The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has reported that the global rate of impunity for the murder of journalists has increased for the first time in more than a decade.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has reported that the global rate of impunity for the murder of journalists has increased for the first time in more than a decade. The growing use of drones in armed conflicts has also emerged as a new threat to journalists. According to UNESCO's latest report on the safety of journalists and the lack of accountability for crimes against them, a total of 189 journalists and media workers were killed worldwide during 2024 and 2025, the highest number since 2014–2015. More than two-thirds of them, or 127 journalists, were killed in conflict zones, accounting for 67 percent of all fatalities.
UNESCO Director-General Khaled El-Enany said journalists reporting from the front lines were being killed and injured, but, regrettably, those responsible for such incidents were rarely brought to justice. In his message marking the occasion, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said that at least 34 journalists had been killed over the past year. In six out of every seven journalist murders, the perpetrators go unpunished, while the rate of impunity in conflict zones is nearly 100 percent.
According to the report, Arab countries recorded the highest number of confirmed journalist killings during 2024 and 2025, with 97 journalists losing their lives. This was followed by Latin America and the Caribbean, with 37 deaths; Asia and the Pacific, with 34; Central and Eastern Europe, with 14; Africa, with six; and Western Europe and North America, with one journalist killed in each region. Palestine ranked first in journalist fatalities in both years, with 30 journalists killed in the first year and 32 in the second.
In its report, UNESCO highlighted another alarming threat to journalists: drone attacks. During 2024 and 2025, 50 journalists were killed in drone strikes, accounting for 40 percent of all journalists killed in conflict zones. The report also documented seven incidents in which multiple journalists were killed in a single attack. These included strikes on media offices and temporary reporting centers. Another 15 journalists were reportedly targeted while wearing clearly identifiable press jackets or travelling in vehicles explicitly marked as carrying journalists. Khaled El-Enany called for the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 2222, which emphasizes the protection of journalists and other media personnel as civilians during armed conflicts.
UNESCO highlighted that women journalists face extraordinary risks in conflict zones and on online platforms. Of the 14 female journalists killed during 2024 and 2025, 13 lost their lives in countries experiencing armed conflicts. A review conducted last year by UN Women and the International Center for Journalists found that 75 percent of women journalists had experienced abuse or harassment, either online or in real life. More than 40 percent of women journalists said they had also faced physical violence in real life as a result of online attacks. This figure stood at 20 percent in a similar UNESCO survey conducted in 2020.
The report also highlighted some positive developments. According to UNESCO, the rate of impunity for the murder of journalists has continued to decline in countries not experiencing armed conflicts. The rate fell from 94 percent in 2012 to 77 percent in 2026, representing an average annual decline of approximately one percentage point. Similarly, 85 journalists were killed in countries not affected by armed conflicts, the lowest figure recorded in 18 years. UNESCO says these figures demonstrate that progress is possible when governments prioritize the protection of journalists, investigate killings and take legal action against those responsible. António Guterres said journalists around the world were paying a heavy price, sometimes with their lives, for bringing the truth to light. He added that when journalists are targeted and their ability to report is silenced, the entire public becomes a victim of the attack.
