Three terrorists -- "cowards," as French president Francois Hollande called them -- perpetrated a horrific attack on the offices of French satirical newspaper
Charlie Hebdo, spraying with bullets a murderous reminder of their extremist ideology on the streets of Paris.
The murders shock the world, not just because of the number of dead or the motives of the perpetrators, but because attacks on press institutions strike as attacks on the very heart of democracy as well.
Today's attack is a vile expression of a repulsive and depraved extremist ideology, but it's not just that. It's also a gut-wrenching reminder that journalists around the world are threatened every day for their work. And on a daily basis, it's not terrorists killing them but governments intimidating and jailing them that makes being a journalist in some parts of the world a stunningly dangerous job.
Various governments treat journalists at best as nuisances and at worst as threats to their power. The Committee to Protect Journalists has as its mission the safeguarding of journalists around the world, and they are one of the few organizations that track the treatment of journalists, from murders to prison sentences to everyday intimidation tactics.
In a statement on the Paris attack, CPJ Executive Director Joel Simon reiterated the hostile climate journalists face today:
"Around the world, journalists working in their own countries are targeted and killed because of what they publish or broadcast. An attack of this nature in Paris shows that the threat to journalists and free expression is global, with no safe haven."
As CPJ points out, in many countries, the press can be targeted
without any real fear of accountability:
In the past 10 years, 370 journalists were murdered; in 90 percent of cases, there are no convictions. The unchecked, unsolved murders of journalists is one of the greatest threats to press freedom today.
Murder, of course, is
"the most extreme form of censorship." Governments themselves, however, beyond outright censorship, too often create a climate of intimidation by jailing journalists or threatening their jobs. The problem is widespread:
Syria is the most dangerous country in the world for journalists, while reporting in Egypt or Turkey may get you jailed. The situation in Turkey (which I've covered extensively as part of my job) is one of outright oppression and intimidation. Just a few weeks ago, a Turkish journalist was arrested for posting a critical tweet. Last year, a journalist was sentenced to 10 months in jail for adding the letter "K" to his tweet (seriously). China, meanwhile, remains the world's worst jailer of journalists.
Needless to say, this should be a daily outrage.
Thomas Jefferson said that "the liberty of speaking and writing guards our other liberties."
Leaders around the world will issue statements today condemning the Paris attack and reiterating the need to protect and support a robust press free from intimidation. Combating terrorism is one facet of protecting journalists. Governments should support the institution of a free press on a daily basis, not just in times of tragedy.
Today, "we are all Charlie" and the world mourns the loss of so many lives. Tomorrow, let us recommit ourselves to addressing all threats against the freedom of expression, regardless of where those threats originate.