CPJ: 2025 Deadliest Year on Record for Journalists

By Staff, Agencies

A record 129 journalists and media workers were killed worldwide in 2025, marking the deadliest year for the press since monitoring began more than three decades ago, according to a new report by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).

The New York-based watchdog said “Israeli” occupation forces were responsible for nearly two-thirds of the killings, with 86 journalists killed by “Israeli” fire during the year. More than 60% of them were Palestinians reporting from Gaza.

The CPJ described 2025 as the second consecutive year of record press fatalities. Gaza emerged as the most dangerous location for journalists globally, amid “Israel’s” ongoing war.

“Journalists are being killed in record numbers at a time when access to information is more important than ever,” CPJ CEO Jodie Ginsberg said in a statement. “We are all at risk when journalists are killed for reporting the news,” she added.

The “Israeli” military maintains that it does not deliberately target journalists. However, rights organizations have repeatedly documented cases in which Palestinian reporters were killed while covering “Israeli” airstrikes and ground operations.

The report highlighted a sharp increase in the use of drones in journalist killings, documenting 39 cases worldwide in 2025. Of those, 28 were attributed to “Israeli” drone strikes in Gaza, while five were linked to Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.

Beyond conflict zones, the watchdog warned of a persistent culture of impunity. In Mexico, six journalists were killed in 2025, with all cases remaining unsolved. The Philippines recorded three fatal shootings of journalists during the year.

Several journalists were targeted following investigations into corruption and organized crime. In Bangladesh, a reporter was hacked to death by suspects allegedly linked to a fraud network, while similar organized crime-related killings were documented in India and Peru.