Record 129 journalists killed in 2025 as global press freedom hits new low

LAHORE, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 3rd May, 2026) The Press Freedom Day was celebrated on Sunday to pay tribute to the struggle and sacrifices of journalists across the world, including Pakistan.

The threats and challenges faced by journalists around the world are gaining global attention. Free journalism is a strong guarantee of democracy and public awareness worldwide, including Pakistan.

According to UNESCO’s World Trends Report 2022–2025, press freedom has experienced its steepest decline since 2012. This decline is comparable to that seen during the most unstable periods of the 20th century – the two world wars and the Cold War.

Information manipulation, including the use of AI by malicious actors, is weakening trust and national security. At the same time, independent media face growing economic fragility.

The purpose of celebrating today's day is to make the nation and the world aware of the difficulties, problems, threatening behaviors and threats to life faced by journalists and journalism institutions while performing their professional duties.

Journalism is recognized as the fourth pillar of the state in Pakistan, despite this, journalists have seen various periods of restrictions and imprisonment in the past. The current freedom of journalism is not given by anyone, but it is the result of the struggle of journalists who have endured torture in prisons, been whipped and remained in chains.

A record 129 journalists and media workers were killed worldwide in 2025, more than any other year since the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) began collecting data in 1992, according to a new report released on Sunday.

It was the second consecutive annual record for press deaths worldwide, with Israel responsible for two-thirds of the global total. The Israeli military has now committed more targeted killings of the press than any other government’s military on record.

Likewise, the vast majority of those killed were Palestinian journalists and media workers in Gaza.

“Journalists are being killed in record numbers at a time when access to information is more important than ever,” said CPJ CEO Jodie Ginsberg. “Attacks on the media are a leading indicator of attacks on other freedoms, and much more needs to be done to prevent these killings and punish the perpetrators. We are all at risk when journalists are killed for reporting the news.”

Over three-quarters of all press deaths in 2025 were in conflict settings. While the number of journalists and media workers killed in Ukraine and Sudan increased slightly in 2025 compared to the previous year, to four and nine deaths in each country, respectively, the numbers were still very low compared to Israel, which remains a significant exception.

One of the reasons for celebrating this day is to remind society how many journalists have died and how many are still alive behind bars, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, from 1992 to 2025, more than 1,402 journalists have sacrificed their lives.

The number of journalists imprisoned for performing their duties is also not small. World Press Freedom Day reminds us that a free and independent media is the guarantee of a conscious and strong society.

\Renowned Journalist Muhammad Afzal Butt told APP that on World Press Freedom Day 2026, that press freedom is facing a difficult or"very serious situation in over half of the world's countries, marking a significant decline in media independence.

Meanwhile, experts, local, international bodies, and officials emphasize that the 2025/2026 consensus highlights that economic instability, legal harassment, and physical threats, particularly in conflict zones, are crippling journalism.

He said Journalists who rendered their lives in the line of duty, particularly those documenting conflict and corruption, are honored and lauded for their commitment to truth.