[icernet] As many as 67 journalists slain in 2002

[Arul Selvan MIC]

As many as 67 media professionals lost their lives in 2002, sparking
plans to create a new organization to increase awareness of journalism's
perils, according to the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ).
The IFJ's report said kidnapping and beheading of Wall Street Journal
reporter Daniel Pearl by Islamic militants in Pakistan called attention
to the targeting of investigative reporters this year; the organization
named Colombia, Russia and Pakistan as the most dangerous areas for
journalists. The IFJ intends to start an International News Safety
Institution in 2003 with help from media groups and unions to improve "a
culture of safety awareness,'' according to IFJ general secretary Aidan
White. "It is time for the international community and the media
industry to join hands in a new campaign to hunt down those who target
journalists for asking the tough questions that help keep democracy
intact," White said. The IFJ represents more than 500,000 journalists
globally.

Source:
http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/world/wire/sns-ap-journalists-slain1220dec20,0,2679073.story?coll=sns-ap-world-headlines