LONDON: More than 1,100 journalists and support staff have been killed carrying out their work in the past decade and the annual toll has jumped since 2003, the year of the US-led invasion of Iraq, a report said on Tuesday.

The study by the International News Safety Institute (INSI), a coalition of media organisations, press freedom groups and humanitarian campaigners, showed Iraq was the most dangerous place for journalists, followed by Russia and Colombia.

In the years since the invasion of Iraq, an insurgency against the Western-backed government has gained in ferocity.

Worldwide, last year was the worst for media workers with 167 killed worldwide, up from 149 in 2005 and 131 in 2004. That compares with 94 in 2003, 70 in 2002 and 103 in 2001.

The total tally since the start of 1996 was 1,101, said the report, “Killing the Messenger”. Nearly half were shot and the vast majority – at least 657 people – were murdered covering news during peacetime in their own country.

In two thirds of cases the killers were not identified and convictions have been obtained in only 27 cases.

The report called on governments to end impunity for those who harm journalists by prosecuting those responsible.

It also recommended that institutions such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund should include the number of journalists murdered when assessing aid for countries.

“The figures show that killing a journalist is virtually risk free,” said Richard Sambrook, global news director at the British Broadcasting Corporation, who led the inquiry.

“Ongoing impunity for the killers of journalists, who put themselves in harm’s way to keep world society informed, shames not only the governments who are responsible for their own lack of action but also the democracies that stand aside in silence.”

The overall toll includes journalists, as well as support workers such as drivers, translators, engineers and office personnel. It includes those killed in accidents while working.

With 138 deaths, Iraq was the most dangerous country for journalists. More than 70 per cent of casualties were Iraqis.

However overall, only one in four news media staff died covering war or armed conflicts.

“The first shocking thing about this report is to learn just how many are dying,” Harold Evans, former editor of Britain’s Sunday Times and Times newspapers, said in a foreword.

“The second shocking thing is to learn how many were murdered, most of them local beat reporters whose names do not resonate in the media ... the majority of journalists’ deaths are not bad luck. They are planned assassinations,” he said.

Armed forces, regular or irregular, police and officials were responsible for nearly a quarter of all killings. Russia was second after Iraq with 88 deaths over the past 10 years.—Reuters