1

Killing The Messenger 2013

An analysis of news media casualties carried out for the International News

Safety Institute by Cardiff School of Journalism1

Country of death Number of deaths

Syria

Iraq

Philippines

India

Pakistan

Somalia

Brazil

Egypt

Colombia

Mexico

Nigeria

Russia

Haiti

Honduras

Guatemala

Libya

Paraguay

South Africa

Kenya

Mali

USA

Yemen

Democratic Republic of Congo

Ivory Coast

China

Ecuador

Uganda

Tanzania

Seychelles

Total

20

16

14

13

9

8

6

6

4

4

4

3

3

3

2

2

2

2

2

2

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

134

1 This report does not contain any citizen journalists. The inclusion of citizen journalists and citizen news

networks is currently under review by INSI.

2

3

Country of Origin Number of Deaths

Iraq

Syria

Philippines

India

Pakistan

Somalia

Brazil

Egypt

Columbia

France

Mexico

Nigeria

Honduras

Russia

Guatemala

Haiti

UK

Paraguay

Libya

China

Democratic Republic of Congo

Ecuador

Iran

Ivory Coast

Kenya

South Africa

Uganda

USA

Canada

New Zealand

Yemen

Tanzania

Belgium

Total

17

16

14

13

9

8

6

5

4

4

4

4

3

3

2

2

2

2

2

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

134

4

5

Employer/Commissioner Number of deaths

Press

Radio

TV

News agency

Online

Unknown2

Total

45

35

33

12

6

3

134

2 One described only as a young journalist; one with no further information about employer; one freelancer

killed before he took the photograph.

6

Professional position Number of deaths

Journalist/Media Worker

Support Worker

Total

128

6

134

7

Status in country of death Number of deaths

Local

International

Total

123

11

134

8

Context of death Number of deaths

peacetime

national armed conflict

international armed conflict

Total

69

63

2

134

9

Cause of death Number of deaths

Shot

Blown up

Other accident3

Road accident

Stabbed

Other non-natural4

Beaten

Strangled

Tortured

Air accident

Total

85

17

9

8

5

5

2

1

1

1

134

3 This includes one boat accident; one construction site accident; one struck by a train; one killed by an elephant.

Natural disasters are also included in this category (one killed in an avalanche and four killed by Typhoon

Haiyan in the Philippines). 4 All cases of violent death where the bodies were found subsequently.

10

Perpetrator5 Number of deaths

Unknown assailant(s)

Regular armed forces

Armed militants

Crossfire

Opposition military troops

Government official6

Rioter/demonstrator

Terrorist7

Individual(s)

Total

79

15

10

5

2

1

1

1

1

115

5 This does not include all accidents, and one person killed accidently by mourners at a funeral firing into the

air. 6 Died in custody in Syria.

7 Attack on shopping mall in Kenya.

11

Deaths unrelated to war reporting Number of deaths

Accident

Unclear

Unspecified

Investigating crime

Corruption

Politics

Civil unrest

Drugs

Political violence

Total

18

18

8

8

7

5

2

2

1

69

12

War/Conflict zone reporting Number of deaths

Unilateral without military/police escort

Unilateral with military/police escort

Unspecified

Embedded

Total

57

3

3

2

65

13

Legal outcome8 Number of deaths

No identification + no legal proceedings

Identification of perpetrator

Total

85

3

88

8 This does not include accident victims, those killed in indiscriminate bombing or other fighting, those killed

covering riots or demonstrations, one killed by security forces at a checkpoint, and one killed by accidental fire

at a funeral.