Journalist killings: UNESCO reports impunity rising to 86%
· BehindLines newsroom
Efforts to end impunity for the killing of journalists have suffered a setback. In its biennial report presented on November 2, UNESCO estimates that 86% of cases remain unresolved by judicial authorities, compared with 85% in its previous assessment. UNESCO describes this as the first increase since 2012. The figure concerns follow-up on recorded cases: it is not a count limited to people killed during 2024 and 2025.
For 2024 and 2025, the organization recorded 189 journalists killed. The report distinguishes recent deaths from the subsequent progress of investigations. A case that remains open is included in the calculation of impunity when it has not been judicially resolved.
Conflict zones account for much of the danger: 127 of the victims recorded during this period were killed in those areas. Drones are emerging as a growing threat, with fifty deaths attributed to them. That figure represents approximately 40% of deaths in conflict zones, rather than 40% of the worldwide total. UNESCO also identifies attacks on media workplaces and temporary reporting centres used by journalists.
The trend differs in countries without armed conflict. There, the organization measures an impunity rate of 77%, below the level recorded in 2012. This development shows that trajectories vary according to the context. The available data therefore do not justify describing every country through the deterioration in the global figure. They invite a separate examination of protection in the field and the follow-up given to investigations.
The report accompanies the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists. The issue extends beyond reporters’ individual safety: when their work is obstructed, the public loses opportunities to obtain information. UNESCO calls on governments, media organizations and civil society to strengthen prevention, protection for people facing threats, and the prosecution of those responsible for attacks.