The power of the written word is well known, to none more than those who try to suppress it. Two journalists from the Online news agency were killed at their office in Quetta on Friday along with an accountant. The victim journalists included Irshad Mastoi and Abdul Rasool Khajak. The former was the bureau chief of the news agency and the general secretary of the Balochistan Union of Journalists, whereas the latter had recently been hired as a reporter for the agency. Though no group has claimed responsibility for this attack yet, the fact that they were killed during the line of duty leaves no doubt that the perpetrators wanted to send a message to the journalists community. Over the last five years 30 journalists have been killed in Balochistan, some in target killings and some while engaged in conflict areas. The obvious reason for this attack appears to be that the victims’ journalism displeased some group. This highlights a factor that is becoming truer every day that the media today plays a central role in highlighting issues, therefore being the obvious target for any repercussions. Balochistan in particular is home to several militant organisations, from the nationalist insurgency to terrorist groups, not to mention the security agencies, who are accused of such enforced disappearances in many cases. This is a time when writing the truth is equivalent to creating an enemy. Today, when there is an excess of militant organisations at work, with everyone fully armed and working under carte blanche, one cannot even draw a line of demarcation between enemy and non-enemy. Who can turn against you and when, you never know. War and conflict zones in particular, across the globe, have become the riskiest places to work. The recent beheading of James Foley, an American journalist, by Islamic State (IS) fighters adds a name to that long list of media victims, which keeps growing over time. Pakistan has been declared one of the most dangerous and unsafe countries in the world for journalists and it proudly carries a history of never bringing the perpetrators to justice. To end this wave of brutality that has been unleashed on this important section of society, the authorities need to bring the culprits to justice and lay out a plan to ensure full security and freedom for journalists. *