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Research of BH Journalists on the contents and work of local media in BiH presented

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BHJA
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SARAJEVO, 10.11. 2020. – Local media must primarily be in the function of public interest, and editorial policies should be separated from the political interests of local officials and ensure pluralism of opinion through media content. This was pointed out during today’s presentation of media monitoring results entitled “Local media – quality of media content and information for citizens, pluralism of opinion and diversity of information sources”.

According to prof.dr. Lejla Turčilo, who led the research, the aim of the research was not to make lists of (in)quality media content, but to notice key trends in the local media and give recommendations for their more professional work.

– The essence was to consider how much the local media really work in accordance with the public interest and especially how much the principles of impartiality and pluralism of opinion are present. The sample was made of 34 local BH media, and 617 media contents of printed, electronic and online media in public and private ownership were monitored – said Turčilo.

Monitoring has shown that almost half of the media content in local media is reserved for local politics or “light” topics and entertainment. Education and environmental issues are the least represented, although in general topics that are important to citizens are still widely reported. It is a worrying fact that in more than a third of media content there are no interlocutors at all – this mostly refers to the publishing of press releases and statements, as well as personal interpretations of journalists on certain topics. Also, only one source appears in much of the content. In about 42% of the contents, the interlocutors are treated equally, but in almost a third of the contents, some local officials are preferred over other interlocutors.

– What is most devastating is that in 95 percent of the content there were no opposing opinions, not only because of the small number of interlocutors, but also because of the fact that those interlocutors were selected to fit into the narrative that a particular medium prefers. In other words, interlocutors are often chosen to support an already stated position – said professor Turčilo.

The research also showed that web portals are mostly subject to the influence of local officials and their interests, while televisions have the most field work and a larger number of interlocutors in their reports and shows. Some of the recommendations of the research team for local media are to put the public interest in the forefront, make more content about education, culture, environmental protection…, and to ensure a larger number of interlocutors who have different opinions on a particular topic, to ensure pluralism of opinion.

Professor Vuk Vučetić believes that the importance of researches such as this one is significant, especially in terms of additional education of journalists working in local media.

– A local journalist is actually a “street hero”, he is the one who notices specific problems of citizens and tries to solve them. Local media are especially important when it comes to the professional development of young journalists, who start their careers there. The results of this monitoring are not surprising, especially in the sense that the views of local officials are transmitted in non-selective way or by copy-paste method. That is definitely not the essence of the journalistic profession, but the fact that it has become an established practice speaks that newsrooms do not have enough resources and journalists to work on the field, as well as the bad conditions in which these journalists generally work – says Vučetić.

The editor-in-chief of the Bljesak.info portal, Berislav Jurič, emphasized that local journalists have a problem getting access to the statements of their interlocutors, especially politicians who do not agree with the content that certain media publish.

– One side will never give you a statement, so you will then turn out to be a “player” of the other side and that is how they make enemies of you with their silence. Also, I think that the role of local media in BiH is completely misunderstood, because they should actually be a source of information for all “big” media. It is also difficult to define what the public interest is and what the audience actually wants to read and watch. People are not interested in many topics today, even when we are talking about very serious, research topics – says Jurič.

TVSA Executive Director Haris Dučić believes that the results of the research faithfully show the situation in the local media in BiH.

– That self-censor chip that all journalists who work in local media that are financed from the budget have certainly exists, but editors and journalists should insist on their principles and pluralism of opinion. It is especially important to communicate directly with the citizens and give them the opportunity to communicate with us, to ask questions that we will then pass on to our interlocutors. Only the competencies and professionalism of people who know how to work can fundamentally change things in the local media and enable them to get rid of political and other influences – said Dučić.

Amela Odobašić (Communications Regulatory Agency – CRA) said that local radio and TV stations are a priority in the work of CRA.

– Local media are extremely important, regardless of the globalization that imposes media content. Their problems are numerous and most often they report to us with the problem of lack of human resources due to which they cannot realize certain contents – stated Odobašić.

Participants in today’s online discussion particularly emphasized the problem of self-censorship in the local media, ie the “line of least resistance” that journalists often follow and which leads to a one-sided approach in media content. Also, the political pressure on the media in BiH is increasing, and this is especially evident in the periods of election campaigns and in the part of web portals that are even owned by certain political centers of power. Budget-funded local media are also a problem – in return, they are expected to pursue certain political interests.

The research is part of the project “Free Media, Free Society”, implemented by the BH Journalists Association in cooperation with the Association of Electronic Media in BiH (AEM BiH), with the financial support of the European Union.

The Secretary General of BH Journalists, Borka Rudić, said that this was one of three researches that will be conducted by BH Journalists. In addition to this monitoring, research is planned regarding the legal framework under which local media operate and their internal procedures, and a third study will be dedicated to NGOs in support of local media.

– We have a whole program that deals with media issues where we try to help both the development of free media and the application of positive EU practices in our region. The situation in the media is not great and we are all aware of that, and now it is further aggravated by the pandemic. This is a continuation of a project that has been going on for a long time and we are pleased to have a partner in civil society who is able to implement such an important activity – concluded Vladimir Pandurević, program manager of the EU in BiH.

Self-regulation in Montenegro: Far from ideal

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TUMM
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self regulation

PODGORICA, 06.11.2020. – Beside the five TV channels of the National Public Broadcaster of Radio Television of Montenegro (RTCG), there are five other local public TV broadcasters, 15 local public radio broadcasters, 14 commercial TV broadcasters, 35 commercial radio broadcasters, two non-profit radio broadcasters and 85 electronic publications, which adorn the Montenegrin media scene. Four dailies and one weekly are published in Montenegro, and if we take into account that two local governments want to open new televisions, we come to an impressive number of over 165 media that share the same media space.

This, however, does not mean that the Montenegrin media scene is pluralistic. In contrast, the media in Montenegro are deeply polarized, and can most often be divided into two groups: “pro-government” and “pro-opposition”. The first is led by RTCG, which is recognized in numerous reports of relevant organizations, while the second group is best represented by the dailies “Dan” and “Vijesti”.

The different understanding of the profession and the role of journalists in a democratic society is the biggest common denominator of the Montenegrin media. That is why it is not surprising that self-regulation, despite numerous efforts by international factors, is at an extremely low level. Although the media scene has gone through numerous challenges since 2002 and the adoption of the Code of Ethics for Journalists of Montenegro, to date no single and / or efficient system of self-regulation has been established for all media. Until 2010, there was a Journalistic Self-Regulatory Body, which was disbanded precisely because of the different understanding of the profession of the two currents in the media system.

Several media outlets, mostly those less critical of the government, decided in 2012 to establish a Council for Media Self-Regulation. This body received petitions and complaints about ethical media coverage, even against those who did not access it and did not recognize its authority. This Association has never managed to build credibility, either due to the fact that it was financed by the Government, or due to “stronger” criticism of the media that are not its members. The association stoped accepting complaints in 2018, due to financial problems.

In April 2012, 11 local media established a Self-Regulatory Council for the local press. The way in which citizen can address this association, what their activities are and the results of its work, is still unknown to the public. This association does not have its own website.

The independent daily “Vijesti” appointed the Ombudsman in 2013. The website of that media outlet published how he could be addressed and the decisions of the Ombudsman are public. The analysis of the published decisions gives the impression of great professionalism of the Ombudsman, but also of the limited scope of his decisions. The daily “Dan” appointed the Ombudsman in 2014, since when he periodically publishes his decisions on the daily’s website. For the first 9 months of this year, the ombudsman of this highest-circulation print media decides on two complaints (both rejected). TV Vijesti also had an ombudsman, although not continuously. As far as the public is aware, this mechanism does not currently exist and the procedure for filing complaints is not known. The Ombudsman has recently introduced on the FOS media portal, but the details of who performs this function are not known and no report has been published so far. These self-regulatory mechanisms have their own rules, some of which can be problematic (one of the rules is that the applicant can only be the person mentioned in the article or his authorized representative).

Within the RTCG Council, there is a Commission for Petitions and Complaints of Listeners and Viewers, which consists of members of the Council. The Commission received 110 complaints for the period 2015-2018. The new Law on the National Public Broadcaster RTCG, which entered into force in August, plans to appoint an Ombudsman to take over the Commission’s responsibilities, which has not yet been done.

Although almost two decades have passed since the adoption of the Code of Ethics for Journalists of Montenegro, the process of self-regulation is still in its infancy. Disunity, lack of proactivity and relevance describe the activities of fragmented self-regulatory bodies in the Montenegrin media system. A broad consensus is needed on the understanding of ethical principles and their interpretation, in order to apply self-regulatory mechanisms in the same way. Greater transparency strengthens respect for ethical principles, and thus the role and reputation of the media. The problem of financial unsustainability of self-regulatory bodies has been recognized by relevant international organizations, but also by the state, so the new Law on Media envisages assistance through the new Fund for Media Pluralism.

AJK and UNHCR will cooperate in continuous professionalism of journalists in reporting on issues related to asylum seekers

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AJK
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PRISTINA, 05.11.2020 – The President of the Board of Association of Journalists of Kosovo, Gentiana Begolli Pustina, had a meeting with UNHCR Chief of Mission in Kosovo, Erol Arduç. During the meeting, new cooperation modalities were discussed, especially about continuous professionalism of the journalists who report on issues related to asylum seekers in Kosovo. It was also discussed the need for meeting with media representatives, considering the sensitivity of the reporting on this particular issue.

Mr. Arduç has assessed that concrete steps are to be taken to contribute to capacity building resulting in more professional reporting of the issues related to asylum seekers. Ms. Begolli-Pustina has expressed readiness of AJK to contribute in organizing events which will impact on correct reporting, without concessions that could violate freedom and rights of migrants and refugees.

AJK and UNHCR during coming days will coordinate on organizing concrete steps which will contribute and enable professional reporting related to asylum seekers in Kosovo.

The UNHCR Office of the Chief of Mission in Pristina engages in the development of legislative and administrative frameworks in the areas of asylum, civil status registration and durable solutions for displaced population.

AJM: Dramatic increase in attacks on journalists – we are looking for urgent solutions

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AJM
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Skopje, 02.11.2020 –

On the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Impunity for Crimes against Journalists, AJM today held press conference at which the President and members of the Board of Directors of the Association sent several important messages.

The first message is addressed to the public and political parties that professional journalists should not and must not be attacked for practicing their profession.

The second message was sent to the Basic Public Prosecutor’s Office requesting that all attacks and threats against journalists and media workers should be prosecuted immediately. In this manner, it will contribute to the protection of democracy in the country.

“We ask the Ministry of Justice to make changes in the Criminal Code in the next period. The amendments should expand the competence of the prosecution to act ex officio in crimes related to attacks and threats against journalists and increase the penalties for attackers. At the same time, we ask the Basic Public Prosecutor’s Office to establish special unit that will prosecute the attackers of journalists,” said Mladen Chadikovski, President of AJM.

Journalists and media workers play key role in our country as guardians of the public interest, and the journalistic profession is important part of any democratic society. This year, compared to previous years, journalists often face verbal and physical attacks only because they perform their professional duties, while the perpetrators remain unpunished. It is important to note that impunity inevitably leads to self-censorship, restricts free media space, and deprives the public from the right to be informed.

According to AJM statistics, from the beginning of this year until now, we have recorded 14 attacks and harsh threats against journalists, out of which more than half are against women journalists. In comparison, last year there were four such incidents, which means that this year the attacks and threats are three times more. Although physical attacks have decreased, it is worrying the fact that more and more threats to the lives of journalists are being reported on social networks. In this regard, the Ministry of Interior should make additional efforts for sanctioning the perpetrators, and to request from the Public Prosecutor’s Office to initiate criminal proceedings for more serious cases.

The creation of safe working conditions for journalists and media workers is regularly noted in the reports on the Republic of Northern Macedonia in the reports of the European Commission. Therefore, the Government should take this issue more seriously and encourage the affected institutions not only to resolve the cases of attacked journalists but also to prevent new ones in the future.

AJM remains available to be constructive partner in improving the regulation of these issues but also in improving the case law in accordance with the practices of the European Court of Human Rights. AJM also calls on all journalists who have been subject to threats and attacks to report to the association in order to receive free legal aid and to follow how they will be processed by law enforcement agencies.

BH Journalists: We demand an end to violence against journalists and harsher punishments for perpetrators

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BHJA
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Sarajevo, November 2 – The journalistic and media community of Bosnia and Herzegovina welcomes the UN Day for the Fight against Impunity for Crimes against Journalists with insufficient efficiency and commitment of the judiciary in processing threats and attacks on journalists, as well as punishing perpetrators.

From the beginning of 2018 until today, the BH Journalists Association has recorded 143 crimes against journalists, including attempted murder, physical attacks and death threats, as well as other serious forms of endangering the rights and safety of journalists. According to the available data, only 1/3 of the mentioned criminal offenses have been adequately investigated and resolved in favor of journalists.

The media professionals are particularly concerned about the increasing incidence of online violence and the growing number of threats that journalists receive through social networks and in comments on Internet portals. The authors of such threats generally go unpunished, even when it comes to explicit death threats and calls for violence.

With insufficient efficiency, the judiciary and other competent institutions of the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina encourage attackers on journalists and send a message to the public that this is an acceptable way of behaving. Investigative bodies, prosecutors’ offices and courts must accept part of the responsibility for the atmosphere created and the perception that it is allowed to hit, insult and threaten journalists, and that such actions will not be sanctioned.

BH Journalists draw particular attention to the fact that two and a half decades after the end of the war, none of the highest officials in BiH, nor holders of public and political office, who are at the forefront of violence against journalists, have been convicted of insulting, censoring or threatening journalists. That is why a significant number of journalists believe that the judiciary has sided with one side, and that is not the side of justice.

Although journalists, media workers and professional associations demanded changes to the criminal law to make the prosecution of those responsible for threats and attacks on journalists faster and more efficient, there was no response from the relevant legislative and executive bodies – parliaments, ministries of justice, state, entity and Brcko District governments. Without the necessary commitment of the competent state and judicial institutions, it will not be possible to stop violence against journalists in BiH, nor to create an environment that will respect media freedoms and protect every journalist from attacks and threats.

Because of all the above, BH Journalists, on behalf of 700 of their members, resolutely demand harsher punishments for perpetrators of crimes against journalists, as well as faster and more impartial justice!

The Steering Committee of BH Journalists Association

AJK requests lightening of the cases of killed and missing journalists in Kosovo

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AJK
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PRISTINA, 02.11.2020 – The Association of Journalists of Kosovo (AJK), seeks to shed light on the cases of killed and missing journalists in Kosovo.

On the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists, AJK calls that the perpetrators of crimes against journalists to be brought to justice and receive the punishment they deserve.

Impunity for crimes committed against journalists is a bad signal for the rule of law in Kosovo and a burden that constantly weighs on the families of the victims and the community of journalists who have been seeking justice for years. This climate of impunity affects freedom of reporting and encourages other attacks and threats.

The President of the Association of Journalists of Kosovo, Gentiana Begolli Pustina, invites international organizations to help create a special fund for investigative journalists to investigate and shed light on the cases of our killed and missing colleagues.

“For me, not only as President of AJK, not only as a journalist, but first of all as a person, it is very important that not only the perpetrators, but also the perpetrators of these crimes are brought to justice. I have said before that as a representative of journalists I do not care even for a moment what ethnicity the murderer has, what religion he/she may have, what function the perpetrators of the murders may have, for me it is important to see them there where they have the place, along with other criminals. This is what we all expect, as well as their families, journalists and all those who are working every day, for a state of law where law and order prevail “, said Begolli Pustina.

AJK recalls that 12 journalists were killed during and after the war in Kosovo and 4 journalists are reported missing.

The investigation of these cases has been the responsibility of UNMIK (United Nations Mission in Kosovo) and then EULEX (European Union Rule of Law Mission) and since March 2017, the Chief State Prosecutor , Aleksandër Lumnezi, has appointed a prosecutor-coordinator for cases of threats or other criminal offenses against journalists.

In 2018, the European Federation of Journalists, at its annual meeting in Lisbon, adopted a resolution calling for an investigation into the murders and disappearances of journalists in the period 1998-2005 and compensation for the families of the victims.

The United Nations General Assembly has declared November 2, the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists, calling on member states to implement measures to combat the current culture of impunity.

On this day, a global campaign is launched through which state institutions are required to prevent violence against journalists.

Discrimination against women at the workplace present also in the media

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TUMM
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PODGORICA, 30.10.2020. – A survey conducted by the Trade Union of Media of Montenegro (TUMM) about attitudes towards gender discrimination in relation to work showed that the majority of respondents believe that it also exists in the media sector.

Almost 79% of respondents believe that there is discrimination against women in the media. As many as 23% of respondents stated that they were victims of discrimination, and almost 36% that they knew a person who, in their opinion, was exposed to discrimination. Such a behavior in most cases was reflected in unequal treatment by the superior. Only 6% of such cases were reported.

The TUMM recently conducted a survey on attitudes about gender discrimination at work. The survey was conducted anonymously, between 16 July and 4 August, and involved 152 respondents of various educational and professional profiles.

In general, two thirds of respondents, or as many as 66%, believe that there is discrimination against women in the workplace. Also, as many as 52% of respondents stated that they were either victims of discrimination or that they knew the person who was.

As they stated, discrimination was most often reflected in unequal treatment by a superior, and then in the decision to terminate employment, while it was less often the case that it was unequal earnings for the same job.

What is particularly worrying is that the vast majority of such cases, as much as 92%, remain unreported to both the competent authorities and the employer or one of the services within the company.

The free legal aid program, implemented by the TUMM, offers all women who feel they have been discriminated against on the basis of gender in the workplace, the necessary legal assistance and the necessary advice to resolve the case. Contact phone: 020/878-021; e-mail: [email protected]

The service is part of the project “Equality through Justice: Cases of Discrimination against Women at Work”, which we implement under the grant Center for Women’s Rights / Women’s Rights Center and the action “Improvement of Women’s Labor Rights”, implemented by the Kosovo Women’s Network, with financial support of European Union and the Swedish Agency for Cooperation and Development.

IJAS: Dangerous insults to colleagues from Bujanovacke

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IJAS
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The Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia expresses concern over a series of insulting comments on the article published by the Bujanovacke portal on October, 29 about the appearance of MP Shaip Kamberi in the Serbian Parliament.

In the comments of the readers on the Facebook page of this media, numerous  insults and insinuations could be read such as that the journalists of the Bujanovacke portal are mercenaries and that they are working against the interests of Serbia. In a multiethnic environment such as the south of Serbia, such comments can lead to endangerment of the safety and lives of journalists.

We warn the public and the competent institutions that this year the number of reported  online incidents, in which journalists are targeted, is twice as high as in the previous year (75 in 2020; 31 in 2019). Growing violence and intolerance of criticism and different opinions are dangerous not only for the media scene in Serbia but also for the entire society that aspires to be democratic. Ahead of November, 2 – the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists, we call on the competent institutions to take more seriously the problem of violence against journalists, not only criminal acts but also events which are often the cause and precursor to attacks. Unfortunately, we have witnessed many times in the past that smear campaigns and volleys of insults have encouraged people to make a move that seriously endangers the lives of journalists who inform citizens respecting the principle of public interest and other professional standards.

The Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia will record this incident in the database of attacks and pressure on journalists, and provide journalists of Bujanovacke with all the necessary help and support.

IJAS,

10/30/2020

Getting Away with Murder

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IJAS
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CPJ’s 2020 Global Impunity Index spotlights countries where journalists are slain and their killers go free. The case of Slavko Ćuruvija is a very important for CPJ, says CPJ’s Europe and Central Asia program coordinator Gulnoza Said

Incremental progress toward reducing the murders of journalists worldwide is fragile and could be thwarted by legal appeals and lack of political leadership, CPJ found in its latest report on impunity in retaliatory media killings.

CPJ’s annual Global Impunity Index, which spotlights countries where journalists are singled out for murder and their killers go free, showed little change from a year earlier. Somalia, Syria, Iraq, and South Sudan occupy the worst four spots on the list, in that order, as war and political instability perpetuate the cycle of violence and lawlessness.

But each year the index includes more stable countries where criminal and political groups, politicians, business leaders, and other powerful actors resort to violence to silence critical and investigative journalists. CPJ has found that corruption, weak institutions, and lack of political will to pursue robust investigations are all factors behind impunity in these countries, which include Pakistan, Mexico, and the Philippines.

In Pakistan, a surprise legal development this year–while not directly affecting the 2020 Impunity Index–showed that even murder cases that were long thought to be resolved can be upended.

On April 2, the Sindh High Court overturned the murder convictions of four men accused in the 2002 killing of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl. The decision found Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, who had previously been sentenced to death, guilty only of kidnapping Pearl and reduced his sentence to seven years, which he has already served. The Pearl family and the Sindh provincial government appealed, and according to news reports, the four men remained imprisoned at the end of September.

As CPJ Executive Director Joel Simon wrote in the Columbia Journalism Review, freeing the men “would be a devastating setback for justice that would also send a dangerous message to Jihadi militants in Pakistan and around the world, who have systematically targeted journalists in the 18 years since Pearl was killed.”

Pakistan and the Philippines have been mainstays on the Global Impunity Index since its inception in 2008. The Philippines is the biggest mover in this year’s rankings, improving from the fifth worst country worldwide to the seventh worst.

The change reflects the fact that the November 2009 Ampatuan, Maguindanao, massacre of 58 people, including 30 journalists and two media workers, no longer falls into the 10-year time frame for calculating the index. (Read more about the index methodology).

Landmark convictions late last year led CPJ to adjust the status of the Ampatuan cases to “partial impunity” from “full impunity” previously – meaning that they would no longer have figured into the index calculation regardless of the time frame. On December 19, 2019, a regional court convicted the mastermind, his brother, and 26 accomplices, and issued prison sentences of up to 40 years. The Philippines has 11 unsolved murders in the current 10-year index period, compared with 41 for last year’s index.

However, the Ampatuan case took a full decade to try, and the chief defendants, namely convicted masterminds Andal Ampatuan Jr. and Zaldy Ampatuan, have appealed their convictions. In the Philippines’ labyrinthine and politicized legal system, their legal challenges could take several years to be tried and the possibility of their acquittal on appeal still looms large. Scores of suspects remain free, including Ampatuan clan members, leaving those who have pursued justice for the slain journalists exposed to possible reprisals. Meanwhile, the unaccountable killings continue apace, with at least two Filipino journalists murdered for their work so far in 2020.

In part because of the Philippines moving down the index, Mexico – the deadliest country for journalists in the Western hemisphere – moved to the sixth worst impunity ranking from seventh last year. The number of unsolved murders in Mexico is 26 for this 10-year period, compared with 30 unsolved murders for the previous index.

In the past year, Mexican authorities achieved convictions for some perpetrators in the murders of Miroslava Breach Velducea and Javier Valdez Cárdenas, a CPJ International Press Freedom Awardee. However, the masterminds of both crimes remain at large. Further clouding the outlook for achieving justice for those and other journalists, the federal special prosecutor’s office largely responsible for progress in the Breach and Valdez cases is less assertively taking on new cases since President Andrés Manuel López Obrador took office. So far in 2020, at least four journalists have been murdered in retaliation for their work in Mexico.

Globally, the number of journalists murdered in reprisal for their work was the lowest in 2019 that CPJ has recorded in any year since 1992. The reason is difficult to pinpoint, with self-censorship, the use of other tools to intimidate reporters, and the high profile nature of some recent cases potentially playing a role.

The number of murders in 2020 has already exceeded 2019, but is not on track for a major increase. A couple of additional legal developments, meanwhile, do not bode well for ending the cycle of violence and injustice.

SAID: CASE OF SLAVKO ĆURUVIJA IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR CPJ

– The reason we decided to do so is the case of Slavko Ćuruvija that our Impunity report mentions. As you know, this is a very important case for CPJ, says for Cenzolovka CPJ’s Europe and Central Asia program coordinator Gulnoza Said.

– We were concerned to see a setback in 2020 in the progress Serbia made in bringing all perpetrators to justice after a welcome step in the spring of 2019. We thought the justice in Ćuruvija’s case would pave way to justice in other murder cases of journalists, especially given Serbia’s unique experience (we discussed it in the past for Cenzolovka). We still hope to see full justice in Curuvija’s case. By translating the Impunity report into Serbian, we hope more people in Serbia will pay attention to this important case, says Gulnoza Said.

On September 7, the Belgrade Appeals Court announced that it had overturned the convictions of four former Serbian state security officers involved in the 1999 killing of journalist Slavko Ćuruvija. The case is expected to be retried, according to news reports. CPJ had previously upheld the investigation into Ćuruvija’s murder – led by a joint commission of journalists and government officials – as one model for combatting impunity because of its transparency, mixed investigative team, and willingness to pursue new leads.

And in Slovakia, a criminal court on September 3 acquitted a business tycoon suspected of masterminding the 2018 murders of investigative journalist Ján Kuciak and his fiancée. Kuciak’s family vowed to appeal, according to news reports. Kuciak was one of two journalists reporting on corruption in the European Union who were murdered in a six-month period; the other is Daphne Caruana Galizia in Malta, in whose 2017 case no one has been convicted.

During the 10-year index period ending August 31, 2020, 277 journalists were murdered for their work worldwide and in 83% of those cases no perpetrators have been successfully prosecuted. For last year’s index period, CPJ recorded complete impunity in 86% of cases. The rate of complete impunity has inched lower in recent years. In “The Road to Justice,” a 2014 examination of the causes of impunity in journalist murders and possible solutions, CPJ found that the killers went free in nine out of 10 cases between 2004 and 2013.

Illustrating the entrenched nature of impunity, the 12 countries on the index account for 80% of the global total of unsolved murders of journalists for the 10-year index period. All 12 have featured multiple times since CPJ first compiled the index in 2008, and seven have appeared every year.

Nigeria is the only country to come off the index this year. One murder in that country, from 2009, is not included in the decade now under scrutiny.

Methodology

CPJ’s Global Impunity Index calculates the number of unsolved journalist murders as a percentage of each country’s population. For this index, CPJ examined journalist murders that occurred between September 1, 2010, and August 31, 2020, and remain unsolved. Only those nations with five or more unsolved cases are included on the index. CPJ defines murder as a deliberate killing of a specific journalist in retaliation for the victim’s work. This index does not include cases of journalists killed in combat or while on dangerous assignments, such as coverage of protests that turn violent. Cases are considered unsolved when no convictions have been obtained, even if suspects have been identified and are in custody. Cases in which some but not all suspects have been convicted are classified as partial impunity. Cases in which the suspected perpetrators were killed during apprehension are also categorized as partial impunity. The index only tallies murders that have been carried out with complete impunity. It does not include those where partial justice has been achieved. Population data from the World Bank’s 2019 World Development Indicators, viewed in September 2020, were used in calculating each country’s rating.

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