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April 03, 2025 – Haiti –
As Haiti descends further into chaos, journalists on the ground are risking their lives to continue reporting in a country plagued by unprecedented violence and deepening lawlessness. With heavily armed gangs now controlling around 85% of Port-au-Prince, even basic newsgathering has become a life-threatening act.
Journalists like Jean-Jacques Asperges exemplify this resilience. After gangs raided his neighborhood and forced his family from their home, he now lives in a temporary shelter and reports using only his phone, having lost all his professional equipment. Despite the loss and trauma, Asperges remains determined to report on the conditions affecting millions of Haitians.
The collapse of state institutions has left journalists increasingly vulnerable. In March 2025, at least three major media outlets in Port-au-Prince were attacked and looted by gangs, forcing them off the air. Le Nouvelliste, Haiti’s oldest newspaper, had to abandon its downtown offices. Press facilities have been destroyed, and journalists are being deliberately targeted.
The violence has not spared reporters in the field either. On December 24, 2024, two journalists were killed and several were injured during the reopening of Haiti’s largest public hospital. Gangs objected to the ceremony, claiming it was not officially sanctioned. The attack underscored the extreme danger of covering even government-led events.
Despite censorship and fear, Haiti’s press corps continues to report. Many journalists now work anonymously or under aliases to avoid reprisal. Others have fled to safer areas but remain connected to networks of citizen reporters still in gang-controlled zones. Even as their physical safety, homes, and jobs are destroyed, they persist in documenting events for both national and international audiences.
International press freedom organizations have called for better protections, but in a country where the government itself is in disarray, enforcement is minimal. For Haitian journalists, the work is not just about information—it’s about survival and a last stand for truth in a country on the brink.
Their persistence offers a rare source of clarity and accountability amid a worsening humanitarian and security crisis.
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Journalists in Haiti defy bullets and censorship to cover unprecedented violence
