One hundred and twenty-nine journalists and press workers were killed worldwide in 2025, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), which blames the State of Israel in two-thirds of the cases.

"The Israeli army has now committed more targeted killings of members of the press than any other government army to date, with the overwhelming majority of those killed being Palestinian journalists and media workers in Gaza," the American NGO writes.

129 dead

After 124 deaths in 2024, 2025, with 129 fatalities, marks the second consecutive annual record in the 30 years that the CPJ has been keeping this count. Besides the war in Gaza (86 journalists killed), the two other deadliest conflicts for the press were in Ukraine (four deaths) and Sudan (nine deaths), the CPJ notes.

"One of the striking observations of recent years is the increase in the use of drones," with 39 documented cases, compared to only two in 2023, Carlos Martinez de la Serna, project manager within the organization, told AFP.

In addition to armed conflicts, organized crime has also been particularly deadly for members of the press. In Mexico, six journalists were killed in 2025. Several cases have been recorded in India and Peru.

In Saudi Arabia, prominent columnist Turki al-Jasser was executed by the state in June after being convicted on several charges that the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) described as "fabricated allegations" used to punish journalists. This was the first documented killing of a journalist in the Gulf state since the 2018 death of Jamal Khashoggi.

"Journalists are being killed in record numbers at a time when access to information is more important than ever," said Jodie Ginsberg, executive director of the CPJ.

"Attacks against the media are a major indicator of attacks on other freedoms, and much more needs to be done to prevent these assassinations and punish their perpetrators. We are all in danger when journalists are killed for covering the news," she added.

Founded in 1981 in New York to defend press freedom and journalists worldwide, the CPJ, funded by private funds and foundations, is led by a council composed of members of the press and figures from civil society.