THE National Union of Journalists (NUJ) has condemned violent threats from Ulster unionists against two reporters in Northern Ireland.

Two reporters for the Northern Ireland edition of the Sunday World newspaper have been contacted by police over the threats, which included a threat to shoot and kill one of them.

It comes days after it was revealed that a journalist working for the Belfast Telegraph had been threatened by a loyalist paramilitary group.

Both reporters, NUJ members, have been named in threatening social media posts.

“Those involved in issuing the threats against journalists have carried out recent acts of serious violence,” the NUJ said, naming the West Belfast Ulster Defence Association as one of the groups involved.

The union’s assistant general secretary Seamus Dooley said “paramilitaries and criminals” were “intent on silencing journalism in Northern Ireland.

“These attempts to intimidate journalists must be condemned in the strongest possible terms. We welcome the fact that the journalists concerned have received the full support of their employer. 

“The protection of journalists and the active pursuit of those who threaten the media is essential to a functioning democratic society.”

Amnesty International’s Northern Ireland programme director Patrick Corrigan said journalists in the six counties were now “operating in a climate of fear.

“Chilling threats against journalists are now being made on an almost daily basis.

“Yet, no-one is being arrested, no-one is being held to account. The police must get a grip on this problem before another journalist loses their life.”