The EBU has today spoken out on the alarming new figures showing a record number of journalists were killed in 2023. Three out of four died during the Israel-Gaza conflict - according to the report by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), the majority of them Palestinian killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza.

The CPJ report documents 99 journalists and media workers lost their lives last year - the global total is the highest since 2015 and an almost 44% increase from 2022. 

Noel Curran, Director General, EBU, said, “The loss of these brave individuals – killed while doing their job - is tragic, not just for their families and colleagues, but for everyone in journalism. At the EBU we stand in solidarity with all journalists who risk their lives on a daily basis. And, along with public service media outlets worldwide, we remain committed to defending press freedom and the safety of all journalists.”

According to the CPJ, the Israel-Gaza conflict claimed the lives of more journalists in three months than have ever been killed in a single country in an entire year. Investigating these war-related deaths has been exceptionally challenging due to the large number of casualties in a short time span and the lack of access to crucial information, exacerbated by the loss of journalists' families and colleagues.

The EBU urges a thorough and impartial investigation into these incidents. It is imperative that all parties involved in conflicts prioritize the protection of journalists and respect their essential role in informing the public and upholding press freedom.

The EBU also acknowledges the broader trend highlighted in the report, where journalism continues to be under threat in many parts of the world due to divisive elections, rising authoritarianism, ongoing conflicts, and organized crime networks. 

This underscores the urgent need for concerted international efforts to safeguard journalists and uphold press freedom globally.