2024: Deadliest Year on Record for Journalists as Press Groups Demand Justice

January 03, 2025 – General – 

The year 2024 marked an unprecedented spike in journalist deaths, with press freedom organizations calling it the most dangerous year for media workers in recent history. According to the Press Emblem Campaign (PEC), 179 journalists were killed across 25 countries, while the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) recorded 124 deaths—the highest number since the organization began tracking fatalities.

The overwhelming majority of these killings—nearly 70%—were linked to the ongoing war in Gaza, with over 85 journalists reportedly killed by Israeli military action. Gaza has now surpassed all previous global conflict zones as the deadliest region for media professionals. In addition to the direct strikes on journalists, CPJ notes that at least 10 of the journalists were deliberately targeted.

Beyond the Middle East, high-risk regions included Ukraine (21 deaths), Pakistan (12), Mexico (7), Bangladesh (7), Sudan (6), Syria (4), and Russia (4). Many of these journalists were either reporting from active war zones or investigating political corruption and organized crime. PEC also highlighted that nearly 30% of journalist disappearances in the past decade have occurred in Mexico, underlining systemic impunity in that region.

What unites many of these cases is not just the violence itself, but the lack of justice. According to both PEC and CPJ, over 90% of journalist murders remain unsolved, fueling a global climate of impunity. These organizations are now urging the international community to push for independent investigations, particularly in Gaza, where media personnel have been killed despite wearing marked press gear.

The PEC and other advocacy groups are calling for stronger international protections, including renewed efforts at the United Nations to establish binding mechanisms to safeguard journalists, especially in conflict areas. They stress that without enforcement and accountability, such killings will continue unchecked.

The 2024 toll is a sobering reminder that journalism remains one of the most dangerous professions globally. The growing number of deaths not only silences individual voices but also threatens the broader public’s right to know, an essential pillar of any democratic society.

Reference –

Record Number of Journalists Killed in 2024, PEC Demands Justice 

Record number of journalists killed in 2024; PEC demands justice – News Riveting