Letter: Fr Shay Cullen's report on threats to journalism

Thank you for publishing 'Fr Shay Cullen: True freedom is to reveal the truth without retaliation' - www.indcatholicnews.com/news/50094 - Jun 30th, 2024

It's so important that he highlighted the shocking treatment of Julian Assange, incarcerated for so many years for telling the truth, and the dangers faced by media workers around the world, especially in the Philippines.

We mustn't forget what's happening to journalists in Gaza and the West Bank. Before the present conflict, UNESCO reported that 25 journalists had been killed in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory since 1992. Notably (i.e. the story got a lot of coverage around the world) in 2022, Catholic Palestinian TV reporter Shireen Abu Akleh was shot by an Israeli army sniper while she covered an IDF raid on Jenin refugee camp. No one has ever been charged with her murder.

But since the catastrophic events began in Israel/Palestine on 7 October, many many more journalists have been killed.

Preliminary investigations by The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) report that as of July 1, 2024, at least 108 journalists and media workers are among the more than 38,000 killed since the war began - making it the deadliest period for journalists since CPJ began gathering data in 1992.

As of July 1:

108 journalists and media workers were confirmed killed: 103 Palestinian, two Israeli, and three Lebanese.
32 journalists were reported injured.
2 journalists were reported missing.
51 journalists were reported arrested.
Journalists have also experienced multiple assaults, threats, cyberattacks, censorship, and killings of family members.

Read their full report here: https://cpj.org/2024/07/journalist-casualties-in-the-israel-gaza-conflict/

(name withheld)
Freelance journalist
Melbourne
Australia