A staggering total of 67 journalists have been killed worldwide in the last 12 months, nearly half in the hands of Israeli armed forces, Reporters Without Borders (RSF, Reporters Sans Frontieres) reported.
In a report, RSF said 2025 had been a deadly year for journalists with the occupying Israeli army responsible for 29 deaths, mainly in Gaza.
In total, since October 2023, the Israeli army has killed nearly 220 journalists, at least 65 of whom were slain either due to their work or while they were working, the international media group said.
RSF said the journalists did not just die but were killed.
At least 53 of the 67 media professionals killed over the past year are victims of the wars in Gaza, Ukraine and Sudan, it added.
Latin America is the next most dangerous region for journalists with nine killed, accounting for 24% of the world’s murdered journalists.
RSF also reported that 135 journalists are missing in 37 countries while 20 are currently held hostage worldwide.
3 killed in the Philippines
The year had also been deadly in the Philippines with three media killings: Juan Dayang in Kalibo, Aklan last April 29; Erwin Labitad Segovia in Bislig, Surigao del Sur last July 21; and Noel Bellen Samar in Guinobatan, Albay last October 21.
There had been no arrests related to the killings despite promises by Philippine authorities of swift and thorough investigations.
The Philippines remains to be in the top 10 most dangerous countries in the Global Impunity Index by the US-based Committee to Protect Journalists.
RSF also reported that 503 journalists are currently detained around the world, including Frenchie Mae Cumpio in Tacloban City.
‘Journalists do not just die, they are killed’
RSF blames the widespread vilification of journalists as the main reason for media killings.
“This is where the hatred of journalists leads! It led to the death of 67 journalists this year – not by accident, and they weren’t collateral victims. They were killed, targeted for their work,” RSF director general Thibaut Bruttin said.
Hatred of journalists is largely born out of or deliberately stoked by the tactics of armed forces and criminal organizations, Bruttin added.
“Key witnesses to history, journalists have gradually become collateral victims, inconvenient eyewitnesses, bargaining chips, pawns in diplomatic games, men and women to be ‘eliminated,” he complained.
“We must be wary of false notions about reporters: no one gives their lives for journalism — it is taken from them; journalists do not just die — they are killed,” he said. # (Raymund B. Villanueva)
