Journalists Memorial
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Preliminary list of journalists who died in
2002
"To preserve the freedom of the human mind ... and freedom of the
press, every spirit should be ready to devote itself to martyrdom." — Thomas
Jefferson
The Journalists Memorial, standing at the highest point of Freedom Park in
Arlington, Va., overlooks the monuments of Washington, D.C. It is 24 feet tall
and made of dichroic glass.
The Freedom Forum Journalists Memorial honors reporters, editors, photographers
and broadcasters who gave their lives reporting the news.
Veronica Guerin died covering organized crime in Ireland. Elijah Lovejoy died
crusading against slavery; Ernie Pyle, covering World War II from the front;
Don Bolles, exposing corruption.
Around the world, journalists have placed themselves in peril. Thousands simply
disappeared, victims of cruel regimes. Their names are lost to history. Those
named here intone their collective legacy: They fought and died in the battle
to report the truth.
The Memorial is a central feature of Freedom Park, adjacent to The Freedom Forum
Newseum and The Freedom Forum World Center headquarters in Arlington.
The journalists
This database contains the current list of names for the Journalists Memorial.
Most entries include each journalist's name and news organization, the
organization's home country and the place where the journalist died.
In some cases, little is known about the journalists, including the
news-organization affiliation. Research by Newseum staff and the Committee to
Protect Journalists determined that these people were journalists killed in the
line of duty. For free-lance journalists, the listings include only the name
and where they died.
The Freedom Forum rededicates the Memorial each year.
Criteria for selection
The journalists whose names are listed on The Freedom Forum Journalists Memorial
died in the line of duty — trying to gather the news.
For the Memorial, a journalist is defined as a regular contributor of news,
commentary or photography to a publication or broadcast outlet; an editor or
other news executive; a free-lance journalist; a producer, camera operator,
sound engineer or other working member of a broadcast crew; or a documentary
filmmaker. The Memorial does not include employees of official government
agencies whose primary function is to transmit government information.
Some of the journalists listed were killed covering wars, natural disasters or
violent crimes, some were injured or fell ill while on assignment, and some
were murdered to silence their reporting. Journalists who died as a result of
accidents unrelated to an assignment are not listed on the Memorial, nor are
those who instigated the violence that caused their deaths. An independent
panel of journalists and journalism historians reviews difficult cases.
Names that might qualify for the Memorial may be submitted for consideration.
Please provide complete background on the individual, the news organization and
its location, and the location and circumstances of the death. Letters and
supporting materials, which cannot be returned, should be sent to:
The Freedom Forum Journalists Memorial
Newseum
1101 Wilson Boulevard
Arlington, VA 22209 USA
Related
Most freedomforum.org international press coverage ends
Foundation, Web site priorities focus on First Amendment, Newseum, newsroom diversity; international links will remain.
11.19.01
