Press death toll soars to 128 in 2025, three Filipinos killed

A total of 128 journalists and media workers were killed worldwide in 2025, according to the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), marking one of the deadliest years for the press in recent history. 

Year 2025 had six more killings compared to 122 recorded deaths in 2024.

The toll includes 10 women and nine accidental deaths and covers reporters, camera operators, and other media personnel who lost their lives in conflict zones and high-risk environments.

For the third consecutive year, more than half of those killed were in the Middle East, particularly in the Palestinian territories, where the IFJ recorded at least 56 journalist deaths amid ongoing conflict.

“These deaths are a brutal reminder that journalists are being targeted with impunity, simply for doing their job,” said IFJ General Secretary Anthony Bellanger.

Among the 128 deaths, 15 journalists were killed in the Asia-Pacific region, including three Filipino media workers, making the Philippines among the countries with the highest media fatalities outside the Middle East. 

Veteran Juan “Johnny” Dayang, broadcaster Erwin Labitad Segovia, and radio reporter Noel Bellen Samar were fatally shot in separate attacks during 2025.

Dayang was killed in his own home in Kalibo, Aklan, on April 29, while Segovia was gunned down in broad daylight by unidentified motorcycle-riding assailants in Surigao del Sur on July 21. 

Samar died on October 21, after sustaining gunshot wounds from a shooting attack the morning before. 

The Asia-Pacific region also has the highest number of journalists imprisoned, totaling 277, with China (including Hong Kong) leading with 143, followed by Myanmar and Vietnam with 49 and 37, respectively.

Nine media workers were killed in Africa, with Sudan alone accounting for six deaths amid ongoing civil conflict.

America had 11 recorded killings, with Peru leading with four deaths, a shocking result for a country that has seen no fatal crimes against journalists for almost a decade.

The ongoing Russia-Ukraine war came up with eight out of 10 journalist killings in Europe. 

The IFJ has recorded 3,173 deaths worldwide since 1990, an average of 91 deaths per year, and 876 in the last ten years.