Heroes And Hit Men - Brief Article

While many American journalists fight for celebrity exclusives, reporters around the world are fighting for their lives.

IN THE UNITED STATES THE MOST DANGEROUS CHAR-acters encountered by some journalists are publicists and the occasional rap star. Last year one brave reporter, James Edwin Richards, was shot near his home in Venice, California, allegedly for reporting on local drug crimes, but such tragedies are rare. Abroad, however, death and imprisonment have become a routine part of the job. According to the latest figures from the Committee to Protect Journalists, 81 journalists are now in jail; many have been there for more than a decade. In addition, 35 journalists have been killed in the line of duty over the past two years: at least 34 more have died under suspicious circumstances. Dozens more suffer beatings, harassment, and censorship. This fall two organizations will meet to honor a few reporters who have persevered, four of whom are described on the map at right. The International Women's Media Foundation will hold the Courage in Journalism Awards on October 16, and on November 20 the Committee to Protect Journalis ts will host the International Press Freedom Awards. To commemorate the events, Talk presents the globe's most deadly beats, along with CPJ's pick of the individuals around the world who committed the most serious offenses against the press in 2000. The CPJ also provided the accompanying caricatures. Puffy didn't make the cut.

Carlos Castano

COMMANDER, UNITED SELF-DEFENSE FORCES OF COLOMBIA

More journalists are killed in colombia than in any other country; 34 have been murdered on the job in the past decade alone. Castano is suspected of ordering the murder of commentator and political satirist Jaime Garzon, and his ultraviolent right-wing paramilitary group is suspected in many more deaths. (Castano resigned as commander this summer to focus on his group's political activities.)

Fidel Castro

PRESIDENT, CUBA

Castro has been on CPJ's list longer than any other leader: seven years. He continues to impede and suppress independent journalism by regularly interrogating and detaining reporters, monitoring their phone calls, restricting their travel, and arbitrarily placing them under arrest.

In the past year he has renewed efforts to block any collaboration between cuban journalists and their foreign colleagues.

Charles Taylor

PRESIDENT, LIBERIA

Last year Taylor turned his already strict censorship of the media up a notch, pledging to become even more "ferocious" with members of the press who do not toe his line. Since August 2000 he has jailed eight journalists and intimidated entire news staffs into fleeing the country.

Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali

PRESIDENT, TUNISIA

Ben Ali has spent the past decade forcing the Tunisian press into self-censorship and submission. Journalists critical of his leadership have been fired, denied accreditation, placed under police surveillance, and prevented from leaving the country. Meanwhile, his government blocks public access to human rights websites.

Leonid Kuchma

PRESIDENT, UKRAINE

Kuchma's government barely survived the scandal surrounding last Year's disappearance of journalist and Internet editor Georgy Gongadze, who was subject to frequent harassment for his reporting on government corruption. In response to allegations that he was behind the murder, Kuchma only stepped up his attacks against the press.

Vladimir Putin

PRESIDENT, RUSSIA

Since taking office last year Putin has treated the press with an iron hand, most notably by arresting media mogul Vladimir Gusinsky and by taking control of the country's only independent national television network, NTV.

Jiang Zemin

PRESIDENT PEOPLE'S

REPUBLIC OF CHINA

China takes the world record as the top jailer of journalists, with 22 imprisoned as of December 2000. Since online activity began to skyrocket in 1998, the Internet has become a primary focus of Jiang's censorship efforts.

Robert Mugabe

PRESIDENT, ZIMBABWE

In addition to his campaign of ethnically cleansing his country of whites, Mugabe has put several journalists on an official "hit list."

Under his leadership, independent newspaper offices have been bombed, journalists have been tortured, and two foreign correspondents have been expelled from the country.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

SUPREME RELIGIOUS LEADER, ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN

The ayatollah has led Iran's conservative judiciary in a systematic campaign against the press, shutting down 30 newspapers since early 2000 and jailing at least six journalists. One publisher narrowly escaped assassination; another was shot twice in the face.

Mahathir Mohamad

PRIME MINISTER, MALAYSIA

During a 20-year tenure that makes him Asia's longest-serving elected official, Mahathir has consolidated power by ensuring that virtually all mainstream media are controlled by the government and its allies. Journalists who challenge his policies are repeatedly censored and threatened with prosecution.

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