Modern warfare — despite its guided drones and “precision” bombing — inevitably kills civilians. Yet journalists, supposedly protected under international law, are also killed. Their function is neither to wage war nor to advance a cause, but to document events on behalf of the wider public.
As George Orwell wrote, “If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear.” This is especially true during war, when governments on both sides seek to control the narrative. That is why journalists, particularly in war zones, are so important.
In the conflict between Israel and Gaza that began in October 2023, however, journalists have died at a rate unparalleled in modern warfare. If the trend continues, Gaza may come to symbolize not only a humanitarian disaster, but also one of the gravest assaults on press freedom in contemporary history.
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