This 30 foot high glass and steel sculpture on the roof of BBC Broadcasting House, in London, is entitled Breathing and was designed by the international artist, Jaume Plensa. Every night, a light beam extending one kilometre into the sky, will illuminate the sculpture for 30 minutes, in tandem with the BBC's ten o'clock news bulletin.

On Monday night, Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon, paid tribute to journalists and crew killed upholding freedom of speech as he dedicated the sculpture to their memory.  The inauguration follows the recent deaths of two BBC journalists.

Rodney Pinder, Director of INSI, who co-hosted the event  said: "These men and women are the unsung heroes of democracy, for without a free press there can be no freedom. This shaft of light in the capital of international journalism is a visual reminder of their sacrifice."

BBC Chairman Sir Michael Lyons said: "We are all reminded of the daily risks taken by journalists in some of the world's most dangerous places. “The implicit contract, whereby journalists place their lives at risk to help us understand the world and its events better, needs to be reaffirmed at moments like this. That sacrifice is properly valued and the loss is widely shared."

A study issued in March last year found that every week, for the last ten years, at least two journalists or news staff have been killed trying to report the news; and in 90% of cases no-one is brought to justice.

To see James Fenton's specially commissioned poem click the link below.