ABOUT 67 journalists and media workers have been killed on the job during the last year, according to a new report.

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) said on Friday that there has been a sharp spike in the number of journalists killed while doing their work in 2022.

The 67 journalists who were killed in 2022 is a rise on the 47 from the previous year.

The Brussels-based group also tallied 375 journalists currently imprisoned for their work compared with 365 in 2021. 

With the number of media workers killed on the rise, the IFJ has called on governments to take more concrete action to protect journalists and free journalism.

IFJ general secretary Anthony Bellanger said: “The failure to act will only embolden those who seek to suppress the free flow of information and undermine the ability of people to hold their leaders to account, including in ensuring that those with power and influence do not stand in the way of open and inclusive societies.” 

The IFJ also condemned  the shooting of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh who was killed by Israeli forces while she was reporting from a Palestinian refugee camp. 

The Arab network this week formally asked the International Criminal Court to investigate her death.