READER LETTER | Killers of journos must be punished

The brutal killing of 83 journalists in war-ravaged Gaza is indeed a blistering indictment against leaders who fail to take a stand against global tyranny.

Journalists symbolise dignity, integrity, selflessness and commitment to the truth that constitutes the essence of journalism. Every year on May 3, the UN General Assembly proclaimed World Press Freedom Day, a global tribute to men and women who risk their precious lives to expose those who stifle freedom every hour.

The cowardice and brutality to take innocent human lives should not be left unpunished .War journalism can be a hazardous profession. More than 1,000 journalists sacrificed their lives in the line of duty over the past decade. Measuring danger by mortality is, however, only one way, albeit the most visible, of assessing the toll war takes on reporters, photographers and camera men.

Have we ever wondered how the news travels from conflict zones to newspapers and browsers in minutes? It is because of journalists who are willing to put their lives on the line in pursuit of the truth.

The news always comes out safe, but, sometimes, the journalists do not. Every drop of blood shed by them is giving life to the news industry. They are bringing truth to the outside world. Journalists go into battle fields where not even a squad of soldiers or convoy of vehicles would dare enter. Yet they are armed only with their cameras. Without photographers andjournalists like these, you would not see the “real” face of war.

Farouk Araie, Benoni