More than 600 Journalists have died around the world due to Covid- , according to a Swiss NGO. – Graeme Sloan / Sipa USA / SIPA
High exposure to the virus. More than 600 journalists died worldwide due to Covid – , this week alerted the Swiss organization Press Emblem Campaign (PEC), which asks that employees in the media sector benefit from a priority vaccination .
The organization, based in Geneva and founded in June 2004 by a group of journalists from several countries , specifies, however, that it is not possible to differentiate journalists who have become infected at work from those who have been infected in their private life.
Peru, the most bereaved country
” Due to In their profession, journalists who go into the field to inform are in fact particularly exposed to the virus. Some of them, especially freelancers and photographers, cannot only work from home, ”PEC General Secretary Blaise Lempen said in a statement. Also, the organization asks that journalists be treated as front-line workers and benefit from priority vaccination, at their request.
According to the statistics of this NGO, 602 journalists died from Covid – since March 2020: Latin America comes first with more than half of the victims (190 death), Asia follows with 145 dead, in front of Europe (93), North America (32) and the Africa (20). Peru is the country with the heaviest balance sheet (55 according to the Peruvian National Association of Journalists). Brazil is second with 53 victims, in front of India, (45), Mexico (45), Ecuador (42) and Bangladesh (37).
In the USA, 31 victims of the Covid – have been counted around the world media, according to the NGO. Italy is the most bereaved European country with 32 journalists who died from the new coronavirus. In France, five deaths from Covid – were announced, according to the statement.
Probably higher numbers
The real number of victims in the world is certainly higher, according to the PEC, because the cause of the deaths of journalists is sometimes not specified or their death not announced. And in some countries, there is no reliable information. The PEC tally is based on information from local media, national associations of journalists and the organization’s regional correspondents. The PEC, whose secretary general is a former journalist for the Swiss press agency ATS, is campaigning for better protection journalists in conflict and crisis areas. This organization has, like many other NGOs whose work program is directly linked to the goals and objectives of the United Nations, a “special consultative status with the United Nations”, allowing it to speak during certain debates in the United Nations. UN Human Rights Council.
This organization keeps track of the number of journalists killed around the world every year. Since the start of the pandemic, it has also counted those who died due to the Covid – , and supports requests for financial assistance when necessary for families journalists who died as a result of the coronavirus.