Today is World Press Freedom Day – a day to uphold press freedom as a fundamental right, to assess the state of press freedom throughout the world, to defend the media from attacks on their independence and to honour journalists who have lost their lives in the line of duty.
In 2025, a record 129 journalists were killed worldwide, more than in any other year since the Committee to Protect Journalists began collecting data over three decades ago. This is the second consecutive year-on-year record for press deaths. Israel was responsible for two-thirds of all press killings in both 2024 and 2025, making Gaza the most dangerous place in the world for journalists. This sharp increase comes amid escalating conflicts, rising authoritarianism, and political turmoil that continue to endanger journalists worldwide. Many more journalists face threats of violence and imprisonment for simply doing their job.
Pictured here are the names of more than 1,700 journalists who have been killed in connection with their work since 1992. This Memorial for Journalists, displayed at the flagship World Press Photo Exhibition 2026 at De Nieuwe Kerk in Amsterdam, was created in collaboration with ‘A Safer World for the Truth’, an initiative led by Free Press Unlimited in collaboration with the Committee to Protect Journalists and Reporters Without Borders (RSF). It commemorates and honors journalists who dedicated their lives to the public interest and the right to information.
In an era of widespread political polarization, shrinking press freedom, and global misinformation, we champion the right of journalists to access information and report safely. Ensuring that accurate, diverse, and high-quality visual storytelling continues to thrive is essential to deepening public understanding of the world’s most pressing issues. Journalists must be protected—not targeted—for the vital work they do.
