Journalist killings surge 16pc in 2025’s first-half

ISLAMABAD: At least 86 journalists and media workers were killed in 26 countries during the first half of 2025 - marking a 16 percent increase over the same period last year - with three fatalities reported from Pakistan, the Geneva-based Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) revealed.

The surge in deaths was driven largely by the ongoing war in Gaza, where at least 31 Palestinian journalists were killed by Israeli forces since January. “This is a massacre on an unprecedented scale,” said Blaise Lempen, PEC’s President, adding that nearly 200 journalists have been killed in Gaza since October 2023.

“The Israeli government is directly responsible for this tragedy, which targets civilians reporting on the situation in Gaza,” Lempen adding, “The Israeli soldiers involved in these war crimes must be identified and prosecuted.” He stressed the urgent need for the fighting to stop and called for international accountability mechanisms.

South Asia continues to remain dangerous for the press, with four journalists killed in India and three in Pakistan during the first half of 2025. PEC did not immediately disclose the identities or circumstances of the Pakistani fatalities, but press freedom advocates have long warned about deteriorating safety for media workers in the country amid political instability and censorship.

Sudan’s civil conflict accounted for six journalist deaths, while Mexico - one of the deadliest places for journalists outside of war zones - saw six media workers murdered, averaging one per month.

The Ukraine-Russia conflict also claimed six journalist lives, including five in Ukrainian territories under Russian control, and another fatality reported inside Russia. Meanwhile, four Iranian media staffers were killed in Israeli airstrikes in Tehran in June.