The number of journalists killed between 1 December 2024 and 1 December 2025 has increased, driven by “the criminal practices of armed forces, both regular and irregular, as well as organised crime groups,” according to the 2025 Reporters Without Borders (RSF) round-up released on Tuesday.
The press freedom organisation reported that 67 journalists were killed worldwide while carrying out their duties or because of their profession, with nearly half of these deaths occurring in the Gaza Strip.
Just six days after an Algerian appeals court upheld a seven-year prison sentence for French journalist Christophe Gleizes on charges of “glorifying terrorism”, RSF drew attention to the plight of 503 journalists currently imprisoned in 47 countries — including 121 in China, 48 in Russia, and 47 in Myanmar. The organisation also recorded 135 journalists listed as missing, some for more than three decades, and 20 journalists abducted, mainly in Syria and Yemen.
In 2023, RSF documented 49 journalist deaths — one of the lowest totals in the past two decades. However, the Israel–Gaza war pushed the number to 66 in 2024 (according to updated figures) and 67 in 2025.
“This is where the hatred of journalists leads! It led to the death of 67 journalists this year – not by accident, and they weren’t collateral victims. They were killed, targeted for their work. It is perfectly legitimate to criticise the media — criticism should serve as a catalyst for change that ensures the survival of the free press, a public good. But it must never descend into hatred of journalists, which is largely born out of — or deliberately stoked by — the tactics of armed forces and criminal organisations. This is where impunity for these crimes leads us: the failure of international organisations that are no longer able to ensure journalists’ right to protection in armed conflicts is the consequence of a global decline in the courage of governments, which should be implementing protective public policies. Key witnesses to history, journalists have gradually become collateral victims, inconvenient eyewitnesses, bargaining chips, pawns in diplomatic games, men and women to be ‘eliminated.’ We must be wary of false notions about reporters: no one gives their lives for journalism — it is taken from them; journalists do not just die — they are killed,” said Thibaut Bruttin, RSF Director General.