Fewer journos killed in 2010,
but more held by kidnappers

Fewer journalists were killed in the line of duty in 2010, but more and more of them were used as “bargaining chips” by groups that kidnap journalists in order to finance their criminal activities or push their political agenda.

This disturbing trend was noted by the group Reporters Without Borders in its 2010 yearend report.

The group noted that the number of murders of journalists in 2010 dropped by 25 percent compared to 2009. Interestingly, the group also pointed out that it was getting more and more difficult to identify their killers because some of them belong to criminal gangs or religious organizations, not just armed groups or state agents.

Read the Reporters Without Borders 2010 report here.