Journalism Under Threat
The physical dangers journalists face — from targeted killings to imprisonment — and why attacks on journalists are attacks on public knowledge.
The Human Cost
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) documented over 1,600 journalists killed worldwide since 1992, with the majority murdered in direct retaliation for their reporting. As of 2024, over 300 journalists were imprisoned globally, with China, Myanmar, Belarus, Russia, and Iran holding the most. The Gaza conflict in 2023-2024 was the deadliest period for journalists in recent history, with over 100 reporters killed.
These numbers undercount the reality. Many journalists are disappeared rather than publicly killed or imprisoned. Freelancers and citizen journalists are particularly vulnerable because they lack institutional protection. Female journalists face additional threats including sexual violence and coordinated online harassment designed to silence their reporting.
