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Journalists in the Philippines (and all over the world, for that matter) most definitely support the move of the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) to dedicate this year’s Golden Pen of Freedom award to all journalists killed in the line of duty.
With the government’s failure to solve the Maguindanao massacre as the deadliest crime against journalists in history, the dedication of the award is a stark commentary on the danger faced by media practitioners in the country, reports Pia Lee-Brago in The Philippine Star.
The report noted: “The Golden Pen of Freedom is the annual press freedom award that WAN-IFRA has presented since 1961 to recognize the outstanding action, in writing or deed, of an individual, group or institution in the cause of press freedom.”
World Editors Forum president Marcelo Rech, in dedicating the award during the opening ceremony of the 67th World News Media Congress, stated, “Since 1992, more than 1,100 journalists have been killed just because they brought the truth to light or manifested their points of view.”
Rech made the statement at the 22nd World Editors Forum and 25th World Advertising Forum in Washington.
The report added that “statistics from New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists show that 87% (approximately 980) of journalists all over the world who have died since 1992 were local journalists.”
Photo: WAN-IFRA
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