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. 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.
Khaled El-EnanyUNESCO Director-General
New military technologies are transforming the risks faced by war reporters
The report identifies a disturbing new threat: the growing use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), or drones to kill journalists. During the 2024-2025 biennium, 50 journalists, 40% of the total killed in conflict zones, were killed by drone strikes.
UNESCO also 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 in vehicles clearly marked 'press'.
Evidence of progress: in non-conflict countries, impunity has declined to 77%
The report's findings draw a sharp contrast between trends conflict and non-conflict. While the global picture has deteriorated, impunity in non-conflict countries has continued to decline steadily, falling from 94% in 2012 to 77% in 2026, a drop of one percentage point per year. Journalist killings in non-conflict zones were also down - reaching 85 killings, the lowest number in eighteen years.
This demonstrates that when governments invest in investigations, prosecutions and protections for journalists, progress is possible.
Women journalists face particular risks, both in conflict zones and online.
Of the 14 women journalists killed during 2024-2025, 93% died while covering conflicts. Although women account for a relatively small proportion of journalists killed, they continue to face disproportionate levels of online and offline abuse and harassment. A 2025 study by UN Women and the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) found that 75% of women journalists had been exposed to such abuse. The study also found that the proportion of women who reported experiencing offline violence as a result of online violence had doubled since last surveyed by UNESCO in 2020, from 20% to over 40% in 2025.
