"The violence against journalists reaches a new level this year, all the lights are red," stated Christophe Deloire, secretary general for RSF.
"Hatred against journalists, uttered or even claimed by unscrupulous political, religious or businessmen leaders has dramatic consequences on the ground and is reflected in a worrying increase in violations against journalists," he added.
After a three year decline in crimes committed against media workers, the number of professional journalists killed in the line of duty in 2018 rose to 80, a 15 percent increase.
The number of journalists in jail is also on the rise.
According to RSF, 348 journalists are currently being detained compared to 326 in 2017, and another 60 are being held as hostages in 2018 compared to 54 the previous year.
Of the 60 hostages, 59 are being held in the Middle East – Syria, Iraq, and Yemen. Six of them are foreigners.
The brutal killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Turkey, which was highly publicized worldwide, "highlighted the unrestrained determination of the enemies of the freedom of the press," said RSF.
Over half the journalists killed in 2018 were “knowingly targeted,” it added.
The deadliest country for journalists this year was Afghanistan where 15 were killed, followed by Syria which reported 11 killings, and then Mexico where nine journalists were murdered.
The United States was also added to the list in 2018 following the bloody shooting of five members of the Capital Gazette's editorial team, a local media outlet based on Annapolis, Maryland.
A gunman entered the Capital Gazette's office and began shooting in a premeditated killing spree following an unsuccessful defamation lawsuit regarding an article written about him in 2011.
The top five countries detaining journalists are Iran, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Turkey, and China.
"Demonstrated by social networks, which carry a heavy responsibility in this respect, these hateful sentiments legitimize this violence and weaken journalism and, with it, democracy, a little more every day," Deloire stated.
