Journalists are an extremely significant force in society as they keep the public informed and hold individuals accountable. However, journalists are more at risk than ever before with the existence of strict surveillance, censorship, and physical attacks. Just by working their jobs, they put their safety and freedom on the line.

A significant problem is the rise in violence against journalists, with multiple journalists having been killed recently. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, in 2025 alone, a record high of 129 journalists and media workers were killed globally. Though this number doesn’t seem particularly significant, 2025 was actually marked as one of the deadliest years for journalists around the world. With most of these deaths occurring in conflict zones, these journalists are risking their lives to serve as witnesses and storytellers of the war. 129 isn’t simply a number, but a tribute to those voices that have been permanently silenced. 

Specifically, many of these murders have occurred in places of fighting and conflict. One location where this has occurred is in Gaza, where conditions make it extremely dangerous to report. Since then, the conflict from the Israel-Gaza War since 2023 has become the most dangerous place for journalists ever recorded in history; hundreds have died under localized urban warfare, restriction of international access, and deliberate targeting, especially towards human rights groups. 

When journalists are killed or threatened, the consequences go a long way beyond personal safety. Without them, war crimes, humanitarian crises, civilian suffering, and other horrific events can be deliberately erased; this then strips average citizens of firsthand accounts of what is actually happening and allows powerful individuals to control the narratives.

Nevertheless, violence towards journalists does not only occur in conflict zones. For instance, in countries such as Mexico, journalists are frequently targeted by criminal organizations and corrupt officials, while in Somalia, they have faced arrests, harassment, and even murders. These threats force these workers to develop “defense mechanisms,” avoiding specific topics to protect their lives, which, in simpler terms, is self-censorship. According to the United Nations (UN), growing threats such as harassment, imprisonment, and violence are leading to increased self-censorship worldwide. This once again leaves the public unaware of the horrific events happening within their society.

Another major threat is government censorship and surveillance. In some countries, authorities restrict what journalists can report. For instance, in Myanmar, many journalists have been imprisoned without fair trials following political unrest. Additionally, in other countries such as Hungary, journalists have been removed from events or denied access to information, raising concerns regarding press freedom. In such environments, the public may never learn about government wrongdoings, failures and violations. The government has all the power to maintain control without accountability while leading its citizens who follow blindly. 

In addition to government control, corporate influence over the media is also an issue. Large media corporations hold the ability to decide the stories that are told and the ones that are discarded; they can often follow the path of prioritizing profit or relationships over the truth. A major example is the Washington Post, where allegations of corporate head Jeff Bezos have called out editorial interference, immense staff cuts, and suppression of coverage to satisfy political leaders. Particularly when the paper blocked the endorsement of Kamala Harris in 2024 to appease Donald Trump, the newspaper lost 60,000 subscribers. Additionally, as of 2026, the paper has laid off roughly 300 journalists, including key staff, while the opinions section has been revamped to lack diverse views. When the ownership of the media is concentrated by the top few individuals, the most important stories that challenge potential wrongdoings may never reach the public, sometimes not even the employees of the corporations. This contributes to a significant risk of unawareness within corporations and their unethical practices.

Despite obvious similarities, there are also significant differences in the safety and freedom of journalists that span across countries. According to the World Press Freedom Index, journalists in democratic nations are generally subject to more legal protections despite potentially facing online provocation or political pressure. In comparison, in authoritarian nations, they face stricter censorship, surveillance, and punishment. Whether in war-torn nations where danger increases, countries restricting freedom of speech, or even in free nations such as the US, censorship can creep in in different forms. 

Overall, the decline in the safety of journalists is a crisis that not only affects the journalists themselves but the entirety of society. Though danger varies by country, journalists around the world are facing increasing threats, making it essential to protect all of them. Our access to knowledge relies on these significant workers. Because when journalism is silenced, the truth is silenced with it.