This year has been particularly deadly for journalists, with 104 killed worldwide, according to the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ). The most shocking statistic is that over half of these deaths occurred in Gaza, with 55 Palestinian media workers losing their lives in the face of Israel’s offensive.
The IFJ general secretary, Anthony Bellanger, condemned the “massacre that is happening before the eyes of the world” and noted that many journalists were targeted deliberately in Gaza.
The Middle East was the most dangerous region for journalists. Still, in Asia-Pacific, the IFJ’s largest geographical area, the number of deaths in 2024 (20) was considerably higher than in 2023 (12) and 2022 (16), with an upsurge in violence in South Asia: The IFJ deplores 6 murders in Pakistan, 5 in Bangladesh and 3 in India, i.e. 70% of all deaths in the region.
Europe also saw four journalists killed in Ukraine. The IFJ’s count is typically higher than that of Reporters Without Borders due to different counting methods. In 2023, Reporters Without Borders reported 54 journalists and two collaborators killed in the course of their work.
Journalists in Prison:
The IFJ also reported that 520 journalists are currently in prison, with China holding the highest number of journalists behind bars.
JOURNALISTS IN PRISON: 520
On 10 December 2024, the IFJ counted 520 journalists in prison, representing a sharp increase compared with 2023 (427) and 2022 (375).
With 135 journalists behind bars, China – including Hong Kong – remains the world’s biggest prison for media professionals, ahead of Israel (59 Palestinian journalists) and Myanmar (44).
The Asia-Pacific region alone has 254 journalists in prison, ahead of wider Europe (142), the Middle East and Arab world (101), Africa (17) and Latin America (6).
