Overview
- UNESCO's 2026 report, published Monday, counted 189 journalists killed worldwide in 2024–2025, a 20% increase from the previous biennium.
- Of those 189 deaths, 127 occurred in countries affected by armed conflict and more than a quarter were linked to drone strikes or coordinated group attacks.
- The global impunity rate for murders of journalists rose to 86% as UNESCO found gaps in state responses and 30 of 78 queried countries did not reply to requests for information.
- Mexico was highlighted with 17 deaths in the period and persistent accountability shortfalls: RSF records show FEADLE opened 1,909 investigations since 2010 but only 11 homicide sentences through June 2026 while Mexican authorities report many cases have been judicialized.
- Reporting and interviews from Cuba, Afghanistan and Mexico show journalists forced into exile, families living with threats and limited victim support, a dynamic that narrows public access to information and hinders efforts to secure justice.