By Nava Thakuria
Guwahati: More than 715 journalists died of Covid-19 complications in 60 countries till date, where most affected countries remain Peru (95 casualties), Mexico (84), Brazil (74), India (54), Bangladesh (44), Ecuador (42), Italy (38), USA (35), Pakistan (22), UK (22), and Turkey (20).
Recently an Indian origin radio journalist Sujata Barot succumbed to the virus infection. She was one of the first South Asian faces in British media and worked as a news presenter in BBC Radio Leicester. Her untimely demise was condoled with pouring messages in social media.
Also read: COVID-19: India now fourth corona media victim nation
“We offer condolences to families and colleagues of the deceased. Since the beginning of March 2020, a corona-ticker was initiated to pay tributes to the journalists killed by the novel corona virus infections around the world,” said Blaise Lempen, general secretary of Switzerland-based media rights body Press Emblem Campaign (PEC).
Media workers have an important role to play in the ongoing fight against the virus and hence the safety of media workers is particularly at risk as they have to continue providing information from the ground. Sadly, a number of scribes died because of no adequate protective measures when on duty, added the general secretary of PEC.
*Nava Thakuria is a senior journalist and PEC’s India contributor
