The Richard Spooner Column: Dying for free speech�

The biggest danger I faced in my long career as a journalist was the ire of the editor when I committed the unforgiveable crime of splitting an infinitive.

Seriously, there were a few moments to set the pulse racing, but nothing like the dangers faced by journalists covering trouble spots around the world.

I only mention this because you may be unaware that Bank Holiday Monday next week is also World Press Freedom Day.

Now you may have many axes to grind over what is written in the media today - quite rightly so. And we should celebrate the fact that we live in a society where you can argue with other people 's views in public, largely without the fear of prosecution - ridicule maybe but generally you are not going to get banged up for airing your views.

I 'm among those people who regret the unregulated free-for-all that is social media. Having worked for many years in an industry where the utmost care was taken to be fair and get things correct, this is a disappointing development.

That is not to say that mistakes are never made. But generally, of all the material written in newspapers whether in print or online, they meet a high standard. I look forward to the day when the same is applied to social media.

And the important thing is to be able to distinguish between facts and views. Social media, although good in parts, can blend both into a miasma.

While defending the freedom to fairly speak your mind in any arena, protecting journalists who put themselves into danger is just as vital. Many have served with distinction in dark corners of the world, not the least in World Wars and other conflicts, like Vietnam.

And that is why Monday, 3 May, is an important day. According to the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), 66 journalists were killed in 2020. That 's more than one a week and compares to 49 in the previous year.

As of 31 December, 2020, the IFJ lists Asia Pacific as the most dangerous region with 32 killings, followed by Latin America with 17 murders. The Middle East and Arab World posted eight killings, followed by Africa (six) and Europe (two).

In its 2020 ranking per country, Mexico tops the list for the fourth time in five years with 14 killings, followed by Afghanistan (10), Pakistan (nine), India (eight), Philippines (four) and Syria (four) while Iraq and Nigeria recorded three killings each.

There were also two killings in Somalia. Finally, there was one journalist killed in each of Bangladesh, Cameroon, Colombia, Honduras, Paraguay, Russian, Sweden and Yemen.

The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) says the global Covid-19 pandemic brought into sharp focus the vital need for information. And with it came the need for absolute veracity. Knowing the truth about the effectiveness and safety of vaccines is absolutely vital in winning the trust of the people.

There are many reasons why journalists have lost their lives. Some have been accidently killed in a field of conflict but others have been politically or gangland motivated.

The fact that they are prepared to put their lives at risk to get to the truth should be celebrated by right-minded people who are free to speak their mind�