45 journalists killed in 2021 in one of the lowest tolls ever, says media watchdog

A total of 45 journalists were killed worldwide in 2021, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) said on Friday — “one of the lowest death tolls” it has recorded for any year.

The figure tracked closely with a toll of 46 killings of journalists given two weeks ago by another media watchdog, Reporters Without Borders (known by its initials RSF), which also noted it as its lowest-ever since starting its tallies in 1995.

“While this decrease is welcome news, it is small comfort in the face of continued violence,” the Brussels-based IFJ said in statement.