A record 129 journalists and media workers lost their lives in 2025, marking the deadliest year since the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) began tracking such data more than three decades ago. The watchdog reported on Wednesday that Israel accounted for nearly two-thirds of the deaths.
CPJ said over three-quarters of the fatalities occurred in conflict zones. Of the 86 journalists killed by Israeli fire, more than 60 percent were Palestinians reporting from Gaza. The Israeli military has maintained that it does not deliberately target journalists.
Drone strikes played a significant role in the surge, with 39 killings documented. CPJ attributed 28 of those deaths to Israeli operations in Gaza, five to Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces, and four to Russian military drones in Ukraine. The Ukraine toll was the highest annual figure since 2022, when 15 journalists were killed.
Other countries also saw alarming trends. Six journalists were killed in Mexico, all cases unresolved. The Philippines recorded three fatal shootings. In Bangladesh, a reporter investigating fraud was hacked to death, while similar organised crime-related killings were reported in India and Peru.
Saudi Arabia carried out its first documented journalist execution since Jamal Khashoggi’s death in 2018. Columnist Turki al-Jasser was executed after being convicted on charges CPJ described as spurious national security and financial crime allegations.
CPJ CEO Jodie Ginsberg warned that the record numbers highlight a growing threat to press freedom. “Journalists are being killed in record numbers at a time when access to information is more important than ever. We are all at risk when journalists are killed for reporting the news,” she said.
The report underscores how impunity and lack of transparent investigations continue to leave journalists vulnerable worldwide.
