Hold to Account Those Who Murder Journalists
VOA常速新闻: 严惩针对记者的暴力行为
燕山大学 刘立军
TRANSCRIPT
There is a dangerous global trend in violence against journalists. Indeed, a growing number of journalists are being targeted by violent extremists and transnational criminal organizations, said the Spokesperson for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor Affairs at State Mario Crifo. Organizations, such as Da'esh in Iraq and Syria, extremist militias in Libya, al-Shabaab in Somalia and Boko Haram in Nigeria have brutally attacked journalists who threaten to bring the truth of crimes and corruption to light.
The Committee to Protect Journalists, or CPJ, estimates that as many as 40 percent of crimes against journalists are committed by these kinds of groups and their supporters.
One of those killed was Sami Jawdat Rabah. He was abducted in October 2015 by Da'esh fighters in Syria, brutalized, and later killed, with a video of his killing made available for the entire world to see. He was a reporter for the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights working to document the abuses of the Syrian regime and of Da'esh. In June 2016, Sagal Salad Osman was attacked and gunned down in Somalia. She was a reporter with Somali National Television and Radio Mogadishu where she worked to give voice to Somali demands for an end to the violence there.
As President Barack Obama has said, “The world is a better and stronger place when individual conscience and a press that is free are allowed to function.”
In order to achieve that vision, the U.S. has made a major reinvestment in the Securing Access to Freedom of Expression Initiative. Dubbed SAFE, the initiative provides training in digital and physical security to journalists through regional centers to help them do their jobs while avoiding targeting.
In addition, each year the Department of State conducts an annual Free the Press campaign, which highlights the stories of journalists who have been imprisoned around the world and calls on governments to release them.
The U.S. will continue to work to eliminate impunity for crimes against media professionals. Not only is that the right thing to do to secure justice for journalists and their families—it is essential to achieving the goal of a press that is free to report the truth.
VOCABULARY
1. transnational adj. (especially business 商) existing in or involving many different countries 跨国的；多国的。例如：transnational corporations跨国公司
2. militia n. 民兵组织；国民自卫队 A militia is an organization that operates like an army but whose members are not professional soldiers. 例句：
· The troops will not attempt to disarm the warring militias. 部队并不打算解除战斗中的民兵武装。
3. reinvest v. to put profits that have been made on an investment back into the same investment or into a new one 再投资；把（利润）用于再投资。 reinvestment 例句：
· Reinvestment and pyramiding are not inevitable. 再投资和投资递增不是必然发生的。
· This risk is inherent to the defect of reinvestment. 这种风险是由转投资行为的缺陷造成的。
4. impunity n. 不受惩罚，无罪；不受损失
QUESTIONS
Fill in the blanks with the information you hear in the news.
| QUESTION | |
| WHAT? | There is a dangerous global trend in ___________________________. Indeed, a growing number of journalists are being targeted by violent extremists and __________________________________________, said the Spokesperson for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor Affairs at State Mario Crifo.
|
| WHY? | The Committee to Protect Journalists, or CPJ, estimates that as many as __________________ of crimes against journalists are committed by these kinds of groups and their supporters. One of those killed was Sami Jawdat Rabah. He was abducted in ___________________________ by Da'esh fighters in Syria, brutalized, and later killed, with a video of his killing made available for the entire world to see. He was a reporter for the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights working to ______________________________________ of the Syrian regime and of Da'esh. In ___________________, Sagal Salad Osman was attacked and gunned down in Somalia. She was a reporter with Somali National Television and Radio Mogadishu where she worked to give voice to Somali demands for an end to the violence there. As President Barack Obama has said, “The world is a better and stronger place when ________________________ and a press that is free are allowed to function.” |
| HOW? | In order to achieve that vision, the U.S. has made a major _____________ in the Securing Access to Freedom of Expression Initiative. Dubbed SAFE, the initiative provides training in digital and physical security to journalists through regional centers to help them do their jobs while ___________________. In addition, each year the Department of State conducts an annual Free the Press campaign, which highlights the stories of journalists who have been imprisoned around the world and calls on governments to release them. The U.S. will continue to work to eliminate impunity for crimes against media professionals. Not only is that the right thing to do to secure justice for journalists and their families - it is essential to achieving the goal of a press that is free to ______________________________________. |
KEY
| QUESTION | KEY |
| WHAT? | Q1 | violence against journalists |
| Q2 | transnational criminal organizations |
| WHY? | Q3 | 40 percent / 40% |
| Q4 | October 2015 |
| Q5 | document the abuses |
| Q6 | June 2016 |
| Q7 | individual conscience |
| HOW? | Q8 | reinvestment |
| Q9 | avoiding targeting |
| Q10 | report the truth |