Amnesty: NI Most Dangerous Place for Journalists

Northern Ireland has become the most dangerous place in the UK for journalists, according to a new Amnesty International report, with over 70 threats and attacks reported since 2019 from paramilitary and organised crime groups. Journalists have faced death, rape threats, physical assaults, and the killings of Lyra McKee and Martin O’Hagan. Prominent journalists such as Allison Morris and Ciaran Barnes describe living under constant threat and employing heightened security measures, including bulletproof windows and police-linked alarms. Despite these risks, prosecutions for attacks, especially those linked to paramilitary groups, remain rare, fostering a climate of impunity. The National Union of Journalists and Amnesty International warn that this situation constitutes a direct attack on press freedom, and many journalists are now hesitant to report threats due to perceived inaction. The report calls for urgent state intervention to protect journalists and uphold press freedom.