Attacks on media workers must end, UN urges

This article is published in association with United Nations.

War in the Middle East has made Lebanon the deadliest country for media workers so far this year, but practically no country offers a safe environment in which to be a journalist, according to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. 

Volker Türk highlighted growing threats to the media in a message ahead of World Press Freedom Day, observed annually on 3 May. 

“When attacks on the media are normalised, freedom itself begins to decay, and with it, the foundations of peace, security, and sustainable development,” he warned. 

A dangerous job 

The High Commissioner paid tribute to the courageous reporters and photographers across the world “who document horrific atrocities, expose corruption, and scrutinize business operations.”  

He noted, however, that “journalism today has become an insecure and, at times, dangerous profession” as media workers have been “bombed in their cars, abducted from their offices, silenced behind bars, and dismissed from their jobs.” 

At least 14 journalists have been killed since January, only around a tenth of killings in the past two decades has led to full accountability, and covering armed conflict poses the highest risk. 

Gaza ‘death trap’ 

“Israel’s war in Gaza has become a death trap for the media. My Office has verified the killing of nearly 300 journalists since October 2023, with many more injured,” he said. 

“So far in 2026, Lebanon is the deadliest country for media workers.” 

Furthermore, it is often only local reporters who are covering wars, such as the journalists he met in Sudan “who had faced extreme violence, brutality, and even famine – all while trying to continue their essential work.” 

The ‘first casualties’ in war 

In his message for the Day, UN Secretary-General António Guterres affirmed that “recent years have seen a sharp rise in the number of journalists killed – often deliberately targeted – in war zones.” 

Although a popular saying states that truth is the first casualty in war, “far too frequently, the first casualties are the journalists who risk everything to report that truth – not only in war, but wherever those in power fear scrutiny.” 

But press freedom is also under “unprecedented strain” due to “economic pressures, new technologies, and active manipulation,” he said. 

No safe place 

Echoing this, Mr. Türk warned that “virtually no country is truly safe for those who speak truth to power.”  

The High Commissioner pointed to his recent visit to Mexico, where reporting on corruption, environmental harm or organized crime has exposed journalists, their sources and even their families to grave risks. 

“I am deeply concerned that media workers are the primary targets of growing transnational repression and surveillance – most recently seen in attacks against Iranian journalists abroad,” he said. 

Online harassment and abuse 

At the same time, laws on defamation, disinformation, cybercrime, and terrorism are increasingly being used to protect the powerful, while costly legal cases are being used to intimidate and silence journalists.   

Worldwide, roughly 330 media workers are currently detained along with some 500 citizen journalists and human rights bloggers. 

The UN rights chief voiced concern over online harassment and bullying, which disproportionately affects women journalists—three-quarters of whom have suffered abuse such as smear campaigns and threats of sexual violence. 

Such attacks “risk creating a disinformation society, in which the media is forced to obscure facts and deny science to operate in safety,” he said. 

Silencing the press 

Meanwhile, efforts to silence the press “have become disturbingly creative”, such as restricting access, internet shutdowns and news blackouts. He noted that “in some cases, an unholy alliance between political, corporate, and media power is damaging democracy and polarizing societies.” 

Economic pressure is reaching record levels, compounding the situation. In nearly a third of countries, funding cuts and media concentration are forcing local news outlets to close. 

Driven by conviction 

In the face of these challenges, journalists continue to report in the harshest conditions— “even from hospital beds and wheelchairs”—because they believe the truth is worth fighting for. 

Stressing that they cannot fight alone, Mr. Türk called for countries “to end the persecution of the press, lift arbitrary restrictions, repeal abusive laws, and align legal frameworks with international human rights standards.” 

Governments are urged to prevent attacks against media workers, protect them from surveillance – including when working abroad, investigate violations and ensure accountability. 

He also appealed for tech companies to take meaningful action against online abuse and disinformation, and underlined the importance of maintaining independence, transparency, and integrity within media institutions.