Last year was the deadliest year in a decade for those working as journalists, according to media watchdog Reporters Sans Frontiers (RSF).
The RSF annual report showed at least 53 journalists were killed in 2004 while doing their jobs or for expressing their opinions, the highest annual toll since 1995.
Fifteen media assistants (fixers, drivers, translators, technicians, security staff and others) were also killed.
For the second year running, Iraq was the world’s most dangerous country for journalists. Nineteen reporters and 12 media assistants were killed there during the year.
Terrorist strikes and Iraqi guerrilla attacks were the main cause, but the US army was held responsible for the death of four of them, the report said.
Exposing corruption and reporting on organised crime was the next main reason for journalists being killed.
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