VOA标准英语2010年-Horn of Africa's Poor Press Conditions

Somalis and local journalists carry the body of Moqtar Mohamed Hirab for burial in Mogadishu on 07 Jun 2009. Masked gunmen killed the director of one of Somalia's largest broadcasters on Sunday, a witness and media official said

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The Committee to Protect Journalists

6 Somalis were killed in 2009 for their work as journalists, bringing the total to 21 since 2005; 19 Eritrean and 4 Ethiopian journalists were behind bars as of December 2009, according to CPJ's research

The Horn of Africa region is among the most dangerous places in the world to work as a journalist, according to a global watchdog group. The Committee to Protect Journalists says numerous journalists in the region have been forced to flee home under threat of death or imprisonment¹.

The New York-based group warns that the quality of reporting has suffered significantly due to the high number of local journalists from Somalia, Ethiopia, and Eritrea who have been imprisoned², attacked, forced to flee, or censured³.

In its annual report on press freedom worldwide, the Committee to Protect Journalists also declares Zimbabwe, Rwanda, Gambia, and Sudan as particularly troubled environments for press freedoms on the continent.

Six Somalis were killed in 2009 for their work as journalists, bringing the total to 21 since 2005. Islamist rebel group al-Shabab - who controls much of the country - has been especially abusive towards media workers, barraging⁴ them with threats, assaults, and censorship, according to CPJ.

The Western-backed Somali government has also reportedly been responsible for cracking down on local members of the press. The group says the perilous⁵ conditions have led many of the country's best reporters to flee into exile.

Nineteen Eritrean and four Ethiopian journalists were behind bars as of December 2009, according to the group's research.

The report says that the professional void created by this endemic intimidation⁶ and abuse has made it much more difficult for the rest of the world to monitor the developments in these countries, which is particularly troublesome given that press freedom is often most restricted in areas prone⁷ to humanitarian⁸ crises, such as conflict zones and territories under the control of repressive regimes.

In the case of Somalia, international media houses rely almost exclusively on the accounts of local journalists, as the situation is considered too dangerous to maintain any permanent outside presence.

David Makali, director of the Nairobi-based East African Media Institute, says that local news organizations - usually operating on shoe-string budgets - simply do not have the capacity to protect their reporters in these high-risk areas.

"In this region with a lot of conflict, journalists are being put on the front line and there is a lot of pressure on them to report accurately⁹ and to venture into territories which are dangerous," said Makali.  "I don't think that in terms of preparedness, the media in this region is able to cover these conflicts which emerge. They are trying, but the repercussions¹⁰ are really serious," he added.

CPJ also describes the difficult plight¹¹ of local journalists who are forced into exile, saying that most are unable to make it as journalists in their new environment and must find new ways of supporting their families.

The Union of Exiled Somali Journalists says that up to 80 of their colleagues have fled the Horn of African nation during the past decade due to the hazardous¹² conditions back home. CPJ says that English-speaking reporters are disproportionately targeted.

The annual report also criticizes the Rwandan government led by President Paul Kagame for harshly squashing political dissent¹³ in the press.
 

1 imprisonment   

n.关押，监禁，坐牢

参考例句：

• His sentence was commuted from death to life imprisonment.他的判决由死刑减为无期徒刑。
• He was sentenced to one year's imprisonment for committing bigamy.他因为犯重婚罪被判入狱一年。

2 imprisoned   

下狱，监禁( imprison的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He was imprisoned for two concurrent terms of 30 months and 18 months. 他被判处30个月和18个月的监禁，合并执行。
• They were imprisoned for possession of drugs. 他们因拥有毒品而被监禁。

3 censured   

v.指责，非难，谴责( censure的过去式 )

参考例句：

• They were censured as traitors. 他们被指责为叛徒。 来自辞典例句
• The judge censured the driver but didn't fine him. 法官责备了司机但没罚他款。 来自辞典例句

4 barraging   

v.火力攻击（或阻击）( barrage的现在分词 )；以密集火力攻击（或阻击）

参考例句：

5 perilous   

adj.危险的，冒险的

参考例句：

• The journey through the jungle was perilous.穿过丛林的旅行充满了危险。
• We have been carried in safety through a perilous crisis.历经一连串危机，我们如今已安然无恙。

6 intimidation   

n.恐吓，威胁

参考例句：

• The Opposition alleged voter intimidation by the army.反对党声称投票者受到军方的恐吓。
• The gang silenced witnesses by intimidation.恶帮用恐吓的手段使得证人不敢说话。

7 prone   

adj.(to)易于…的，很可能…的；俯卧的

参考例句：

• Some people are prone to jump to hasty conclusions.有些人往往作出轻率的结论。
• He is prone to lose his temper when people disagree with him.人家一不同意他的意见,他就发脾气。

8 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

9 accurately   

adv.准确地，精确地

参考例句：

• It is hard to hit the ball accurately.准确地击中球很难。
• Now scientists can forecast the weather accurately.现在科学家们能准确地预报天气。

10 repercussions   

n.后果，反响( repercussion的名词复数 )；余波

参考例句：

• The collapse of the company will have repercussions for the whole industry. 这家公司的垮台将会给整个行业造成间接的负面影响。
• Human acts have repercussions far beyond the frontiers of the human world. 人类行为所产生的影响远远超出人类世界的范围。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 plight   

n.困境，境况，誓约，艰难；vt.宣誓，保证，约定

参考例句：

• The leader was much concerned over the plight of the refugees.那位领袖对难民的困境很担忧。
• She was in a most helpless plight.她真不知如何是好。

12 hazardous   

adj.(有)危险的，冒险的；碰运气的

参考例句：

• These conditions are very hazardous for shipping.这些情况对航海非常不利。
• Everybody said that it was a hazardous investment.大家都说那是一次危险的投资。

13 dissent   

n./v.不同意，持异议

参考例句：

• It is too late now to make any dissent.现在提出异议太晚了。
• He felt her shoulders gave a wriggle of dissent.他感到她的肩膀因为不同意而动了一下。