This year has been particularly deadly for journalists working in conflict zones – UNESCO

At least 38 journalists and media workers were killed while working in conflict countries in 2023, compared to 28 in 2022 and 20 in 2021, according to a press release issued by UNESCO headquarters.

“I honor the memory of all these media professionals and repeat my call to the parties involved to mobilize the necessary means to guarantee the protection of journalists as civilians, as required by international law,” emphasizes Audrey Azoulay, the Director-General of UNESCO.

The ongoing hostilities in the Middle East have caused the vast majority of conflict-related killings, with UNESCO reporting 19 killings in Palestine, three in Lebanon, and two in Israel since 7 October. Afghanistan, Cameroon, Syria, and Ukraine also had at least two murders each.

These figures do not include deaths of journalists and media workers in circumstances unrelated to their profession, which were also reported in significant numbers in 2023. These tragedies are only the tip of the iceberg, with massive damage and destruction to media infrastructure and offices and many other types of threats, such as physical attack, detention, confiscation of equipment, or denial of access to information. A large number of journalists also fled or stopped working.

This climate is conducive to the establishment of what UNESCO calls “zones of silence” in many conflict zones, with serious implications for access to information both locally and globally.