By Alon Ben-Meir*
NEW YORK | 22 November 2025 (IDN) — The global assault on journalists is a deadly threat linked not only to authoritarian regimes—where free expression is routinely strangled—but also to some ostensibly “democratic” governments that actively seek to conceal their nefarious activities.
Being a journalist in many parts of the world has become far more than a challenging occupation: it has become a high-risk profession under assault from state power, armed conflict, economic pressure, and the erosion of institutional protections.
According to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), 361 journalists were imprisoned and 124 were killed worldwide by the end of 2024—one of the highest figures since records began. Meanwhile, the 2025 World Press Freedom Index by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) flagged 34 countries where mass media closures, the exile of journalists, and systemic repression are accelerating.
The persecution of journalists is not merely an attack on individuals. It is an assault on democracy, transparency, fairness, and the public’s right to know. Free and independent journalism uncovers corruption, holds power to account, reports on war crimes, and gives voice to the voiceless. Without it, abuses by governments and private actors go unchecked, lies proliferate, and authoritarianism spreads.
The Plight of Journalists in Autocracies
In autocracies, independent media are often the first institutions to collapse. But even in democracies, journalism faces mounting pressure from economic hardship, digital disinformation, and shrinking space for dissent. Globally, fear and self-censorship have become widespread.
RSF’s Press Freedom Predators 2025 list highlights several countries where journalists are routinely incarcerated, tortured, exiled, or killed:
- Belarus: Independent media have been labelled “extremist,” and journalists face arrest, torture, or exile. Between 500 and 600 journalists have fled since 2020 as the government forces all media to follow its line or be shut down.
- Azerbaijan: The last independent media outlet closed in February 2025 after years of systematic repression. Journalists frequently receive harsh, politically motivated prison sentences based on trumped-up charges.
- Turkey: Despite claiming democratic credentials, Turkey treats dissenting journalists as criminals. Since the alleged 2016 coup attempt, over 100 journalists have been imprisoned, several killed, and dozens of media outlets shut down.
- Iran: Reporting critical of government policy is effectively banned. Over the past five years, more than 100 journalists have been arrested, many of whom remain in prison.
- Gaza: CPJ described Gaza as the deadliest place in the world for journalists. In 2024, 85 of the 124 journalists killed worldwide died at the hands of Israeli forces. Palestinian journalists have not only documented the war—they have become casualties of it, their press vests offering no protection.
Elsewhere, Saudi Arabia holds around 20 journalists in prison, Russia nearly 60, and China—long known for severe press repression—has imprisoned almost 200 journalists since 2019.
Non-Lethal Repression: The Quieter Threat
Beyond killings and arrests, non-lethal forms of persecution have become widespread and equally destructive.
According to the ‘Center for News, Technology & Innovation’, nearly half of journalists surveyed in 2025 said their governments seek “too much control” over their reporting. RSF warns that economic fragility now threatens the free press as much as political repression does.
Digital harassment has also surged. Women journalists, journalists of colour, LGBTQ+ reporters, and those from marginalised communities face disproportionate levels of online abuse, surveillance, and coordinated hate campaigns. AI-generated disinformation, internet shutdowns, and troll armies further erode safe working environments.
UNESCO reports that harassment of journalists has become a significant global trend and a direct attack on free expression.
Even the United States is not immune. In October, the Trump administration’s Department of Defense issued new rules threatening the Pentagon press corps with loss of access if they published material not explicitly approved by the Secretary—even if the information was unclassified. Nearly all correspondents chose to turn in their press passes rather than submit to this unprecedented form of censorship.
A Central Problem: Impunity
In most countries where journalists are killed, detained, or assaulted, perpetrators face no consequences. Weak judicial systems, political interference, and limited international enforcement create environments of silence and fear.
The UN’s International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists highlights a grim reality: when crimes against journalists go unpunished, abuses escalate. When a journalist is killed in a conflict zone, the cost is both human and societal. Newsrooms shrink, investigations stall, and entire communities lose their watchdogs.
A multilateral, coordinated response is urgently needed.
What Must Be Done
International solidarity and accountability:
Global institutions, press freedom groups, and democratic governments must closely monitor violations, impose targeted sanctions, and work to prosecute perpetrators of killings, arrests, and digital repression.
Support for independent journalism:
This includes secure communications tools, safe houses, emergency legal assistance, and laws protecting journalists’ workflows. States that repress journalists must face consequences.
Safe passage for threatened journalists:
Democracies and international organisations should offer emergency visas and evacuation routes for journalists in immediate danger.
Protection in conflict zones:
Journalists must be recognised as civilians under international law—with transparent investigations into attacks on press facilities and personnel.
Digital safety and counter-harassment:
Platforms must prevent coordinated abuse, while newsrooms require training in digital security.
Targeted sanctions:
Sanctions should be directed at officials and agencies responsible for repression, not at populations already suffering under their governments.
Financial support:
Sustainable funding for independent media—especially in high-risk regions—is essential. Support may come from democratic states, NGOs, philanthropic organisations, and foundations such as Open Society.
The Stakes: Democracy Itself
The persecution of journalists is a barometer of global freedom. Where it is safe to question authority and expose wrongdoing, societies move toward openness and justice. When journalists are silenced—by bullets, bars, censorship, or bigotry—the public loses its right to know, dissent weakens, and democracy falters.
Censorship and crackdowns create societies deprived of essential information, fostering authoritarianism and shielding governments from scrutiny.
The threat is global in scale. When a journalist is silenced, an entire society becomes blind. Protecting journalists is not optional—it is humanity’s last line of defence against tyranny. To defend the free press is to defend democracy itself.
*Dr. Alon Ben-Meir is a retired professor of international relations, most recently at the Center for Global Affairs at NYU, where he taught courses on international negotiation and Middle Eastern studies. He can be reached at alon@alonben-meir.com. (IDN-InDepthNews)
Image: Edmonton police arrested Indigenous journalist Brandi Morin on January 10, 2024, and charged her with obstruction in connection with her reporting on a homeless encampment police raid. Screenshot: CTV News.