Journalism's Deadly Year: Conflicts Worldwide Lead to Record Fatalities

Global press freedom is in a bad state. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) says in its latest report that last year, 129 journalists and media workers died doing their jobs. That's the highest number since the group started keeping track in 1992. This is the second year in a row with record high numbers, showing a growing crisis for reporters in danger zones.

Most of these deaths are tied to conflicts. Of the 129 deaths, at least 104 happened during military actions. Sudan, Mexico, Ukraine, and the Philippines are still risky places for reporters. The report says the biggest reason for this year's high numbers is the conflict involving Israel.

The CPJ says Israeli military actions are to blame for about two-thirds of all journalist deaths over the past two years. In 2025, 86 Palestinian journalists were killed by Israeli fire. Most of these deaths happened in Gaza, but some also took place in the West Bank. The report points out that Israel is responsible for most of the targeted killings or attacks on the press.

These losses are made worse by restrictions on information. Israel has banned foreign journalists from Gaza, so local Palestinian media workers have to do all the reporting. The CPJ says there have been death slanders, where the Israeli military claimed killed journalists were connected to Hamas, even though news groups say they weren't. In other cases, like an attack on a media center in Yemen that killed 31 workers, the military said it was a propaganda unit.

Jodie Ginsberg, the CEO of the CPJ, said this violence against the press is a warning about civil liberties. She says when journalists are targeted, it hurts the transparency of global events and puts the public at risk.

Official responses have been quiet or defensive. The Israeli military says it only targets combatants and that journalists in war zones know the risks. But the CPJ says the real death toll might be even higher because it's hard to check information and access is limited in Gaza. This report is a reminder that without protecting media workers, the truth suffers.