TJC Bulletin September 2025
September 30, 2025
SHINING A LIGHT ON IMPUNITY
RECENT CASES & UPDATES
Gaza Journalist Mohammed Al-Muneerawi Killed in Israeli Strike
Palestinian journalist Mohammed Al-Muneerawi was killed in an Israeli airstrike on Nuseirat camp, becoming the 256th journalist killed in Gaza since 2023. The Gaza Media Office condemned the strike as a deliberate attempt to silence reporting. Rights groups called Gaza the deadliest place for journalists, urging global accountability and protection.
Pope Leo: “We Owe the Truth About Gaza to Journalists Who Risk Their Lives”
Pope Leo XIV honoured journalists covering Gaza and other conflict zones, crediting them for revealing truths that come at immense personal risk. He urged media organizations to prioritise ethics and courage over profit and sensationalism. Calling for the release of jailed reporters, he warned against misinformation and the normalization of journalist deaths.
JUSTICE
Veteran Economic Journalist Freed from Tehran’s Evin Prison
Veteran Iranian economic journalist Shirin Saeedi has been released from Evin Prison after 21 months under detention on national-security charges, highlighting the opaque nature of Iran’s use of such charges against the press.
AWARDS
AFP Wins “Fact-Check of the Year” at African Awards
Agence France‑Presse (AFP) won the “Fact-Check of the Year” award at the 2023 Africa Fact-Checking Awards for an investigation in Kenya that exposed false police claims by tracing recycled images and fabricated statements.
Gaza: The Most Dangerous City for Journalists
Media Freedoms in Afghanistan Under Siege
The situation for independent media in Afghanistan has drastically deteriorated since the Human Rights Watch report (23 Oct 2025) revealed that the Taliban regime has imposed severe surveillance, censorship and harassment of journalists, shrinking formerly vibrant news outlets to mere official-mouthpieces. Self-censorship is now widespread, female journalists are quitting in large numbers, and those in exile face forced-return threats, highlighting a near-total collapse of press freedom in the country.
Gaza Tally: Two Medical Workers Killed Daily, One Journalist Every Three Days
Gaza’s Ministry of Health reports that two medical workers are killed daily and one journalist every three days amid ongoing Israeli attacks.
The data underscores the extreme risks faced by those documenting and delivering aid under siege. It highlights Gaza’s collapse into a zone where humanitarian and press workers are systematically targeted.
Freedom of Information Under Pressure in Europe: A Research Perspective
The research reveals that although most European countries have legal frameworks for the right to information, journalists routinely face delays, rejections or heavily redacted responses when seeking access to public records. It highlights a lack of consistency across states in how freedom‐of‐information laws are implemented and shows that major obstacles persist despite formal legal protections.
KEY STATISTICS | 2025
HIGHLIGHTS
TEN FINALISTS COMPETE FOR THE 2025 DAPHNE CARUANA GALIZIA JOURNALISM PRIZE
Ten investigative journalism projects have been shortlisted for the 2025 Daphne Caruana Galizia Prize, chosen from over 300 entries.
The €20,000 award honors impactful reporting that upholds democracy, transparency, and press freedom.
Winners will be announced at a ceremony in the European Parliament in Strasbourg on October 21, 2025.
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)
707 TOTAL JOURNALISTS KILLED (2020 – PRESENT)
