United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has warned that accountability for journalist killings is declining globally for the first time in more than a decade, as violence against media workers escalates.
According to UNESCO’s latest Director-General’s Report on the Safety of Journalists and the Danger of Impunity, the proportion of journalist killings that remain unpunished rose to 86% in 2024–2025, representing a one-percentage-point increase from the previous two-year reporting period.
UNESCO Director-General Khaled El-Enany drew attention to the escalating risks associated with frontline journalism.
“Journalists are increasingly paying with their lives for reporting from the frontlines of war and far too often those responsible for their killings are not held accountable.”
Khaled El-Enany
Conflict Zones Account for Most Journalist Deaths
UNESCO confirmed that 189 journalists and other media workers were killed during the 2024–2025 biennium, marking a 20% increase compared with the preceding two-year period. The death toll represents the highest recorded figure since 2014–2015.
Of the confirmed deaths, 127 occurred in conflict zones, accounting for approximately 67% of the total.
UNESCO recorded journalist killings across every region during the reporting period, describing the situation as a global scourge that extends beyond individual conflicts and national borders.
The Arab States recorded the highest number of verified killings, with 97 cases. Latin America and the Caribbean followed with 37, while the Asia-Pacific region recorded 34. Central and Eastern Europe accounted for 14 deaths, Africa recorded six, and Western Europe and North America reported one.
The State of Palestine recorded the highest number of journalist killings in both years, with 30 deaths in 2024 and 32 in 2025.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres drew attention to the scale of the accountability failure in his message marking the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists.
“Over the past year, at least 34 journalists paid the ultimate price. Six of every seven such killings go unpunished. In conflict settings, the rate of impunity is close to 100 per cent.”
António Guterres
He described the failure to prosecute those responsible as a serious injustice to victims, their families and the wider public, which depends on journalists to remain informed and engaged.
Drone Warfare Introduces New Risks
Moreover, UNESCO identified the growing use of drones as an emerging threat to journalists operating in conflict zones. The technology, increasingly deployed in modern warfare, has added another dimension to the dangers faced by media professionals documenting military activity.
During 2024–2025, drone strikes killed 50 journalists, representing approximately 40% of all journalists killed in conflict zones.
The report also documented seven incidents in which multiple journalists were killed in a single attack. Some of these strikes hit media workplaces and temporary reporting centres, locations where journalists gather to coordinate coverage, prepare reports and transmit information from conflict areas.
In addition, 15 journalists were reportedly killed while wearing press vests or travelling in vehicles clearly marked with the word “Press.”
UNESCO Director-General Khaled El-Enany called for renewed respect for international protections governing the safety of journalists and other media personnel during armed conflict.
He specifically referenced United Nations Security Council Resolution 2222, unanimously adopted in 2015, which reaffirms the protection of journalists, media professionals and associated personnel as civilians in situations of conflict. He also pointed to the reaffirmation of these protections in the Pact for the Future.
The resolution calls for measures to prevent violence against journalists, investigate attacks and ensure accountability for those responsible. Its continued relevance reflects the need for governments and parties to armed conflicts to translate international commitments into practical safeguards for media workers.
The threats are not confined to physical attacks. UNESCO also highlighted the particular risks confronting women journalists, who face violence both in conflict environments and through online harassment that increasingly spills into their professional and personal lives.
Of the 14 women journalists killed during the 2024–2025 reporting period, 13 were in countries experiencing armed conflict. The figures demonstrate the disproportionate exposure of women reporters to lethal violence in settings where the safety of media professionals is already severely compromised.
A 2025 study conducted by UN Women and the International Center for Journalists further found that 75% of women journalists had experienced online or offline abuse and harassment.
More than 40% reported experiencing offline violence linked to online attacks, compared with 20% recorded in a 2020 UNESCO survey.
Declining Impunity Shows Accountability Can Improve
Despite the deterioration in the global impunity rate, UNESCO identified progress in countries not experiencing armed conflict, demonstrating that sustained institutional action can improve the safety of journalists and strengthen accountability.
The proportion of journalist killings that go unpunished in non-conflict countries has declined from 94% in 2012 to 77% in 2026.
The agency attributed the improvement to greater attention to investigations, prosecutions and protective measures, although the remaining figure indicates that substantial accountability gaps persist.
UNESCO also reported that the number of journalist killings in non-conflict zones stood at 85, the lowest level in 18 years. While the global picture remains concerning, the decline offers evidence that improvements are possible when authorities take deliberate steps to investigate attacks and ensure that perpetrators face justice.
According to UNESCO, “this demonstrates that when governments invest in investigations, prosecutions and protections for journalists, progress is possible.”
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