A total of 65 journalists were killed on the planet in 2017 - 50 professionals, 7 "civil journalists" (bloggers) and 8 "media collaborators". This shows an annual report of Reporters Without Borders published today. This is the year with the lowest number of deaths among professional journalists in 14 years, says the Paris-based non-governmental organization.

This is partly due to better protection, to the reporters, but also to the fact that in the dangerous countries that "get rid of journalists" - that's how things are, for example, in Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Libya.

Out of 65 journalists killed in the year, 39 were deliberately killed and 26 died while performing their duties.

Like last year, Syria remains the deadliest reporter country with 12 murdered journalists. Followed by Mexico with 11 casualties, Afghanistan with 9, Iraq with 8, and the Philippines with four.

Armed conflicts jeopardize the lives of journalists who report them, and in countries like Mexico "cartels and local politicians run terror" and forcing reporters "to leave their country or the profession."

"Among countries without war conflict, Mexico is the most dangerous in the world for reporters," Reporters Without Borders said. In the country of drug cartels, they systematically threaten and even kill journalists writing about political class corruption or organized crime. Such was, for example, the case of Javier Valdes Cardenas, 50-year-old journalist co-operating with the France press and local media, killed cold-bloodedly on May 15, the agency recalls.

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