The Committee to Protect Journalists reports a record 129 journalists killed in 2025, with Israel responsible for two-thirds of the deaths amid global conflicts
NEW YORK: A record 129 journalists and media workers were killed worldwide in 2025. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) reported the figure on Wednesday, attributing two-thirds of the deaths to Israel.
This marks the second consecutive annual record and the deadliest year since the CPJ began collecting data over three decades ago. CEO Jodie Ginsberg stated that journalists are being killed at a record pace when access to information is most critical.
“We are all at risk when journalists are killed for reporting the news,” Ginsberg said.
Over three-quarters of the 2025 fatalities occurred in conflict zones. More than 60% of the 86 press members killed by Israeli fire were Palestinians reporting from Gaza.
The Israeli military maintains it never deliberately targets journalists. A spokesperson told AFP the CPJ report was “based on general allegations, data of unknown origin and pre-determined conclusions”.
The spokesperson asserted that terrorists have operated under civilian guises, including posing as journalists. “Any claim of intentional harm to civilians… due to their professional activity, is completely false,” the spokesperson said.
The number of journalists killed in Ukraine and Sudan also increased in 2025 compared to the previous year. The CPJ highlighted a rise in drone use, documenting 39 cases including 28 killings by Israel in Gaza.
Five journalists were killed by drones operated by Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. In Ukraine, four journalists were killed by Russian military drones, the highest annual number since 2022.
The CPJ said journalists are increasingly vulnerable due to a persistent culture of impunity. It noted a lack of transparent investigations into killings.
In Mexico, six journalists were killed in 2025 with all cases remaining unsolved. The Philippines saw three journalists shot dead.
Others were killed following reporting on corruption, such as a Bangladeshi reporter hacked to death by suspects linked to a fraud ring. Similar organised crime-related deaths were recorded in India and Peru.
In Saudi Arabia, prominent columnist Turki al-Jasser was executed by the state. The CPJ likened the charges against him to “spurious national security and financial crime allegations” used to punish reporters.
It was the Gulf state’s first documented killing of a journalist since the 2018 death of Jamal Khashoggi.
The Sun Malaysia
