According to the CPJ, at least 195 journalists and media workers have been confirmed dead as of August 18, including 186 Palestinians, 3 Israelis, and 6 Lebanese.
The International News Safety Institute (INSI) is appalled by the killing of five Al-Jazeera journalists and one freelancer in an Israeli airstrike on their tent near Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City, including correspondent Anas al-Sharif.
Local journalists in Gaza have been essential to informing the world about the war. With international reporters banned from entering by Israel, these journalists have shouldered the responsibility of bearing witness - always at enormous personal risk.
The media industry is grappling with an unrelenting wave of online harassment targeting journalists—from state actors and organised crime networks to bots and members of the public emboldened by anonymity. Hate speech, disinformation, and threats of physical violence are a daily reality for many colleagues. Some are forced out of the profession; others endure long-term psychological harm—all at a time when independent, in-depth reporting is needed more than ever.
The aberrant and the abhorrent became the norm in 2024, compelling us to face the ugly reality that media freedom, justice and the sanctity of civilian life have been eroded, even in ostensibly democratic societies.
The death toll among journalists in Gaza was staggering, almost incomprehensible. Data compiled for Killing the Messenger by the Cardiff School of Journalism showed that 81 of the 145 journalists who died around the world were from Gaza.
