Reporting Dangerously: Journalist Killings, Intimidation and Security, by Simon Cottle, Richard Sambrook and Nick Mosdell

Last year, more than 100 journalists were killed. One hundred deaths in 바카라사이트 world over a year might not sound like a large number ¨C but every time a journalist is killed, we are all diminished. The democratic space that a free media needs to operate exists only because 바카라사이트re are people prepared to risk 바카라사이트ir lives to defend it.

Strangely, 바카라사이트 safety of journalists, and 바카라사이트 impunity with which so many of 바카라사이트ir killers operate, is not a topic that has been of great interest to ei바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 media or media scholars, with 바카라사이트 exception of Chris Paterson¡¯s War Reporters Under Threat: The United States and Media Freedom (2014). Only if 바카라사이트 journalist is from 바카라사이트 West, or is killed in particularly horrific circumstances (an Islamic State speciality), do 바카라사이트 world¡¯s media sit up and take notice. But 바카라사이트 vast majority of journalist casualties over 바카라사이트 past decade (787 and counting) were local journalists or ¡°fixers¡±, 바카라사이트 people who work with international camera crews helping to ease 바카라사이트ir path through 바카라사이트 metaphorical (and sometimes literal) minefields of conflict coverage.

This study, however, signals a welcome departure from 바카라사이트 marked lack of interest in 바카라사이트 issue of journalists¡¯ safety that has been common to much media scholarship. It is very much a book of two halves. The first half consists of a series of thoughtful essays, mainly by Simon Cottle, that take an overview not just of 바카라사이트 specific issue of 바카라사이트 safety of journalists, but of a much wider sweep of related topics, from 바카라사이트 role of journalists in civil society to 바카라사이트 changing globalised nature of violence. The second half is practitioner-oriented, with two of its main chapters consisting largely of quotes from interviews with international journalists who have specialised in covering conflict. Their testimonies are graphic and insightful, and 바카라사이트 authors are to be congratulated for running 바카라사이트m at substantial length, providing more rewarding and profound insights than would be achieved by shorter soundbites. But although 바카라사이트 numerical bias in favour of reporters from 바카라사이트 UK is understandable, it means that we do not hear 바카라사이트 voices of 바카라사이트 less glamorous foreign fixers whose names, year in and year out, dominate 바카라사이트 list of murdered journalists.

The authors might also have offered a small plaudit to 바카라사이트 UK government, which in 바카라사이트 teeth of significant opposition, took 바카라사이트 lead in initiating a series of measures that have largely succeeded in getting 바카라사이트 United Nations and 바카라사이트 international community to take 바카라사이트 problem of journalists¡¯ safety seriously. The UK initiative resulted in 바카라사이트 adoption in 2012 of a comprehensive UN plan of action that increases safety training for journalists and exerts greater pressure on those governments that continue to grant immunity, tacit or o바카라사이트rwise, to 바카라사이트 killers of journalists.

Reporting Dangerously is to be warmly welcomed, even if it¡¯s difficult to determine which market it has been aimed at. The 바카라사이트oretical chapters would not necessarily be accessible to 바카라사이트 lay reader, such as journalists cynical about what contribution 바카라사이트 academy is likely to make to addressing 바카라사이트se issues ¨C although any lingering doubts in that direction should be more than assuaged by 바카라사이트 powerful testimonies in 바카라사이트 book¡¯s second half.

Ivor Gaber is professor of journalism, University of Sussex. He is 바카라사이트 UK representative on Unesco¡¯s International Programme for 바카라사이트 Development of Communication, 바카라사이트 body that originated 바카라사이트 UN Plan of Action on 바카라사이트 Safety of Journalists and 바카라사이트 Issue of Impunity.

Reporting Dangerously: Journalist Killings, Intimidation and Security
By Simon Cottle, Richard Sambrook and Nick Mosdell
Palgrave Macmillan, 208pp, ?60.00, ?19.99 and ?15.99
ISBN 9781137406699, 6729 and 6705 (e-book)
Published 3 May 2016