VOA常速英语:Newseum Salutes Journalists Who Died Covering News in 2013

WASHINGTON — The Journalists’ Memorial at the Newseum in Washington bears the names of reporters, photographers, editors and others who died or were killed while covering the news. In a rededication ceremony, the Newseum added the names of journalists who died in 2013 while pursuing the news.

On Monday, the Newseum added the names of 10 journalists to a memorial wall that lists more than 2,200 people who died or were killed covering the news between 1837 and 2013.

Gene Policinsky of the Newseum Institute says they represent the danger and the sacrifices made by journalists around the world.

“We have a radio host in the Philippines, a Russian journalist who died five years after he was beaten nearly to death," he said. "There are people whose names we may never know who were killed in the pursuit of news and information and they should be included so we have a representative group here that stands for all that died.”

“They took pictures that somebody did not like," said Kathleen Carroll, senior vice president at the Associated Press. "They shot videos that somebody did not like. They asked questions that somebody decided were out of line. They wrote some things that somebody thought should not be written.”

Carroll says whether journalists are covering a distant land or their native soil, the root of their calling is to record world events and expose what some prefer to keep hidden.

Mick Deane was one of them. The British cameraman for Sky News who was fatally shot in Egypt while covering clashes between security forces and supporters of former Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi.

His widow and sons took part in the Newseum ceremony.

“Things like this really help pinpoint and highlight the reasons why we were proud of him," said son, Patrick Deane. "All the families and friends of all the people who are on this wall should be proud just like we are of our dad.”

Others killed in 2013 include Ghislaine Dupont and Claude Verlon, who were found dead hours after interviewing a Mali rebel leader. Rodrigo Neto, who was gunned while covering police corruption in Brazil, and Fernando Solijon who was fatally shot in the Philippines after receiving death threats. Policinski says it is important to remember them all.

“Every day around the planet, each year, journalists are risking their lives to bring us news and information," he said. "Each year we hope this memorial is a reminder, where if no other place the world will pause for a moment and remember what that role is and how dangerous it can be.”

The Newseum says the names added represent all journalists who have died or were killed, whether the world knows about them or not. International organizations that work to protect journalists say as many as 77 of them were killed while reporting the news in 2013.