India third victim nation
Geneva/ Guwahati, 6 Jan 2020: The Covid-19 pandemic has taken away the lives of over 600 journalists in 59 countries since March 2020 that implies the global media fraternity lost two scribes per day on average, said
Press Emblem Campaign (PEC), an international media watchdog based in
Switzerland.
“Of the 602 journalists who have died from Covid-19 complications
since 1 March 2020, Latin America leads with more than half of the
victims (303 deaths). Asia follows with 145 dead, ahead of Europe
(94), North America (32) and Africa (28),” added the statement from PEC
(www.pressemblem.ch).
It also deplores that many media warriors’ deaths could have been
prevented. The forum emphasizes on financial assistance to the
bereaved journo-families who died of Covid-19 aggravated ailments and
demands that media workers should get the priority access to
immunization upon request.
“Because of their profession, journalists who go into the field to
testify are particularly exposed to the virus. Some of them, specially
freelancers and photographers, can’t just work from home”, said PEC
general secretary Blaise Lempen.
Peru remains the country with the heaviest death toll where 93 media
workers died from the novel corona virus infection related ailments
since March, Brazil follows with 55 deed and India emerges as the
third victim nation with 53 journo-deaths.
Mexico reports 45 casualties followed by Ecuador (42), Bangladesh
(41), Italy (37), the United States (31), etc.
Pakistan lost 22 journalists to Covid-19 followed Turkey (17), Great
Britain (13), Panama (11), Bolivia (9), Afghanistan, Dominican
Republic, Nigeria & Russia (8 each), Argentina, Colombia & Honduras (7
each), Nicaragua, Spain & Venezuela (6 each), France (5), Nepal,
Cameroon, Egypt, Guatemala, Iran, Salvador, South Africa & Zimbabwe
(3), Algeria, Indonesia, Morocco, Paraguay, Portugal & Sweden (2
each), etc.
At least one death among the journalist fraternity of concerned
countries were reported from Canada, Germany, Japan, Israel,
Switzerland, Belgium, Uruguay, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Chile,
Democratic Republic of Congo, Iraq (Kurdistan),
Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Uganda,
Tajikistan, Togo, etc.
The actual number of victims is certainly higher, as the cause of
journalists’ deaths is sometimes not specified or their deaths not
announced. In some countries, there is no reliable information, said
Lempen adding that the origin of infection is often difficult to
determine, and it is not possible to differentiate journalists who
become infected at work places from those who got infected in private
lives.
“Lately the Union government in New Delhi decided to offer supports to
the journo-families, who are victim of Covid-19 complications, and
started collecting applications to extend financial supports under the
journalist welfare scheme,” said PEC’s India contributor Nava Thakuria
adding that the Press Council of India has already urged New Delhi to
recognize scribes, who died of Covid-19, as corona warriors and
various media bodies continued demanding compensations to those
families.
