Number of journalists killed in Gaza ‘not seen since World War II’

The number of journalists killed in Gaza since October last year is on a scale “not seen since the second world war”, Union of Cyprus journalists’ chairman Giorgos Frangos said on Friday.

Marking Friday’s World Press Freedom Day, he said a total of 109 journalists have been killed in Gaza since October 7 last year, of whom 102 are Palestinians.

He added that elsewhere in the world, “journalism is being tested in despotic, illiberal, totalitarian regimes,” and that Cypriot journalists “stand with our colleagues who are being imprisoned and express our solidary to those who have lost their lives carrying out their duties.”

This year’s World Press Freedom Day coincides with his union’s campaign, which is titled “journalists have a voice”. The campaign, he said, aims to bring about better working conditions and collective agreements for journalists.

On this, he said “the public must understand that the better conditions in which journalists can work, the better journalism they will produce. Journalism is a key pillar which enriches and strengthens our democratic process.”

“In other words, the quality of our democracy ultimately depends on whether journalists are having a better time of it. Everyone has an interest in supporting the local journalistic community to achieve the goals we have set,” he said.

He went on to warn against financial interests negatively impacting journalistic impartiality in Cyprus, saying that Cyprus’ nature as a small country leaves the country’s journalists “particularly vulnerable”.