UN Women Media Post about Journalists Killed in Duty -- Offensive to Decency and Fairness

PRESS RELEASE

Contact: Rebecca Hain

Telephone: 513-479-3335

UN Women Media Post About Journalists Killed in Duty — Offensive to Decency and Fairness

WASHINGTON / November 7, 2022 – UNESCO sponsors an Observatory of journalists who have been killed in the line of duty (1). In 2021, 55 journalists were killed (2). Of these persons, 49 (89%) were male and six (11%) were female. To highlight their senseless deaths, last week the United Nations observed the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists (3).

In response, UN Women issued a social media post that inexplicably highlighted the 6 female journalists, and ignored the 49 male journalists who had died in the line of duty. The UN Women Twitter post stated, “Of all journalists killed in 2021, 11% were women” and improbably concluded, “Stop Targeting Women Journalists.” (4)

The tweet made no mention of the men who represented the 89% of all killed journalists in 2021.

Response to the UN comment was overwhelmingly negative:

Official_FBI: “11% women got killed so that means that 89% men got killed……”
Bertram Sorensen: “Weird way of saying that 89% of all killed journalists are male.”
John John: “So 89% were men? This doesn’t have to be a gendered issue. But if it is, it’s a mens issue is it not?”
Microwave: “This is probably the most sexist thing i’ve seen all day.”
Pablo Haro Urquizar: “Are you telling me that you dont care if a journalist man is killed?”
SBJLongAndrology: “Is this a parody? This has got to be at this point.”
Fjord: “Is this for real? An official UN site? Then why not ‘stop targeting journalists’, and not only the 11 percent females? Seriously?”
Szjon: “Absolutely disgraceful making this a gender issue, especially so given the disparity in death rates.”
Gwenny Eva: “You’re trolling us now, aren’t you…This is pretty pathetic, UNW.”
Kangmin Lee: “89% of journalists killed were men. Would you like that to be 100% men?”
Jorge_LRJ: “UN Women spreading sexism again.”
Mikkel: “I simply refuse to believe that an official UN account would tweet this. You’re making a mockery of the UN.”

Communications that serve to erase the lives of men are an affront to persons’ sense of decency and fairness, and sully the reputation of the United Nations. The Domestic Abuse and Violence International Alliance (5) urges the United Nations to stop the spread of gender disinformation.

Links:

UN Women Media Post about Journalists Killed in Duty — Offensive to Decency and Fairness