How many journalists were murdered in 2008?

The end of the year is upon us and with it countless lists and summaries which attempt to encapsulate the most news-worthy entertainment and political stories of the past 12 months. Like most people, I tend to enjoy these "best of..." lists where I learn just how unfamiliar I am with all things cool and attention warranting. Occasionally I've seen a film or heard a record of note but most often, I learn a great deal about interesting stuff I had otherwise never heard of. In the political sphere, we'll see various scandals and falls from grace helpfully rated and put in bite-sized information portions. But notwithstanding the potentially monumental election of Barack Obama and the unmasking of the financial industry, is there anything else worth knowing about the year that was, 2008? More pointedly, is there anything worth our time other than the, like, brilliant Batman movie and the, like, genius of Lil' Wayne?

I would here like to make the case that there was. My grimace-obsessed nature has sought out that which speaks to my own gloomy view of things, and happily I have discovered a list which must rank among the gloomiest. Both Reporters Without Borders and the Committee to Protect Journalists have compiled lists of murdered and imprisoned journalists and what do you know, 2008 has been another terrible year for those who write stories a tiny few ever get around to reading. The usual suspects are all there: Iraq, Mexico and Russia continue to lead the way, but numerous countries in the southern hemisphere are also competing for the top prize.

Journalists had best be careful where they spend their time nosing around these days. It seems very little stops idiots with guns from abducting or murdering anyone they suspect who might conspire against their interests. To tell the truth is to court the bullets of the bullying barbarians who control these hapless cultures. The pattern is simple, peel the slightest layer back from the taboos which cocoon these cultures from the truths of their malaise and you will suffer for it, golly gosh, you'll get beaten to death and shot after the fact just for the nihilistic symbolism of it. Journalists dropped like flies on a windowsill in 2008, but will their numbers be enough to keep the crown from young upstart, 2009?

Note: Canadian journalists are not immune to the madness of men and boys with guns; CBC reporter Melissa Fung was held for a month in Afghanistan this past fall, and little is known about the ongoing kidnapping of Amanda Lindhout in Somalia (She should have known better, its been hell there for years. Bravery does not shield one from barbarity, ask Daniel Pearl).