Record Number of Journalists Killed in 2024, CPJ Reports
Source: CPJ
According to a statement by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), a record number of journalists were killed in 2024 — at least 124 journalists in 18 countries, making it the deadliest year for reporters since the organization started recording numbers more than 30 years ago. The statement added that 85 journalists — nearly 70% — were killed by the Israeli military in the Israel-Hamas war. The Israeli military responded that they were unable to investigate alleged incidents because not enough information had been provided, and that it takes all operationally feasible measures to mitigate harm to journalists and civilians.
2024 Was Deadliest Year on Record for Journalists; 85 Killed by Israel
Source: Committee to Protect Journalists
According to new findings by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), 2024 was the deadliest year on record for members of the media, with more than 124 journalists killed. That figure surpasses the previous high of 113 deaths in 2007, during the height of the US War in Iraq. The conflict in the Middle East was, by far, the most deadly contributor to last year's record-breaking total, with 82 journalists killed in Gaza and three in Lebanon. In addition, CPJ found that roughly one in five of those deaths — 24 — were the result of deliberate targeting of the press, including 10 cases in Gaza and Lebanon where the Israeli military singled out journalists for attack. Also, a record-high 43 freelance journalists were among the press killings in 2024.
Applications Open for Taco Kuiper Award 2025
Source: South African National Editors
South African and South African-based journalists can submit applications for the 2025 Taco Kuiper Award for Investigative Journalism, which recognizes outstanding investigative reporting that reveals untold stories and holds the powerful to account. The prize is open to South African journalists or journalist teams that published or broadcast a story or series of stories of an investigative nature between January 1 and December 31, 2024. The top prize is 200,000 rand (US$10,866); the runner-up wins 100,000 rand. The deadline for submissions is February 24.
New Report on Transnational Repression Finds Journalists Are ‘Prime Target’
Source: Freedom House
A new global survey by Freedom House looked at the epidemic of transnational repression during the past 10 years and found many disturbing patterns. According to the report, one quarter of the world's governments have used transnational repression tactics in the past decade, but it singled out the worst offenders as China, Russia, Turkey, Egypt, Cambodia, and Tajikistan, countries where press freedom has likewise been rapidly deteriorating and journalists are increasingly under attack. Freedom House also documented 26 governments targeting exiled journalists in 124 different incidents of intimidation or physical violence since 2014.
Resources for News Outlets Affected by US Funding Suspension
Source: Global Forum for Media Development
The Global Forum for Media Development (GFMD) has published a guidance document and released a informational webinar for nonprofit news outlets affected by the worldwide US funding freeze instituted by the new Trump White House. The suspension of funding, announced earlier this week, has already had an impact, disrupting the work of numerous investigative outlets around the world that receive financing from US Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor (DRL). GFMD also has a Fundraising Help Desk (click though to access) to support and mentor journalism and media development in this challenging environment.
China, Israel, and Myanmar Worst Offenders in Near-Record Year for Jailing of Journalists
Source: Committee to Protect Journalists
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) released its annual census of jailed journalists and found that last year saw the second-highest total of most media workers behind bars in its history tracking such detentions. In all, 361 journalists were incarcerated as of Dec. 1, 2024, just below the all-time high of 370 recorded in 2022. More than a half of the detained journalists — 189 — were detained in just five countries: China, Israel and the Palestinian territory, Myanmar, Belarus, and Russia. The census noted that "many of the journalists in CPJ's 2024 census have been sentenced to spend significant parts of their lives in jail."
Environmental Journalism Grant Launched, Aimed at Themes of COP30
Source: Pulitzer Center
The Pulitzer Center has opened calls for applications to journalists looking to cover issues related to the environment and the climate crisis in the lead up to COP30. This editorial grant "aims to support investigative projects that examine how domestic and international climate policies influence the governance of rainforest and ocean ecosystems. This includes exploring, for example, how regulations — or their absence and misuse — facilitate problematic industrial operations, unsustainable supply chains, and opaque carbon offset schemes." Submissions can be made in English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, and Bahasa Indonesia. Deadline: February 15.
Nominations Open for 2025 UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize
Source: UNESCO
UNESCO is now accepting nominations for its annual Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize, which was established 28 years ago to recognize an individual or organization that has made an outstanding contribution to defending press freedom in the past year. Named in honor of Cano, a Colombian journalist gunned down outside his newspaper office in Bogota in 1986, the prize committee accepts submissions of up to three candidates each from member states, press-focused NGOs, and professional organizations. The deadline to apply is midnight February 14, 2025.
Rising Business Prospects, But Worries Over More Press Attacks and ‘AI Slop’: Reuters 2025 Journalism Outlook
Source: Reuters Institute
Reuters Institute has published a survey looking at expectations and predictions for the journalism industry in 2025. Ominously, it found that just 41% of media leaders are confident about the future of the press, a drop of nearly 20% from just three years earlier. This includes an expectation that referral traffic from most social media sites will continue to erode, and concern over "AI slop" infecting the information environment and undermining the work of fact-based reporting. While more than half — 56% — are optimistic about their site's business prospects for 2025, worries about further demonization of the press and physical attacks still color much of the industry, especially with the arrival of several far right governments into power around the world.
Apply for ICFJ’s Independent Video Journalism Award
Source: International Center for Journalists
The International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) is now accepting applications for its News Creator Award for Excellence in Independent Video Journalism. This honor, which will be given to eight winners at the 2025 International Journalism Festival in Perugia, Italy, recognizes high-quality, digital-first video journalism from independent reporters around the world. The deadline for nominations is midnight US EST on January 15.