Washington, 3 November 2024 (MIA) - The United States underscored the importance of supporting the global journalism community, stating that “far too many journalists worldwide are targeted for their reporting.”

The United States stands with the global journalism community in commemorating the 10th International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists, reads the press statement of the US Department of State.

“A free and independent press is a critical pillar of democracy. Impartial journalists are essential to informing the public and ensuring accountable governance, especially during crises and emergencies,” State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller said.

Miller noted that ongoing global crises have caused increased concerns for journalist safety. 

“Far too many journalists worldwide are targeted for their reporting,” reads the press statement.

The Committee to Protect Journalists has indicated that over 200 journalists were murdered in the last decade without their killers facing justice.

To address these concerns, the United States has proudly partnered with UNESCO on a new program working in ten countries, including some experiencing crises, to strengthen policies and protocols to protect journalists. The United States will also continue to protect journalists through the Department’s Journalism Protection Platform and other programmatic initiatives, as well as by building our coalition of partners to combat the proliferation and misuse of commercial spyware to target journalists and other human rights defenders.

“We unequivocally condemn attacks on journalists for their work and call on all governments to protect media workers from violence, harassment, and intimidation.  We call on the global community to protect journalists from harm for simply doing their job,” reads the statement.

Photo: MIA archive