The year 2017 witnessed 65 journalists killed worldwide. 26 of them were killed in the course of their work, and the remaining 39 were murdered, and deliberately targeted because their reporting. Last year 79 journalists were killed across the globe. Though there is a fall in death toll, the report said “The fall does not apply to deaths of women journalists, which have doubled. Ten have been killed in 2017, as against five in 2016. Most of these victims including Gauri Lankesh in India were experienced and combative investigative reporters.”
As many as 70 journalists were killed in India between 1992 and 2016 and the country was ranked 136 of 180 countries in the 2017 World Press Freedom Index.
The UN General Assembly adopted a resolution in recent past to protect women journalists from sexist discrimination, violence and harassment. Therefore, the competent authorities should take up pro-active measures to protect all the women journalists in our country.
It is observed that in most of the occasions, the journalists are described as the watch-dog of the society. They are asked to keep close eye on the activities of the government. But in reality, there is no practical measures to ensure security and dignified life for journalists.
It is time for state Govt to announce a plan for life insurance cover of all journalists working in the state.