2025 Becomes Deadliest Year for Journalists in 30 Years

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has reported that in 2025, a total of 129 journalists and media workers were killed while carrying out their professional duties.

According to the New York-based independent organization, 86 journalists were killed by Israel in 2025 alone, the majority of whom were Palestinians in Gaza.

An additional 31 individuals were killed in an attack on a Houthi-affiliated media center in Yemen, an incident that marks the second-deadliest event against journalists in CPJ’s recorded history.

The Committee to Protect Journalists also stated that Israel was responsible for 81 percent of the 47 deliberate killings of journalists documented during the year.

The organization added that the actual number of casualties may be higher due to restricted access to information in Gaza.

Beyond Gaza and Yemen, other countries with the highest number of journalist fatalities include Sudan (9), Mexico (6), Ukraine (4, killed by Russian forces), and the Philippines (3).

One of the most prominent victims this year was Reuters journalist Hossam Al-Masri, who was killed in August 2025 by Israeli fire while covering live from Nasser Hospital in Gaza.

This marks the second consecutive year in which journalist fatalities have reached record levels, with Israel accounting for two-thirds of the victims.