The Deadly Profession of Journalism

At least 12 media professionals have been killed due to their journalistic activities since the start of 2026, according to the Reporters Without Borders database. Of these, five were killed in Palestine, three in Lebanon, two in Mexico and one person in Uganda and Yemen. Meanwhile, 137 people were listed as having “disappeared” this year, with the highest numbers recorded in Syria (37) and Mexico (28).

The following chart shows how there has been a general decline in the number of journalists and media workers killed for their professional activities in the past decade. 2013 recorded the highest number of deaths in a single year since 1995, when the RSF started documenting the data, at 145, with Syria the most dangerous country for journalists that year, recording 69 deaths, followed by Iraq with 11 deaths and then India and the Philippines, each with 9 deaths. Since 2000 a total of 2,067 journalists and media workers have been killed worldwide.

Figures from the U.S. based non governmental organization The Committee to Protect Journalists also offer closer detail on the journalists themselves, revealing that of the 1,764 journalists' deaths that they have reported on since 1992, the vast majority (1,588) were local reporters, while only 176 were foreign correspondents. The most deadly news beats since 1992 were Politics (835 deaths), War (773), Human Rights (388), Corruption (346) and Crime (305). Death tolls vary by source, depending on the verification methodologies.