Global impunity for journalist killings has risen for the first time in more than a decade, according to the latest report by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation.
The UNESCO report notes that six out of seven journalist killings are not brought to justice, reversing progress in the fight against impunity.
It also warned that the growing use of drones was an emerging threat to reporters in conflict zones.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the report was released on Monday, on the sidelines of the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists, observed on November 2.
According to the report, global impunity for journalist killings has risen for the first time since UNESCO began measuring it in 2012.
It noted that impunity increased to 86 per cent in the 2024-2025 period, from 85 per cent in the previous biennium.
This increase exacerbates the second finding of the UNESCO report, which reveals that 189 journalists were killed in 2024 and 2025, 20 per cent more than during the previous biennium. Just over two-thirds of these journalists, 127, were killed in conflict zones.
The Director-General’s Report on the Safety of Journalists and the Danger of Impunity is published every two years by UNESCO to mark the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists.
“Journalists are increasingly paying with their lives for reporting from the frontlines of war and far too often those responsible for their killings are not held accountable,” Director-General Khaled El-Enany said.
The highest number of verified cases were recorded in the Arab States (97), followed by Latin America and the Caribbean (37), Asia-Pacific (34), Central and Eastern Europe (14), Africa (6), and Western Europe and North America (1).
The State of Palestine had the highest number of killings in both years, at 30 and 32, respectively.
The report also identified what UNESCO called “a disturbing new threat” – the growing use of drones to kill journalists. During 2024-2025, drone strikes killed 50 journalists, or 40 per cent of all those killed in conflict zones.
It documented seven incidents in which several journalists were targeted and killed in a single attack, including strikes on media workplaces and temporary reporting centres.
Fifteen journalists were reportedly killed while wearing press vests or travelling in vehicles clearly marked ‘Press’.
“I reiterate my call for the respect of UN Security Council Resolution 2222 unanimously adopted in 2015 on the protection of journalists, media professionals and associated personnel as civilians in situations of conflict, a status reaffirmed in the Pact for the Future,” El-Enany said.
The report also highlighted progress, as impunity in non-conflict countries has continued to decline. The rate has fallen from 94 per cent in 2012 to 77 per cent in 2026, a decline of approximately one percentage point per year.
The number of journalist killings in non-conflict zones, 85, is also the lowest in 18 years.
“This demonstrates that when governments invest in investigations, prosecutions and protections for journalists, progress is possible,” UNESCO said.
The agency noted, however, that women journalists continued to face particular risks, both in war zones and online. Thirteen of the 14 women killed in 2024-2025 were in countries experiencing armed conflict.
Furthermore, a 2025 study by UN Women and the International Center for Journalists found that 75 per cent of women journalists had experienced online or offline abuse and harassment.
More than 40 per cent reported offline violence linked to online attacks, up from 20 per cent in a 2020 UNESCO survey. (NAN)