A group of reporters who spend their time in some of the world's most dangerous conflict zones spoke to HuffPost Live on Tuesday about the ever-increasing threats that journalists are facing across the globe.
The conversation was triggered by the recent death of Associated Press photographer Anja Niedringhaus, who was killed in Afghanistan last week covering the upcoming presidential election. AP correspondent Kathy Gannon was shot and wounded alongside Niedringhaus and remains in stable condition.
Niedringhaus was among 14 journalists killed in 2014, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. At least 70 journalists were killed worldwide in 2013. The increase in journalist deaths due to conflicts in countries like Afghanistan, Turkey and Syria has made journalism an increasingly dangerous profession, Committee to Protect Journalists deputy editor Rob Mahoney told HuffPost Live.
"A journalist is killed more or less every 8 days around the world," Mahoney said. "The situations are so dangerous that even the most experienced battlefield-hardened journalists can still, as we tragically saw in Afghanistan, get killed or injured."
RT's foreign affairs correspondent Lucy Kafanov said that it was "very shocking" to hear the news about Niedringhaus and Gannon, describing both women as two of "the most experienced" reporters in Afghanistan.
"It's very difficult to stay safe," Kafanov said. "It's difficult to see what steps you can take to stay safe when the unpredictable nature and the various threats that range from roadside bombs to kidnappings to suicide bombers to assassinations aren't really things that you can prepare for."
But Jaron Gillinsky, who runs Storyhunter, a platform for video journalists, said that, for people trying to break into journalism, these are risks they may have to take.
"If you want to get into the industry, you do have to put yourself in a place where nobody else is," Gillinsky said. "As a freelancer, if you're not producing-- if you're not selling stories, pictures or videos-- then you are basically screwed."
Watch the video to see the full segment on HuffPost Live.