TheLittleTwentieth – Renowned Papers Edition, AI Infused

Local sources from Egypt: الحرة, Lebanon24.
UK coverage: Al Jazeera English.

World Press Freedom Day is being marked at a time when journalists globally are facing increasing dangers. The war in Gaza has become the deadliest conflict for journalists, with over 100 journalists and media workers, mostly Palestinian, killed in the first seven months of the war. Al Jazeera journalists have also been targeted, with the eldest son of Al Jazeera’s Gaza bureau chief and another journalist killed in an Israeli missile attack. The situation in Gaza highlights the urgent need for the protection of journalists and press freedom.

Described as the ‘most dangerous’ area for journalism, the Palestinian territories have been labeled as such by the organization ‘Reporters Without Borders’ following the killing of over 100 journalists by the Israeli army since the start of the war in Gaza on October 7th. According to the organization, the Israeli army has killed at least 103 journalists in Gaza based on data from last March.

US President Joe Biden referred to 2023 as the ‘bloodiest year for journalists in recent memory,’ attributing it to ‘the war in Gaza, where a large number of journalists, mostly Palestinians, were killed.’ Biden reiterated in a statement that ‘journalism should not be a crime anywhere on earth.’

‘Reporters Without Borders’ points out that the war in the Gaza Strip ‘has been characterized by a record number of violations against journalists and the media… with the Israeli army killing over 100 Palestinian journalists, at least 22 of whom died while performing their duties.’

During Hamas’ attack on settlements surrounding Gaza on October 7th, Israeli journalist Yaniv Zohar, who worked as a video photographer for the Associated Press, was killed. Zohar lived in Kibbutz Nahal Oz, near the border with Gaza, where he was found dead along with his wife and two daughters, while his 13-year-old son Ariel survived. Two journalists working for Al Jazeera were killed in an Israeli airstrike, according to the Qatari channel, while its Gaza office director, Wael Dahdouh, was injured and evacuated from the Strip.

The organization explained that ‘under Israeli occupation, and the accompanying shelling and military operations, Palestine has ranked 157th on the list of the ten least safe countries for journalists in the world.’ It stated that since the start of this war about seven months ago, ‘Israel, which ranked 101st, has been trying to stifle the flow of information from the besieged territory, while misinformation has become part of its media system, which has diminished its status as a leading state in the region.’

The organization held the Israeli army responsible for the killing of three journalists in southern Lebanon, which ranked 140th. In southern Lebanon, three journalists were killed, including Reuters photographer Essam Abdullah, who died in an attack on journalists on October 13th, during coverage of the military escalation between the Israeli army and Hezbollah. Six other journalists were injured that day, including Agence France-Presse photographer Christina Assi (28 years old), who lost her right leg, and Dylan Collins.

Separate investigations conducted by Agence France-Presse, Reuters, Human Rights Watch, and Amnesty International concluded that ‘Israeli strikes’ targeted the journalists. Al Jazeera correspondent Carmen Ghaddar, who was injured that day, blamed media institutions for ‘ensuring the safety of journalists and adhering to safety standards.’

In response to accusations of targeting journalists, Israeli government spokesperson Elon Levy said in late December, ‘We do not target civilians… We do everything in our power to keep civilians out of harm’s way.’ The Israeli army’s message stated that the Israeli forces ‘target all military activities of Hamas throughout Gaza,’ adding that Hamas deliberately carries out military operations ‘in close proximity to journalists and civilians.’

The Israeli army also stated that its intensive strikes on Hamas targets may cause damage to surrounding buildings and that Hamas rockets may be launched incorrectly, resulting in the deaths of people inside Gaza. The Israeli army concluded its message by saying, ‘Under these circumstances, we cannot guarantee the safety of your employees, and we strongly urge you to take all necessary measures for their safety.’

On World Press Freedom Day, UNESCO awarded its Press Freedom Prize to all Palestinian journalists in the Gaza Strip who are covering the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas. The President of the International Jury of Journalists, Mauricio Víbora, said, ‘In such dark and desperate times, we want to share a strong message of solidarity and recognition with Palestinian journalists who are covering this crisis under such tragic circumstances.’ UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay stated that the award ‘commends the courage of journalists who face difficult and dangerous conditions.’ Palestinian journalists covering events in Gaza were awarded the UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize for 2024.