A total of 65 journalists were killed around the world in a year seen as the least deadly for reporters in 14 years, according to Reporters Without Borders (RSF).
In its annual report published on Tuesday, the France-based media watchdog noted a fall in the death toll from last year’s 79 journalists killed.
In this year’s count, 39 were murdered and deliberately targeted because of their reporting, while 26 were victims of conflict.
“Even though we have fewer number of killed journalists, the situation on the ground has not improved, unfortunately,” Alexandra El Khazen, head of the group’s Middle East desk, told Al Jazeera.
“We are still very concerned, even though the figures are less alarming than they were last year,” she said over the phone from Paris.
For the sixth consecutive year, Syria was the deadliest country for journalists with 12 killed, followed closely by Mexico at 11.
Syria is reeling from the effects of a civil war that dates back to 2011.
“My biggest challenges were to be in the field whenever attacks happen and try to cover as much as I can,” Zouhir Al Shimale, citizen journalist from Aleppo city, told Al Jazeera.
RSF said that the overall decrease in numbers may be a result of lobbying against governments by NGOs and rights groups.
Journalists abandoning countries that have become too dangerous may have also contributed to the downward trend, it said.
“It is encouraging that campaigns against impunity towards the press seem to have succeeded,” said Daoud Kuttab, a Palestinian journalist and columnist. “A lot of work is still needed.”
