TJC Bulletin August 2025
August 13, 2025
SHINING A LIGHT ON IMPUNITY
RECENT CASES & UPDATES
Gaza: Deadliest Warzone for Journalists
Since the war began in October 2023, 219 journalists have been killed in Gaza, making it the deadliest conflict for the press in history. Many of these deaths resulted from targeted strikes on newsrooms, press tents, and hospitals used by media workers.
This unprecedented toll represents not only lives lost but also a direct assault on free reporting and the world’s ability to witness truth.
Mehdi Hasan: A Call Against Silence in the Face of Journalist Killings
On September 18, 2025, journalist Mehdi Hasan addressed 13,000 people at Wembley Arena, condemning Western media for ignoring the plight of Palestinian reporters. He noted that 270 journalists have been killed in Gaza, a toll higher than all major 20th-century wars combined.
He led the crowd in chanting, “You can’t bomb the truth away,” and closed with: “You will not silence Palestine. One day, Palestine will be free.”
JUSTICE
Honoured in Strasbourg, Journalist Butkevych wins Václav Havel Prize
Ukrainian journalist Maksym Butkevych received the Václav Havel Human Rights Prize in Strasbourg, dedicating it to Ukrainian political prisoners still held in Russia.
QUOTE
Deceased Palestinian Journalist Mayram Abu Duqqa to her son
“Ghaith, you are your mother’s heart and soul.”
Read More
Gaza: The Most Dangerous City for Journalists
Surveillance as a Daily Cost of Journalism in Pakistan
Journalists in Pakistan face constant surveillance, with their calls, movements, and communications routinely monitored by authorities. This scrutiny often extends to families and sources, creating a climate of fear and self-censorship.
Enabled by advanced monitoring systems supplied internationally, surveillance has become a systemic tool to suppress press freedom, making it a daily cost of journalism.
Journalism’s DEI Momentum Erodes: What the Recent Retreat Shows
The post-2020 push for diversity, equity, and inclusion in journalism is quickly losing ground, with training programs disappearing, newsroom DEI roles slashed, and fewer outlets sharing demographic data.
This retreat highlights the fragility of progress, underscoring that without a structural commitment, newsrooms risk reversing the hard-won gains in representation and equity.
Erosion of Press Freedom in Nepal: A Deepening Crisis
Press freedom in Nepal is facing a deepening crisis. Authorities are using restrictive laws to target journalists and critics.
Violations rose to 73 in one year, marking a sharp increase. Nepal’s global ranking has now dropped to 90th.
KEY STATISTICS | 2025
HIGHLIGHTS
PRESS FREEDOM GROUPS URGE EU TO SUSPEND ISRAEL TRADE DEAL OVER KILLINGS IN GAZA
Leading press freedom organisations are calling on the European Union to suspend its trade agreement with Israel in response to the deliberate targeting and killing of journalists in Gaza.
They stress that continued impunity for these crimes undermines international law and emboldens Israel to intensify its attacks on reporters and media workers.
WHEN WESTERN MEDIA DISTANCES ITSELF FROM GAZA’S FALLEN REPORTERS
Western media outlets often downplay the identities of Gaza’s slain reporters, labelling them “freelancers” or “citizen journalists.” This subtle distancing strips them of professional recognition and diminishes the weight of their sacrifice.
This undermines the fact that Gazan reporters were the world’s primary witnesses to the war. Their work was essential, their deaths deliberate, and their recognition matters for justice and memory.
TOTAL JOURNALISTS KILLED WORLDWIDE (2020 – PRESENT)
687 TOTAL JOURNALISTS KILLED (2020 – PRESENT)
