3 ms·

I was aware that journalism can sometimes be dangerous, what I didn't realize though is just how common the murder (or work related death by aggression) of jour

I was aware that journalism can sometimes be dangerous, what I didn't realize though is just how common the murder (or work related death by aggression) of journalists is. Many of these are in war zones, quite a few by IEDs and similar devices, but many are stabbings, shootings, show signs of torture, involved kidnap.

Retric 7y ago
What makes this so surprising is the individual risks these people take. By comparison on average 1,300 truckers die in the US each year out of 3.5 million making it far more dangerous on average. However, that’s spread fairly evenly with only a tiny fraction of journalists entering war zones etc.
- luckylion 7y ago
  To compare those numbers - how many journalists are there worldwide?
- stcredzero 7y ago
  However, that’s spread fairly evenly with only a tiny fraction of journalists entering war zones etc. What's the mortality rate for truckers entering war zones? (Including outside the US, of course.)
- meheleventyone 7y ago
  This chart isn’t all deaths by the looks of it but deaths in specific violent contexts? So that comparison is maybe not quite as illustrative?
  - Retric 7y ago
    I am only including truckers dying from trucking accidents which seems like a direct occupational hazard. They both die from other things on and off the job. PS: Automobile accidents are also often a very nasty way to go.
maxxxxx 7y ago
I think it's important to distinguish between journalists who work in dangerous zones and get killed by accident vs intentional killings, usually to suppress the press. There isn't much you can do about the former but the latter is really dangerous and very tempting for authoritarians and others who want to stay in the shadows.
- ryanmercer 7y ago
  >I think it's important to distinguish between journalists who work in dangerous zones and get killed by accident vs intentional killings, usually to suppress the press. Which I mentioned in my comment. The site lets you filter (for motive confirmed), 861 of the 1342 motive-confirmed were flat out murdered with 301 killed in crossfire and 172 on 'dangerous assignments'. That's 64% and I imagine the remaining unconfirmed motive ones are a similar percentage. Even if it was 1%, that is 1% too many.

Retric 7y ago

What makes this so surprising is the individual risks these people take. By comparison on average 1,300 truckers die in the US each year out of 3.5 million making it far more dangerous on average. However, that’s spread fairly evenly with only a tiny fraction of journalists entering war zones etc.

luckylion 7y ago
To compare those numbers - how many journalists are there worldwide?
stcredzero 7y ago
However, that’s spread fairly evenly with only a tiny fraction of journalists entering war zones etc. What's the mortality rate for truckers entering war zones? (Including outside the US, of course.)
meheleventyone 7y ago
This chart isn’t all deaths by the looks of it but deaths in specific violent contexts? So that comparison is maybe not quite as illustrative?
- Retric 7y ago
  I am only including truckers dying from trucking accidents which seems like a direct occupational hazard. They both die from other things on and off the job. PS: Automobile accidents are also often a very nasty way to go.

maxxxxx 7y ago

I think it's important to distinguish between journalists who work in dangerous zones and get killed by accident vs intentional killings, usually to suppress the press. There isn't much you can do about the former but the latter is really dangerous and very tempting for authoritarians and others who want to stay in the shadows.

ryanmercer 7y ago
>I think it's important to distinguish between journalists who work in dangerous zones and get killed by accident vs intentional killings, usually to suppress the press. Which I mentioned in my comment. The site lets you filter (for motive confirmed), 861 of the 1342 motive-confirmed were flat out murdered with 301 killed in crossfire and 172 on 'dangerous assignments'. That's 64% and I imagine the remaining unconfirmed motive ones are a similar percentage. Even if it was 1%, that is 1% too many.