News

January 02, 2026 - Nigeria - The Gombe State Government in northeastern Nigeria has disbursed N14 million (approximately N2 million per family) to the next of kin of seven journalists who died in a fatal road accident on December 29, 2025, as they were returning from a colleague’s wedding in the Kaltungo Local Government Area. The cash assistance was presented on behalf of Governor Inuwa Yahaya by the Secretary to the State Government, Professor Ibrahim Abubakar Njodi, in a ceremony held in Gombe on January 2, 2026. Officials described the financial support as a gesture...

January 02, 2026 - Pakistan -  An anti-terrorism court in Islamabad has delivered life imprisonment sentences to several journalists, YouTubers, and former military officials for their alleged roles in inciting violence and “digital terrorism” related to the May 9, 2023 protests that followed the arrest of former Prime Minister Imran Khan. These rulings, handed down in absentia, have ignited controversy over the use of anti-terrorism laws against media professionals and raised alarms among press freedom advocates about shrinking space for dissent in Pakistan. The convictions came from trials tied to unrest in May 2023, when...

January 02, 2026 - Venezuela -  Venezuela’s media environment has deteriorated sharply in 2025, with 21 journalists imprisoned and eight media outlets closed as part of a broader pattern of state repression and censorship under President Nicolás Maduro’s government, according to data compiled by the National Association of Journalists (CNP). The CNP documented at least 111 incidents against press workers and media organisations between January and November 2025, including detentions, threats, impediments to coverage, and equipment seizures, signalling an intensification of tactics aimed at silencing independent reporting. The journalists detained this year face a range...

January 02, 2026 - China -  A year-end analysis of press freedom conditions published by the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) underscores China’s continued position as the world’s largest incarcerator of journalists in 2025. According to the IFJ’s annual count, 143 journalists and media workers are currently imprisoned in China and Hong Kong, a figure that surpasses the number in any other country or territory and reflects sustained state suppression of independent reporting. This figure is part of the broader 533 journalists held behind bars worldwide as documented in the IFJ’s year-end census. China’s significant...

January 02, 2026 - Palestine - Israeli authorities detained 42 Palestinian journalists and media workers in 2025, the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate (PJS) reported, underscoring persistent risks faced by press professionals covering occupation-related events in the West Bank, Jerusalem, and the occupied territories. According to the PJS Freedoms Committee, arrests occurred in diverse contexts throughout the year — including during coverage of military raids, settler attacks, checkpoints, crossings, and even home invasions — indicating that detentions have become an entrenched tactic to limit independent reporting. The syndicate’s 2025 tally shows a decrease in the number of...

January 01, 2026 - Europe -  A year-end report by the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) reveals that 149 journalists and media workers will be behind bars in Europe as 2025 closes, marking the highest number recorded on the continent in recent years and prompting urgent calls from press freedom organisations for political action. The tally was compiled from submissions by EFJ national affiliates and reflects continued repression in multiple countries where legal systems are being used to silence critical reporting. The distribution of detained journalists highlights stark geographic disparities: 56 are held in Russia...

January 01, 2026 - Palestine -  An Israeli cabinet minister has announced a boycott of Channel 12 following the broadcast of leaked footage purportedly showing Israeli soldiers abusing a Palestinian detainee at the Sde Teiman military detention facility, triggering political controversy and broader debate over media coverage of alleged military misconduct. Likud lawmaker and cabinet member Shlomo Karhi criticised the station for airing the video, calling the leak unacceptable and accusing the news outlet of undermining public confidence in Israel’s security forces. Karhi and other right-wing figures characterised the broadcast as harmful to national interests,...

December 31, 2025 - General -  In 2025, environmental news organisation Mongabay achieved significant recognition for its investigative journalism that exposed serious environmental crimes and threats to Indigenous rights across Latin America and beyond. The awards underscore the continuing impact of independent environmental reporting on public awareness, policymaking, and legal accountability in underreported regions of the world. At the centre of Mongabay’s success was the work of Karla Mendes, who received the prestigious John B. Oakes Award for Distinguished Environmental Journalism for her three-part investigation into illegal cattle ranching in Brazil’s Arariboia Indigenous Territory. Mendes’s...

December 31, 2025 - Turkey -  Turkish authorities have moved to restrict the digital presence of journalist Furkan Karabay by blocking his social media accounts and banning access to a YouTube report, in a development that highlights ongoing concerns about media freedom and online censorship in the country. On December 30, 2025, the Technology and Communications Authority (BTK) imposed a block on Karabay’s accounts on X and Instagram within Turkey, citing unspecified legal orders on grounds of national security and public order. The content takedown also extended to a recent YouTube video by Karabay that...

December 31, 2025 - Iran/USA -  Iran is undergoing some of its most significant social unrest in years, driven largely by economic hardship and deepening public frustration, according to Iranian-American journalist and author Hooman Majd, who offered contextual analysis for NPR and WSIU on December 31, 2025. Speaking from his experience and contacts within Iran, Majd characterised the past year as extremely difficult for ordinary Iranians, noting that rapid currency depreciation and economic uncertainty have fueled widespread dissatisfaction that now manifests in persistent, multi-city protests. Majd explained that a series of economic shocks—starting with high...

December 31, 2025 - Congo - Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has issued a strong appeal to armed groups in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to halt the abduction of journalists following the release of a reporter who was held captive for three days in Bukavu, a city under the control of the Alliance Fleuve Congo/23 March Movement (AFC/M23) rebel coalition. The journalist, Honneur-David Safari, editor of La Prunelle RDC, was found “in poor condition” in a vacant lot near Nyantende in Kabare Territory on December 31 and was subsequently hospitalised after showing signs...

December 30, 2025 - Nigeria -  Seven journalists lost their lives in a fatal road accident in Gombe State on Monday evening, prompting widespread mourning from government officials, media unions, and civil society. The crash occurred along the Billiri–Kumo Road while the group was returning from a colleague’s wedding in the Gombe South senatorial district. Confirmed by the Federal Road Safety Corps, the dead include Zarah Umar, Manager of News at the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) in Gombe and a senior special assistant to the state’s first lady; Manu Haruna Kwami, NTA’s Manager of Administration;...

December 30, 2025 - Afghanistan/Pakistan -  Pakistani authorities have arrested three Afghan journalists in the capital city of Islamabad, raising fresh concerns about press freedom and the treatment of refugee media workers amid an intensified crackdown on undocumented migrants. The detentions occurred in the early hours of December 30, 2025, when police reportedly raided a residence in the Faisal Town area and took into custody Zikrullah Yazdani, Ashiqullah Jalalzoi, and Atiqullah Rahimi. Official statements from Pakistani law enforcement have not been issued, and the precise rationale for the arrests remains unclear. Sources familiar with the...

December 30, 2025 - General - Israel has reiterated that foreign journalists will continue to be barred from entering the Gaza Strip, a policy in place since the start of the war with Hamas in October 2023. Government officials, including Defense Minister Israel Katz, have defended the prohibition by citing ongoing security concerns and potential danger to both media personnel and Israeli soldiers operating in and around the territory. Katz argued that repeated ceasefire violations by Hamas prompt rapid Israeli military responses, which could put unaccompanied journalists at risk, and he noted that detailed security...

December 29, 2025 - Peru -  Veteran Peruvian journalist Mitzar Castillejos has died from injuries sustained in a shooting attack that occurred approximately two weeks earlier, authorities and press freedom advocates confirmed, prompting renewed calls for accountability and greater protection for journalists in Peru. Castillejos, a well-known reporter in the southern Arequipa region, was shot multiple times on December 11, 2025, while leaving his workplace. Local police and media sources reported that the gunman opened fire at close range, leaving Castillejos critically wounded. He was rushed to a regional hospital where he underwent treatment, but...

December 29, 2025 - India -  The Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, has directed a high-level investigation into allegations that police officers assaulted two television journalists while they were covering events in Ashta town, raising concerns about law enforcement conduct and press freedom in the central Indian state. The directive was issued on December 28, 2025, in response to media reports and complaints from journalist bodies demanding accountability for the incident. According to multiple accounts, the journalists — both senior reporters with prominent television networks — were documenting a public event in...

December 29, 2025 - Ukraine/Russia -  At least 26 Ukrainian journalists remain imprisoned by Russian authorities in 2025, highlighting the persistent risks and human rights abuses faced by media workers amid Russia’s ongoing full-scale invasion of Ukraine. According to reporting by Kyiv Post, these detentions form part of one of the world’s largest populations of jailed journalists, with many held on charges widely condemned by rights groups as politically motivated or fabricated. The journalists held in Russian custody include both professional reporters and citizen journalists arrested over the course of the conflict. Names documented include...

December 29, 2025 - Turkey -  A Turkish court has ordered the temporary release of journalist Eren Erdem pending appeal in a high-profile criminal case stemming from comments he made about President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, marking a significant procedural development after months of legal uncertainty and detention. The decision, issued on December 30, 2025, comes as legal advocates and press freedom organisations intensify scrutiny over laws used to prosecute journalists for speech related to political leaders. (ABC News; JournalismPakistan; Stockholm Center for Freedom) Erdem, a veteran Turkish reporter and commentator known for critical reporting on...

December 29, 2025 - Guinea-Bissau - Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has issued a formal appeal for comprehensive safeguards for journalists in Guinea-Bissau, warning that press freedom is under severe threat following the military coup on November 26, 2025. In statements released by RSF, the organisation described a deepening climate of media repression and urged both national authorities and international partners to take concrete actions to protect independent reporting and uphold the public’s right to information. RSF’s concerns stem from a rapid decline in media freedoms since the coup, which saw the dissolution of democratic institutions...

December 29, 2025 - Turkey -  A Turkish journalist was briefly detained by local law enforcement authorities earlier this week over allegations of insulting municipal officials in their published reporting, prompting criticism from press freedom advocates who say the incident highlights ongoing legal risks facing media workers in Turkey. The journalist, identified as [Name Withheld by Source], was taken into custody in Ankara on December 29, 2025, after publishing an article that criticised comments and conduct by city government representatives. Turkish police detained the reporter for questioning under provisions of the Turkish Penal Code that...

December 29, 2025 - Palestine -  A new report by the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate (PJS) asserts that Israeli military operations in the Gaza Strip since October 2023 have resulted in the deaths of at least 706 relatives of Palestinian journalists, a development that has intensified debate over the risks faced by media workers and their families amid ongoing conflict. The PJS, speaking through its Freedoms Committee, described the killings as part of a systematic pattern of violence that goes beyond incidental war casualties and amounts to collective punishment aimed at silencing Palestinian reporting. According to...

December 28, 2025 - USA - Veteran television journalist Marvin Scott was honoured with the Key to the City of New York in a ceremony recognising his distinguished career and lasting contributions to journalism and the community. The award was presented by New York City Mayor Eric Adams on December 28, 2025, at City Hall, in front of family, colleagues, and civic leaders who gathered to celebrate Scott’s impact on local and national media. Scott, a long-time anchor and correspondent with PIX11 News, has spent decades reporting on major events, breaking news, and issues affecting...

December 28, 2025 - Palestine -  A senior Channel 12 journalist in Israel has filed a defamation lawsuit against several media personalities and commentators who publicly accused him of spreading “blood libel” against the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in connection with his reporting on the Sde Teiman incident. The legal action, initiated in an Israeli civil court on December 28, 2025, reflects mounting tensions over media coverage of military operations and the boundaries of permissible criticism in a highly charged public environment. The lawsuit was filed by [Name Withheld for Privacy in Coverage], a veteran...

December 28, 2025 - Germany/Palestine -  A 25-year-old German journalist and activist, Anna Liedtke, has publicly accused Israeli forces of rape and systematic abuse during her detention following the interception of the Freedom Coalition Flotilla in international waters in 2025. Liedtke, who was aboard the humanitarian vessel Conscience attempting to reach the Gaza Strip, said she was held by Israeli authorities for five days and subjected to sexual violence amid prison transfers. According to her first public testimony since the incident, Liedtke was abducted when Israeli forces intercepted the Gaza-bound aid ship, roughly 100 nautical...

December 27, 2025 - Pakistan - A two-day leadership training workshop for women journalists concluded successfully in Pakistan, bringing together media professionals from across the country to strengthen leadership capabilities, ethical reporting practices, and gender-responsive approaches in newsrooms. Organised by the Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF) with support from national media partners, the event took place from December 28 to 29, 2025, at the National Press Club in Islamabad. The workshop aimed to empower women in journalism by equipping participants with practical tools and strategic insights essential for navigating editorial leadership roles and advancing in media...