Deadly year for journalists as 104 are killed worldwide; highest toll in the Middle East
PICTURE: Syrian photographer Ahmed Akacha captured this image of a child in war, his own profession placing him at significant risk (Akacha/Pexels)
International Federation of Journalists
The annual report of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) reveals that 2024 was another particularly deadly year for journalists and media professionals. As of 10 December, 104 journalists had been killed worldwide, with 55 – more than half – of those in Gaza, Palestine.
The IFJ reaffirms its determination to see an International Convention for the Protection of Journalists adopted by the United Nations as a matter of urgency.
To mark International Human Rights Day on 10 December, the IFJ has published the initial findings of its 2024 annual report on journalists and media workers killed in the line of duty.
According to the latest data, which is still incomplete, 104 media professionals have been killed since 1 January, including 12 women, representing 11.5% of the Federation’s total
By 2023, the IFJ had documented 129 deaths, including 14 women, that being one of the deadliest years for journalists since the IFJ began publishing its list of journalists killed in 1990.
Middle East and Arab world:
For the second year running, it is this region that holds the macabre record for the number of journalists killed: 66 in 2024.
The war in Gaza and Lebanon once again highlights the massacre suffered by Palestinian (55), Lebanese (six) and Syrian (one) media professionals, representing 60% of all journalists killed in 2024.
Since the start of the war on 7 October 2023, the number of Palestinian journalists killed has risen to at least 138, making this country one of the most dangerous in the history of modern journalism, behind Iraq, the Philippines and Mexico
On 13 October 2023, the IFJ called on Unesco to protect journalists, establish a lasting ceasefire, open humanitarian corridors for civilians, and allow Gaza journalists to take refuge outside the enclave and foreign reporters to enter the enclave. All to no avail.
Elsewhere in the region, the Federation counts three media professionals murdered in Iraq this year, including two women on 23 August, and a photographer killed in Syria on 4 December.
Asia-Pacific:
In this, the IFJ’s largest geographical region, 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 six murders in Pakistan, five in Bangladesh and three in India, i.e. 70% of all deaths in the region. In addition, the military regime in Myanmar is continuing its hunt for journalists – three have been killed this year – while Indonesia and Kazakhstan have each had one death.
Africa:
Eight journalists were murdered in Africa in 2024 – compared to four in 2022 and nine in 2023 – but it was Sudan that paid the heaviest price with five deaths as a result of ‘the generals’ war’, which is particularly deadly.
Two Somali journalists and a Chadian journalist also lost their lives, which testifies to the fragile and violent political situations in thoe two countries.
Americas:
Before the outbreak of the war in Gaza, Latin America, and Mexico in particular, was one of the most dangerous regions in the world for media professionals.
In 2024, the IFJ counts six deaths – compared to 30 in 2022 and six in 2023 – including five Mexicans and one Colombian. Once again, threats, intimidation, kidnappings and murders are due to reports on drug trafficking, which has plagued Mexico for more than two decades.
Europe:
The war in Ukraine has again claimed victims on the continent, with four journalists killed in 2024, compared with 13 in 2022 and four in 2023. Despite this conflict, Europe remains the safest continent in the world.
Journalists in prison
The IFJ counted 520, 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 (six).
IFJ General Secretary Anthony Bellanger said ‘these sad figures show once again how fragile is press freedom and how risky and dangerous is the profession of journalism’.
‘The public’s need for information is very real at a time when authoritarian regimes are developing all over the world. Greater vigilance on the part of our profession is required
‘We urge the Member States of the United Nations to take action to ensure the adoption of a binding convention on the safety of journalists, so as to put an end to the deaths and injuries that occur every year.’
