Middle East was responsible for more than half the deaths, mostly in Gaza
A record number of media workers were killed in 2024, the Press Emblem Campaign (PEC), reports with conflicts in the Middle East responsible for more than half of the victims and most of them were killed in Gaza.
At least 179 media workers lost their lives in 25 countries around the world and almost three-quarters of them were killed in conflict zones. In 2023 the death toll for journalists was 140.
Conflicts in the Middle East claimed the lives of 91 journalists: at least 80 in the Gaza Strip, 6 in Lebanon, 4 in Syria, and 1 in the West Bank said the PEC in its traditional yearly report.
“This hefty death toll, the heaviest since the beginning of the century, reinforces the need for an international instrument that clarifies the conditions for the protection of the profession of journalism in conflict zones,” commented PEC President Blaise Lempen.
The PEC condemned “these crimes, violating international law and national legislation.”
The press monitoring body said that independent investigations are essential to clarify the circumstances and those responsible must be brought to justice to combat impunity.
In total, the hostilities in Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023, have killed at least 161 media workers, an "unprecedented toll" for a conflict in such a short time, noted the PEC, deploring the record toll for 2024, and calling for “justice.”
- December dramatic month
December was a particularly dramatic month with 20 more lethal victims, according to the PEC.
In total, the hostilities in Gaza since Oct. 7 have killed at least 161 media workers, an unprecedented toll for a conflict in such a short space of time, the PEC said.
In 2024, the war in Ukraine resulted in the deaths of 19 Ukrainian journalists (most of whom had joined the army) plus one foreigner (Ryan Evans of Reuters in Kramatorsk).
“To this must be added the death in custody in Russia on 10 October of Ukrainian journalist Victoria Rochtchina, making a total of 21 victims,” said the PEC.
Outside the Middle East and Ukraine, Pakistan had the highest number of journalists killed, 12 since January, “a clear deterioration,” said the PEC.
Russia has 7 journalists killed (including three in Ukrainian territories occupied by Russia and one in Kursk).
In Bangladesh, unrest in July left seven journalists dead.
The situation remains dangerous in Mexico, where seven journalists were killed.
Hostilities in Sudan caused the death of six journalists, while in Colombia, four media workers were killed, four in India, three in Iraq, and three in Myanmar (Burma).
Two people were killed in Somalia, two in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and two in Haiti.
Cambodia, Chad, Ecuador, Honduras, Indonesia, Jamaica, Nepal, and the Philippines, followed with one fatality in each country.
In 10 years, the PEC said it counted 1,159 victims, an average of 2.25 per week.
Over the last five years, the most dangerous countries have been Gaza/West Bank (166), Ukraine (59), Mexico (55), Pakistan (36) and India (32).
Unlike other organizations, the PEC said it includes in its statistics all journalists killed, whether or not their deaths were related to their professional activity.
“It is difficult to prove that a crime was committed in connection with a journalist's work without a full and independent investigation, which is often lacking,” said the PEC.
