly for lack of justice, display placards during a rally near the Presidential Palace in Manila, Philippines Saturday, May 3, 2014. The protest on World Press Freedom Day criticised the government of Aquino III for the killings of journalists. (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez)