Africa: Six in Seven Journalist Murders Go Unpunished, Unesco Reports

What the report says

UNESCO says impunity for killings of journalists has worsened, with its latest biennial report finding that 86% of journalist murders in 2024-2025 went unpunished. The report, published to mark the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists, was cited by UN News and distributed by AllAfrica. UNESCO says the data show a broader rise in risk for media workers, especially in conflict zones.

According to the report, 189 journalists and other media workers were killed in 2024-2025, the highest total since 2014-2015 and about 20% more than the previous two-year period. More than two-thirds of those deaths occurred in conflict areas. The report also said the highest numbers of verified killings were recorded in the Arab States, followed by Latin America and the Caribbean, Asia-Pacific, Central and Eastern Europe, Africa and Western Europe/North America.

UN officials said the pattern reflects both the danger of frontline reporting and the lack of accountability when attacks occur. UNESCO also flagged drones as an emerging threat, saying they were involved in a substantial share of killings in conflict zones and in several attacks that targeted multiple journalists at once.

The report also noted some improvement outside conflict settings, where impunity has generally declined over time and journalist killings are lower than in earlier years. UNESCO and UN leaders said the findings underline the need for stronger investigations, prosecutions and protection for journalists, particularly women reporters who face elevated online and offline abuse.