At least 14 journalists have been killed since January 2026. Lebanon is the deadliest country for media workers so far this year, according to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, who delivered a message ahead of World Press Freedom Day on 3 May.

Since October 2023, the UN human rights office has verified the killing of nearly 300 journalists in Gaza alone, with many more injured. The broader picture is of a profession under unprecedented pressure. Around 330 media workers are currently detained worldwide, along with approximately 500 citizen journalists and human rights bloggers.

Only roughly one in ten killings of journalists over the past two decades has led to full accountability. In nearly a third of countries, funding cuts and media concentration are forcing local news outlets to close. Women journalists face particular risks online: three-quarters have suffered abuse including smear campaigns and threats of sexual violence.

Laws governing defamation, disinformation, cybercrime, and counterterrorism are increasingly being deployed against reporters. Türk pointed to Mexico, Iran, and Sudan as examples of countries where physical and legal threats to journalists are severe.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres noted a sharp rise in the number of journalists deliberately killed in war zones in recent years. Both men called on governments to repeal abusive laws, investigate violations, and bring perpetrators to account, and on technology companies to take meaningful action against online abuse. Source: UN News, May 2026