Press Freedom: Upholding in an Era of Conflict and Crisis
2024 saw two emerging difficult situations: Ukraine-Russia war, Israel-Palestine conflict. One of the major casualties of this grim reality of 2024 was threats against press freedom and casualties of the news carriers who themselves became news that became impossible to ignore.
We all know that media freedom is a fundamental right, but surprisingly, nearly half of the world’s population of nearly 200 countries has no access to freely reported news and information even in this time of technology and social media, where information travels faster than lightning.
The past year witnessed an unparalleled assault on journalists operating in conflict zones. West Asia or the Middle East bore the heaviest toll, with 91 journalists killed in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, and the West Bank, largely a result of the Israel-Gaza conflict.
Gaza alone accounted for 80 fatalities, highlighting the devastating intersection of journalism and war. Journalists in Gaza face particular risks as they try to cover the conflict, including airstrikes, famine, the displacement of the Gaza population, and the destruction of 80 percent of its infrastructure.
Journalists in Ukraine faced similar perils, with 21 lives lost, including those of Ukrainian reporters who joined the army and foreign correspondents. Making it the deadliest period for journalists, as CPJ reported, calling it the deadliest year since they began gathering data in the early 1990’s.
Still, media persons in difficult situations are reaching difficult spots from where local populations are leaving or migrating, where destruction is massive and international law is violated again and again. Media persons reach the frontline taking major risks, sometimes at the cost of their own lives, reporting back to the world, sufferers, politicians, opinion leaders and peacemakers to inform them of the ground zero situation, what was happening on the war front so that accordingly the decision makers could react and act to bring peace and humanity.
However, many of them do it at the cost of their own lives; a record number of journalists have been killed while reporting conflict, man-made disasters, or even sometimes in natural disasters.
CPJ, in their report, said that they are investigating more than 130 additional cases of potential killings, arrests, and injuries, but many are difficult to document amid continuing harsh conditions.
“Since the war in Gaza started, journalists have been paying the highest price – their lives – for their reporting. Without protection, equipment, international presence, communications, or food and water, they are still doing their crucial jobs to tell the world the truth,” said CPJ Program Director Carlos Martinez de la Serna in New York.
“Every time a journalist is killed, injured, arrested, or forced to go to exile, we lose fragments of the truth. Those responsible for these casualties face dual trials: one under international law and another before history’s unforgiving gaze.”
Journalists, according to international law, are considered civilians and are protected by International Law as well as the domestic law of the individual countries. As we all know, according to the laws of war, deliberately targeting civilians constitutes a war crime.
There are, however, reports that many times media journalists or media workers are directly targeted; that we saw last year in Gaza and Lebanon as CPJ has classified these killings as “murders”.
Outside West Asia and Ukraine, Pakistan had the highest number of journalists killed, with twelve since January, a clear deterioration for working journalists. Russia has seven journalists killed. In Bangladesh, unrest in July left seven journalists dead.
The situation remains equally dangerous in Mexico, where seven journalists have been killed. Hostilities in Sudan caused the death of six journalists. In Colombia, four media workers were killed, four in India, three in Iraq and three in Myanmar. Two people were killed in Somalia, two in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and two in Haiti as reported by the watchdog organisations of media.
Cambodia, Chad, Ecuador, Honduras, Indonesia, Jamaica, Nepal and the Philippines, followed with one fatality in each country. United Nations experts have raised concerns over the killings of journalists, saying in a statement that they were “alarmed at the extraordinarily high numbers of journalists and media workers who have been killed, attacked, injured and detained in the Palestinian Territory, particularly in Gaza, in recent months blatantly disregarding international law.”
In total, around 179 Journalists lost their lives across 25 countries. Meanwhile, over 550 media professionals remained imprisoned globally. Yet, amid these bleak statistics, moments of hope emerged with several high-profile releases of detained journalists also taking place.
On a positive note, despite challenges for the media persons, 2024 also brought some good and inspiring stories of resilience and release of the media persons. For example, Julian Assange’s long-awaited freedom marked the conclusion of a 14-year legal battle.
In Syria, the fall of the Assad regime led to the release of countless detained journalists, including Hanin Gebran and Tal al-Mallouhi, who had been imprisoned for years.
These inconsistent trends against journalists need more protection and the urgent need to revisit and strengthen commitments to Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), which guarantees the right to freedom of expression.
Every country that is a member of the UN needs to follow international law and their respective country’s domestic law that protects the fourth estate, allowing them to work independently and without any risks.
The rising death toll highlights a troubling culture of impunity. Investigations into journalist killings often stall, leaving perpetrators unpunished. The failure to hold those responsible accountable reflects a broader disregard for international law, which classifies journalists as civilians protected during conflicts.
The International Criminal Court’s (ICC) pursuit of accountability offers a glimmer of hope. In 2024, the ICC announced plans to seek arrest warrants for leaders implicated in war crimes against journalists in Gaza. While such moves are pivotal, they remain limited in scope, demanding a more comprehensive international framework to safeguard press freedom.
Article 19: A Pillar of Democracy
Journalists have been fighting for their right, impunity, and freedom to work in difficult situations demanding their safety. Article 19 of the UDHR enshrines the right to “seek, receive, and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.” However, several countries may not necessarily follow international law and need their countries to bring the law for the safety of the journalists.
This principle is foundational to democracy, empowering citizens with the knowledge needed to hold governments accountable. Yet, the surge in journalist imprisonments and killings signals a systemic erosion of this right as many individual journalists and their organisations demand their right to safety and reporting from ground zero.
In countries where authoritarian regimes are ruling, imprisonment has become a primary tool to suffocate dissent. Countries like Iran, Afghanistan and some countries in Africa exemplify this trend, where journalists face harsh sentences for reporting against the administration.
The way Forward
To ensure the safety of journalists on difficult assignments or even in peacetime, the international community and organisations working for humanity and peace need to make some special decisions and legal protection for protecting media persons.
There has been a demand by the journalist association that an international treaty needs to be rectified by all countries for journalists' protection, which is essential for humanity and bringing truth to the forefront.
This framework should codify obligations for states to safeguard media professionals and establish mechanisms for accountability in cases of violations.
Secondly, governments and international bodies like the United Nations and international courts need to prioritise the prosecution of crimes against journalists. Independent investigations, supported by organisations like the ICC, are crucial to dismantling the culture of impunity.
Journalists in conflict zones also require better protection, including access to safety equipment and training. International organisations should coordinate with different countries to provide resources and support networks for at-risk media workers who also need life insurance.
Sustained pressure from civil society and watchdog organizations also remains vital, including an international official committee to do surveillance and campaigns like those led by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) or Press Emblem Foundation, who in the past have demonstrated their effectiveness in securing releases and raising awareness.
Innovations in digital security can help journalists navigate censorship and surveillance. Investments in secure communication tools and platforms are essential for preserving the flow of information.
Every journalist’s death or imprisonment represents a loss to society, a fragment of the truth silenced. Without a free press, citizens are left in the dark, unable to make informed decisions or hold power to account. As CPJ’s Program Director Carlos Martinez de la Serna aptly stated, the erosion of press freedom is not just a loss for journalism but for democracy itself.
As we move now from 2024 to 2025, the world continues to face difficulties and conflicts. The choice is clear - either strengthen commitments to press freedom so that truth cannot be censored or risk further seeing how the cost of war and conflict continuously affects humanitarian principles. Upholding Article 19 is not merely an act of justice for journalists but a vital step in safeguarding the rights and freedoms of all.
