Article written by Vitória Paschoal Baldin for the Intercom – Brazilian Society for Interdisciplinary Communication Studies.
Abstract
Violence against journalists is a global phenomenon, with profound impacts on the possibilities of freedom of expression. In conflict scenarios, censorship and persecution of communicators tend to deepen. In May 2022, Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, a correspondent for Al-Jazeera, was murdered while covering clashes in the Jenin Refugee Camp, in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, demonstrating the vulnerability to which journalists are subjected in this context. Therefore, the present work analyzes how violence specifically affects Palestinian journalists, considering the interaction of different identity markers associated with the scenario of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, starting from the centrality of the death of Shireen Abu Akleh. In addressing such murder, the research examines the links between freedom of expression, human rights and identity, highlighting how Palestinian journalists face specific challenges and violence related to their identity.
Keywords: Freedom of Expression; Violence Against Women Journalists; Intersectionality; Palestinian-Israeli Conflict.