A press freedom organisation, Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) has said that more than 600 journalists have died of Covid-19 since March 1, 2020.
PEC, which tracks the death of journalists around the world, said that out of the 602 media workers known to have died from the new coronavirus, more than half were from Latin America, with 303 fatalities.
The group added that 145 deaths were recorded in Asia, with 94 in Europe, 32 in North America and 28 in Africa.
The PEC said it was not possible to differentiate journalists who had become infected whilst working, and their list also includes retired journalists.
The Geneva-based group said it believes journalists “should have priority access to immunisation upon request”.
“Because of their profession, journalists who go into the field to testify are particularly exposed to the virus. Some of them, especially freelancers and photographers, can’t just work from home,” PEC Secretary-General, Blaise Lempen said in a statement.
It said the actual number would be higher than 602 as the cause of journalists’ deaths is sometimes not specified and their deaths not announced.
Peru has the heaviest death toll at 93 journalists, followed by Brazil (55), India (53), Mexico (45), Ecuador (42), Bangladesh (41), Italy (37) and the United States (31).
The international non-profit organisation founded in 2004 supports requests for financial assistance from the families of journalists who have died from Covid-19.