Global impunity for journalist killings has risen for the first time in more than a decade, while the growing use of drones is an emerging threat for reporters in conflict zones, according to the latest report from UN cultural organization UNESCO.
“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,” said Director-General Khaled El-Enany.
UNESCO first began measuring the proportion of journalist killings that go unpunished in 2012. The rate reached 86 per cent in 2024-2025, up one per cent from the previous two-year period.
A confirmed total of 189 journalists and other media workers lost their lives in 2024-2025, or 20 per cent more than during the previous biennium and the highest number since 2014-2015.
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More than two thirds, 127, were killed in conflict zones, accounting for 67 per cent of the death toll.
Paying the ultimate price
The findings come in the Director-General’s Report on the Safety of Journalists and the Danger of Impunity, which is published every two years to mark the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists, observed on 2 November.
“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,” UN Secretary-General António Guterres said in his message for the Day.
“This is a heinous affront to the victims and their loved ones, as well as all of us who depend on journalists to remain informed and engaged.”
‘A global scourge’
Killings were recorded across all regions of the world during the 2024-2025 biennium, representing “a global scourge”, the report said.
The highest number of verified cases were in the Arab States (97) followed by Latin American and the Caribbean (37), Asia-Pacific (34), Central and Eastern Europe (14), Africa (6) and Western Europe and North America (1).
The State of Palestine had the highest number of killings in both years, at 30 and 32, respectively.
New technologies, growing risks
The report also identified what UNESCO called “a disturbing new threat” – the growing use of drones to kill journalists. During 2024-2025, drone strikes killed 50 journalists, or 40 per cent of all those killed in conflict zones.
It documented seven incidents in which several journalists were targeted and killed in a single attack, including strikes on media workplaces and temporary reporting centres. Fifteen journalists were reportedly killed while wearing press vests or in vehicles clearly marked ‘Press’.
“I reiterate my call for the respect of UN Security Council Resolution 2222 unanimously adopted in 2015 on the protection of journalists, media professionals and associated personnel as civilians in situations of conflict, a status reaffirmed in the Pact for the Future,” said Mr. El-Enany.
Progress is possible
The report also highlighted progress, as impunity in non-conflict countries has continued to decline. The rate has fallen from 94 per cent in 2012 to 77 per cent in 2026, or one percentage point per year.
The number of journalist killings in non-conflict zones, 85, is also the lowest in 18 years.
“This demonstrates that when governments invest in investigations, prosecutions and protections for journalists, progress is possible,” UNESCO said.
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Women journalists under fire
The agency noted, however, that women journalists continue to face particular risks, both in war zones and online. Thirteen out of the 14 women killed in 2024-2035 were in countries experiencing armed conflict.
Furthermore, a 2025 study by UN Women and the International Center for Journalists found that 75 per cent of women journalists had experienced online or offline abuse and harassment. More than 40 per cent reported offline violence linked to online attacks, up from 20 per cent in a 2020 UNESCO survey.
“Across the world, journalists continue to pay an outrageous price for telling the truth,” the UN Secretary-General said.
“On this International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists, we demand justice. When journalists are targeted and their reporting is extinguished, it makes victims of us all.”