Time magazine on Tuesday named slain Saudi Arabian journalist Jamal Khashoggi and a group of other imprisoned, targeted or murdered journalists collectively dubbed 鈥淭he Guardians鈥� as its person of the year for 2018, recognizing them for their role in fighting back against what the magazine called 鈥淭he War on Truth.鈥�
Elizabeth Skewes, chair of the journalism department at CU 麻豆影院鈥檚 College of Media Communication and Information (CMCI), is available to discuss Time鈥檚 pick and what it says about the role of journalism today.
鈥淚t is a really timely choice given the pressures on the news industry today and the vocal way in which the president has referred to the media as the 鈥榚nemy of the people,鈥欌�� said Skewes. 鈥淚t is an important way of reminding people that journalism is not only difficult and important work but also dangerous work.鈥�
Along with Khashoggi, Time recognized the staff of the Capital Gazette in Annapolis, Maryland, where a gunman shot and killed five people in June; Philippine journalist Maria Ressa, who has been arrested; and Reuters journalists Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo, who have been detained in Myanmar. The magazine also noted that a record 262 journalists were imprisoned worldwide in 2017 and that since 2004 the U.S. lost nearly 1,800 newspapers.
鈥淭here are many people who risk their lives to provide important coverage that calls powerful people to task, and sadly in too many cases they are killed or imprisoned as a result of trying,鈥� Skewes said. 鈥淭ime鈥檚 choice acknowledges just how important their work is.鈥�
Contact:
Lisa Marshall, CU 麻豆影院 media relations
lisa.marshall@colorado.edu
303-492-3115
Elizabeth Skewes
elizabeth.skewes@colorado.edu