A new high of 129 journalists and media personnel lost their lives globally in 2025, as reported by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) on the previous day, with Israel being held accountable for around two-thirds of the fatalities. This marked the second consecutive year of record-breaking casualties in the press, making it the deadliest period since the CPJ’s inception over thirty years ago.
CEO Jodie Ginsberg expressed concern in a statement, emphasizing the escalating dangers faced by journalists amid the crucial need for access to information in today’s world. The CPJ’s findings revealed that over 75% of the deaths in 2025 occurred in conflict zones, with more than 60% of the 86 journalists killed by Israeli forces being Palestinian journalists reporting from Gaza.
Despite the Israeli military’s denial of intentionally targeting journalists, the CPJ noted a rise in journalist fatalities in Ukraine and Sudan compared to the previous year. The organization highlighted the increased use of drones, documenting 39 cases, including fatal incidents involving Israeli forces in Gaza and Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces.
In Ukraine, the number of journalists killed by Russian military drones surged, marking the highest annual death toll in the conflict since 2022. The CPJ underscored the heightened vulnerability of journalists, citing a persistent lack of accountability and transparent investigations into these killings.
Notable incidents included the unsolved killings of six journalists in Mexico and the targeted shootings of three journalists in the Philippines. Additionally, journalists faced threats for their coverage of corruption, with cases like a Bangladeshi reporter being brutally murdered by individuals linked to a fraudulent network, as detailed in the CPJ report.
Organized crime-related journalist deaths were also reported in India and Peru. In Saudi Arabia, the state executed prominent columnist Turki al-Jasser on multiple charges, characterized by the CPJ as dubious allegations of national security and financial crimes aimed at silencing journalists. This marked the first documented journalist killing in the Gulf state since the tragic death of Jamal Khashoggi in 2018.