Record 129 press members killed in 2025

Press man examining a burnt camera. CPJ

More journalists and media workers were killed in 2025 than in any other year since CPJ began collecting data more than three decades ago — marking the second consecutive annual record for press deaths worldwide.

At least 129 journalists and media workers were killed, with Israel responsible for two in every three killings. Here are the top trends our researchers identified in journalist killings in 2025.

Israel, over and above the new normal of war

As the number of conflicts worldwide is at its highest level since the end of World War II, over three-quarters of all press deaths in 2025 were in conflict settings. Reporting from conflict zones has always carried inherent risks, but our data shows journalists are increasingly being deliberately targeted.

Although the number of journalists and media workers killed in Ukraine and Sudan increased, the numbers remain far lower compared to Israel, which is responsible for two-thirds of journalist killings worldwide in 2024 and 2025. The Israel military has committed more targeted killings of journalists than any other government’s military since CPJ began documentation in 1992.

Smears that lead to killing

The use of unsubstantiated allegations of criminal activity against journalists is a notable feature of attacks on the press in recent years. This is a trend seen both in the high numbers of journalists detained for their work and in the justification for their killings.

Israel, in particular, has repeatedly killed journalists whom it subsequently — and in some cases preemptively — alleged were militants, without providing credible evidence to support its claims.

Drones are a rising tool

Drone killings of press members are on the rise: surging from two in 2023 — the first year CPJ documented such killings — to 39 in 2025. Military drones were confirmed or thought to be behind 33 of those killings.

Danger beyond war zones

Journalists are not only in danger when reporting on wars. Journalists were killed in Bangladesh, Colombia, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Mexico, Nepal, Peru, the Philippines, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia, reflecting a pattern that prevails in countries where the rule of law is weak, criminal factions have free rein, and political leaders exercise unchecked power.

The rising number of journalist deaths globally is fueled by a persistent culture of impunity. Very few transparent investigations have been held into the cases of targeted killings we documented in 2025, and no one has been held accountable in any of these cases.

“Journalists are being killed in record numbers at a time when access to information is more important than ever,” said CPJ CEO Jodie Ginsberg. “Attacks on the media are a leading indicator of attacks on other freedoms, and much more needs to be done to prevent these killings and punish the perpetrators. We are all at risk when journalists are killed for reporting the news.” – Committee To Protect Journalists.