Full Analysis Summary
Journalist deaths 2025
The International Federation of Journalists released its final 2025 Killed List on 31 December, reporting that 128 journalists and media workers — including 10 women — were killed in 2025, up from 122 in 2024.
The total includes nine accidental deaths and reflects 17 additional confirmed cases after a preliminary list published on 9 December that listed 111 killings.
The IFJ describes the toll as evidence of persistent impunity and a global crisis, with General Secretary Anthony Bellanger saying the 128 deaths are "not just a statistic, it is a global crisis."
Coverage Differences
single-source limitation / missed comparative perspectives
Only the IFJ’s account is provided in the available material, so direct comparison with other organisations’ counts, alternative narratives, or governmental responses is not possible. The IFJ’s figures, timeline (31 December publication) and Bellanger’s quoted framing are the sole basis for the totals and characterization of the situation.
Journalist deaths and detentions
The IFJ's regional breakdown shows the Middle East and Arab World accounted for the largest share of deaths: 74 journalists, or 58% of the global total, including 56 in Palestine largely attributed to the war in Gaza and 13 in Yemen.
The report highlights high-profile deadly attacks, including the 10 August strike on a tent housing journalists near Al Shifa Hospital and an Israeli army attack on the '26 September' newspaper offices in Yemen that killed 13 media workers.
The IFJ also flags large numbers of jailed media workers in the region, 74 in total, with 41 Palestinians detained in Israel, 15 in Egypt and 11 in Yemen.
Coverage Differences
single-source limitation / tone and emphasis
Because only IFJ material is available, alternative regional framings (for example by regional outlets, governments, or other NGOs) cannot be compared directly. The IFJ emphasises the Gaza war and specific strikes and arrests as central drivers of the Middle East toll — this is IFJ’s reporting and framing rather than a collection of multiple outlets’ perspectives.
Global journalist deaths
Beyond the Middle East, the IFJ records 15 killed in the Asia-Pacific: four in India, three in Pakistan, three in the Philippines, two in Bangladesh, two in Afghanistan, and one in Nepal.
The IFJ records 10 killed in Europe — eight in Ukraine, one in Russia, and one in Turkey — and notes a worrying trend of journalists being struck by drones.
The IFJ records nine killed in Africa, with Sudan the deadliest hotspot.
There are also various killings across the Americas and other countries.
The IFJ documents multiple accidental deaths among media workers, including seven in Nigeria, underscoring the range of environments in which media workers die.
Coverage Differences
single-source limitation / missed cross-source perspectives
Only IFJ’s aggregated counts and the incidents it highlights are available here; other organisations’ assessments of causes, the prominence given to drone strikes in Europe, or country-level context from local outlets or authorities are not present for cross-checking or contrasting narratives.
Journalist imprisonment and safety
The IFJ pairs its fatality data with stark figures on imprisonment and impunity.
The Asia-Pacific region holds the largest number of imprisoned journalists (277), led by China (143, including Hong Kong), Myanmar (49) and Vietnam (37).
Europe’s jailed journalists rose to 149, and globally the IFJ reported 516 imprisoned journalists in 2024.
The IFJ urges governments to protect media workers, prosecute attackers and support a United Nations convention to guarantee journalists’ safety and independence.
Coverage Differences
emphasis and policy prescription (single-source)
The IFJ’s call for a UN convention and emphasis on prosecution and state responsibility reflects advocacy priorities within the single available source. Without statements from governments, intergovernmental organisations, or other NGOs in the provided material, there is no contrasting policy perspective to evaluate.
Context for IFJ figures
The IFJ notes that some deaths were accidental and records how the 2025 figures compare to 2024's numbers.
It underlines the organisation's global reach, representing more than 600,000 journalists across 146 countries, as the basis for its data and advocacy.
Because the available material here is limited to the IFJ's own reporting, readers should understand this as a comprehensive IFJ account that highlights impunity, regional hotspots, high-profile attacks and calls for a UN convention.
The account cannot by itself show how other institutions or states describe or dispute these findings.
Coverage Differences
transparency / limitation
The IFJ provides data, cases and advocacy in its own voice; however, the absence of other source material in the provided set means cross-validation, alternative framings (e.g., government rebuttals, local media accounts, or other NGOs’ datasets), and comparative editorial tones are not available to identify contrasts beyond the IFJ’s perspective.