During dangerous days, particularly in the Middle East, press freedom remains vital, yet it faces growing threats—censorship, disinformation, and violence against journalists. Thirty-three years after the United Nations established World Press Freedom Day, such liberties are now in danger worldwide, especially in the Middle East.
In 2024, a record number of journalists were killed, underscoring the most fundamental danger to press freedom: the inability to report without risking one’s life. According to the UK-based National Union of Journalists, 122 journalists were killed last year, nearly half of whom were Palestinian.
Six journalists were killed in Lebanon, six in Sudan, three in Iraq, three in Syria, and two in Somalia.
A Pew study from last month found that countries where most citizens are satisfied with the press are more likely to have citizens rate the country’s level of democracy highly as well.
Israel, for example, has recently seen declines in both satisfaction with democracy and satisfaction with the press.
Paradoxically, the study seemed to suggest that threats to freedom of the press make citizens value a free press all the more—in Turkey, where 66% of respondents called fake news “a very big problem,” 71% of respondents called it “very important” that media be able to report news without state censorship. In Israel, on the other hand, where only 35% of respondents considered fake news a very big problem, only 43% said they found it very important for the government to avoid censoring the media.
In the US, 51% of respondents called fake news a “very big problem,” and 67% called it very important that the media can report without censorship.
Twenty-three journalists detained in Iran
Iran is considered to have among the lowest levels of press freedom in the world, ranking 176 out of 180 on the 2024 World Press Freedom Index, published by Reporters Without Borders (RSF).
Authorities in Iran are explicitly allowed to ensure that journalists don’t “endanger the Islamic Republic” or “offend the clergy and the supreme leader.” After the recent port explosions in Iran, journalists in the country have again spoken out against state censorship.
A recent Guardian report found that multiple media outlets in Iran were charged for attempting to report on the disaster. Journalists were warned against sharing news about the explosion on social media.
Twenty-three journalists are currently detained in Iran.
Some 10% of all Gazan journalists have been killed in war
Journalists in Gaza face serious threats to life and freedom of expression from the Israeli military as well as from Hamas. The Brussels-based International Federation of Journalists estimated that 10% of all Gazan journalists have been killed in the Israeli campaign against Hamas—the highest rate of any profession.
In February, a group of UN experts said they were “alarmed at the extraordinarily high numbers of journalists and media workers who have been killed, attacked, injured and detained in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, particularly in Gaza.”
Israel has said that it “takes all possible measures to minimize harm to civilians, including journalists” and that it never intentionally targets journalists.
RSF reported this month that multiple journalists covering the protests against Hamas in Gaza had received death threats from Hamas representatives and been physically attacked.
“Hamas is threatening the Palestinian journalists who are bravely doing their job despite the incredible risks. These threats from Hamas must stop at once,” RSF Middle East desk head Jonathan Dagher said in a statement. “The massacre of journalists and the blockade imposed by Israeli forces must end immediately. Journalists in Gaza should be allowed to work freely and without fear.”
Nearly all national media in Turkey under gov't control
Turkey ranks 158 out of 180 on RSF’s World Press Freedom Index, noting that 90% of national media is now under government control. Five journalists are currently detained in Turkey, including Swedish journalist Joakim Medin, who was arrested in March upon his arrival in Turkey. Medin, who had traveled to Turkey to report on ongoing protests, was given an 11-month sentence for “insulting the president.” He has yet to be tried for charges of terrorist propaganda and membership in an illegal organization.
Bahrain has no independent media
Since 2017, Bahrain has not had a single independent media outlet. All media outlets are controlled either fully or partially by the government.
Those who criticize Islam or the ruling family can be sentenced to up to five years in prison.
Currently, six journalists are detained in Bahrain.
Azerbaijan has nine imprisoned female journalists
Women journalists in Azerbaijan face the double bind of a patriarchal society and a restricted media landscape. The landlocked nation ranks 164 out of 180 on the World Press Freedom Index.
Nine women journalists are currently imprisoned in Azerbaijan as part of what Human Rights Watch calls “a vicious crackdown” on dissent.
After being arrested, freelance reporter Fatima Movlamli wrote, “I am a journalist, and I have done nothing criminal.”
While this situation is remarkable, women journalists across the Middle East and the world face challenges. A March 2025 Reuters Institute study found that men outnumber women as top editors in all global markets, even those where more women than men are journalists.
Israeli media hit by heavy military censorship
Journalists in Israel have significantly more rights than many of their colleagues in other Middle Eastern countries, but a recent rise in inflammatory rhetoric is a threat to press freedom. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his allies have described independent journalists as traitors or threats to national security in recent years.
Press freedom watchdogs point to heavy military censorship as one of the issues plaguing Israeli journalism. The state’s military censor can block news outlets from publishing articles threatening national security.
In November, the Israeli government imposed a boycott on Haaretz, the country’s longest-running newspaper. After Haaretz’s publisher accused Israel of “imposing a cruel apartheid regime on the Palestinian population,” Israel’s communications minister said that it was unacceptable for an Israeli newspaper to “support the enemies of the state in the midst of a war.”
Israel has also barred the Qatar-based Al Jazeera news network from operating in Israel and has threatened to shut down Kan, Israel’s public broadcaster. The Union of Journalists in Israel warned that the attempt to shut down Kan amounts to an attack on the free press.
US press freedoms rapidly declining
A new report by the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists, released in the lead-up to World Press Freedom Day, found that press freedoms are rapidly declining in the US.
The group pointed to the Associated Press's exclusion from the White House press pool as a concerning move that raises alarms about selective press engagement. Other major news organizations appear to be resisting or appeasing a White House that seems to be increasingly rewarding favorable coverage and punishing criticism with restricted access.
Regulatory agencies like the Federal Communications Commission have also shown signs of politicization, deepening concerns about government interference in independent journalism.
Investigations into networks like CBS and ABC have been reopened, and officials have called to defund public broadcasters NPR and PBS—lifelines in many of the country’s “news deserts.”
Three decades later, the fight for press freedom is stronger than ever. However, it comes at a cost, and it is important to recognize the journalists who fight for democracy every day, especially as the profession's integrity remains at stake.