More Journalists Killed in 2022: Attacks in Mexico, Ukraine, Haiti Contributing to Most Deaths

2022 was reportedly a deadly year for journalists, as the death toll increased by 50% from 2021. The highest number of attacks against journalists happened in Mexico, Ukraine, and Haiti.

The New York-based media watchdog Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) released its report Tuesday on the deaths of media personnel, which showed that at least 67 news media workers were killed worldwide in 2022.

That means that last year saw the highest number of journalist deaths since 2018, according to Al Jazeera.

Over half of those deaths happened in Ukraine, Mexico, and Haiti. Ukraine is currently an active warzone after Russia invaded the country, and Haiti is in the middle of a humanitarian crisis.

However, Mexico still has roughly the same number of journalists killed as Ukraine and has more deaths than Haiti.

Latin America Surpassed Active Warzone Ukraine in Terms of Journalists Killed

Currently, journalists in Ukraine are covering a conventional war between Ukraine and Russia.

Around 15 news media personnel have already died in the country since the Russian invasion in February. Some are reporting that Russian soldiers are targeting them.

However, Latin America surpassed that number. Latin America is considered to be mostly peaceful and not in the midst of war, like Ukraine.

According to the CPJ's report, Mexico saw 13 journalists killed last year, but other media groups reported 15,

followed by Haiti with seven. While journalists in Ukraine were in the middle of a warzone, journalists in Latin America were covering various topics like corruption, gang violence, and the environment.

Mexico-based journalist Katherine Corcoran told the New York Times that it is more dangerous there for local reporters, as they often lack the protections that come with working for international news organizations.

She noted that the situation for media personnel "just keeps getting worse" in Mexico. 2022 is the deadliest year for journalists in the country so far.

Corcoran added that it is more dangerous for journalists when democracy starts to take hold and the power centers shift, and it is often not when an autocratic government is in full control.

Journalists No Longer Know Whom to Trust in Haiti

In Haiti, Radio Caraibes reporter Mackenson Remy told the Associated Press that he no longer knows whom to trust there.

He still covers news on the street there, which has become even more dangerous as street gangs have slowly taken over the country.

The reporter told the outlet that reporting news in Haiti nowadays has become extremely difficult, especially in the capital, Port-au-Prince. Remy said: "Corruption is all over the place; there is no one you are able to count on."

He likened the situation in the Caribbean country to the 1998 Jim Carey film, "The Truman Show," in which the protagonist always feels like he is being watched.

This article is owned by Latin Post

Written by: Rick Martin

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