Gunman kills Honduran journalist as he leaves tv studio

Gunman kills Honduran journalist as he leaves tv studio
By Associated Press

8:05 a.m. EDT, April 21, 2010

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras (AP) — Honduran police say a gunman fatally shot a journalist in the head as he was leaving a television studio in the city of San Pedro Sula.

Honduran police spokesman Hector Ivan Mejia says 48-year-old Georgino Orellana had just finished anchoring his news show and was leaving TV-Honduras' building Tuesday night when a gunman approached and shot him once in the head.

Mejia didn't say whether Orellana's death was tied to his work as a journalist.

Orellana is the fifth journalist killed in Honduras since March 1.

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/breakingnews/sns-ap-lt-honduras-journalist-killed,0,3125463.story

UNESCO chief condemns sixth murder of journalist in Honduras in 2010

21 April 2010 – The head of the United Nations agency tasked with upholding press freedom today condemned the murder of a journalist in Honduras, the sixth media professional slain in the Central American nation so far this year.
Luis Antonio Chévez Hernández, 22, a presenter with Radio W105, was murdered in the north-west city of San Pedro Sula on 13 April.

“I am gravely concerned about repeated attacks on journalists in Honduras and trust the authorities will spare no effort in pursuing those behind these crimes,” said Irina Bokova, Director-General of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

“It is important for stability and rule of law that media workers in the country be able to exercise their right of freedom of expression without fearing for their lives.”

Reporters Without Borders, a non-governmental organization (NGO), said that Mr. Hernández’s death brings the total number of journalists killed in Honduras to six this year. The group has called Honduras and Mexico the deadliest countries by far for journalists working in the Western Hemisphere.

In March, a UNESCO report found that rising numbers of journalists are being killed worldwide, mostly in countries that are at peace, and called for an end to impunity in the murders of media professionals.

More:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=34432&Cr=honduras&Cr1=

Sloppy bookkeeping by The Associated Press reporter.

Suspected it was more and a quick google check yields SEVEN Honduran journalists assassinated since March 1; EIGHT since gorilobo took over from goriletti in January.

Not a single assassination has been solved.

17 Feb. -- Nicolas Asfura
1 March -- Jose Ochoa (was with journalist Karol Cabrera who was wounded.)
11 March -- David Meza
14 March -- Nahum Palacios Arteaga
26 March -- Jose Bayardo Mairena
26 March -- Manuel Juarez
14 April -- Luis Antonio Chavez
17 April -- Georgino Orellana

Why this is happening is a mystery but a gorilobo official has said that investigations have determined that the killings are NOT related to the profession of journalism. He said it was "personal reasons."

The Honduran Journalists' Association is not buying that at all and had called for congressional hearings.