A total of 67 media professionals were killed globally over the past year, according to the annual report released by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) yesterday. The figure marks a slight increase from 66 journalist deaths in 2024, with the majority falling victim to war zones or organized crime.
“This is where hatred of journalists leads,” said RSF Director General Thibaut Bruttin in a statement. “These 67 journalists weren’t killed by accident. They were deliberately targeted because of their work.”
Bruttin emphasized that journalists, once seen as essential witnesses to history, have increasingly become viewed as expendable or even threatening. “They are treated as collateral damage, bargaining chips, or obstacles to be eliminated,” he noted.
According to the report, at least 53 of the 67 journalists were killed in war zones or by criminal organizations. The deadliest region by far was the Gaza Strip, where 29 journalists lost their lives in 2025, followed by Mexico with nine reported deaths.
Israel is linked to 43% of journalist fatalities this year, RSF said. 29 journalists were killed in Gaza by Israeli armed over the past 12 months.
The deadliest attack was a so-called "double-tap" strike on a hospital in southern Gaza on August 25, which killed five journalists, including two contributors to international news agencies Reuters and Associated Press, the report said.
Since the Gaza war began in 2023 following the October 7 Hamas terror attacks, the Israeli military has killed nearly 220 journalists, according to RSF data. At least 65 of them were slain due to their work or while they were working, the report stated.
Israel, however, has consistently denied targeting journalists.
In Mexico, 2025 was the deadliest year for journalists in the last three years, further cementing its position as the second most dangerous country for media professionals.
The report also notes that journalists face the highest risks in their own countries. Only two foreign correspondents were killed abroad over the past year.
Other conflict zones—such as Ukraine and Sudan—saw the deaths of three and four journalists, respectively.
Beyond those killed, 503 journalists are currently imprisoned worldwide for their work. China tops the list with 121 detained media workers, followed by Russia with 48.
Meanwhile, Syria emerged as the country with the highest number of missing journalists, coinciding with the one-year anniversary of the fall of Bash
