First, journalists who were reporting on the police shooting of unarmed black teenager Mike Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, were arrested, intimidated and confined to a designated parking lot several hundred yards away from clashes between protesters and police. At least 17 journalists have been arrested while covering the story.

And then, on Tuesday, Aug. 19, the Islamic State announced that it had executed American journalist James Foley, who'd been missing for close to two years after being kidnapped from Syria while reporting for GlobalPost. The militants released a video of Foley's beheading, which US intelligence determined to be authentic. The world was outraged and heartbroken.

This impossibly sad moment offers a time to step back and reflect on the threats and challenges journalists face around the globe.