A global pattern of violence against the press
There have been at least 72 media worker fatalities this year so far, and a total of 125 in 2024
Every four days, a journalist somewhere in the world is killed in connection to their work, according to the United Nations, and that trend is rising, despite it being a breach of international law.
There have been at least 72 media worker fatalities this year so far, and a total of 125 in 2024.
The recent attacks on Prothom Alo and The Daily Star in Bangladesh are not isolated incidents. They reflect a broader, deeply entrenched global pattern in which journalists and media institutions are increasingly targeted for doing their work. From conflict zones to countries that formally identify as democracies, press freedom is under sustained assault – through killings, bombings, abductions, arrests, censorship, and intimidation.
Drawing on documentation and reporting by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), Columbia Journalism Review (CJR), and the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), this report outlines some of the most notable and deadly attacks on the media worldwide, situating Bangladesh's recent experience within a troubling international context.
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Deadliest attacks on media workers
Afghanistan: Journalists targeted as bait
30 April 2018 – Kabul
At least nine journalists were killed and six were injured in a double suicide bombing claimed by the Islamic State. The first blast drew reporters to the scene; the second detonated among them. All those killed were under 30 and worked for outlets including AFP, Tolo News, TV1, Mashal, and Radio Azadi. RSF described it as the deadliest attack on Afghan media since 2001.
20 January 2016 – Kabul
A suicide bomber rammed a minibus carrying Tolo News employees, killing seven staff members. The Taliban claimed responsibility after previously declaring Afghan commercial TV channels "military targets."
France: Charlie Hebdo massacre
7 January 2015 – Paris
Gunmen stormed the offices of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, killing eight journalists and four others. The attack followed years of threats linked to the magazine's editorial content and remains one of Europe's most notorious assaults on press freedom.
Philippines: Maguindanao massacre
23 November 2009 – Mindanao
Thirty-two journalists were among 57 people massacred by a private militia while covering a political convoy. It remains the single deadliest attack on journalists in history. More than a decade later, justice remains incomplete.
Pakistan, Nigeria, Iraq, Ecuador
RSF has also documented lethal double-bombings targeting journalists in Quetta (2013), coordinated Boko Haram attacks on newspaper offices in Nigeria (2012), a car bomb at Al-Arabiya's Baghdad bureau (2010), and the abduction and murder of reporters from El Comercio in Ecuador (2018).
Gaza and the normalisation of journalist deaths
According to CJR, Gaza has become the deadliest place in the world for journalists in modern history. Since 7 October 2023, nearly 250 journalists and media workers have been killed there, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, with other counts even higher. Many were clearly identified as press and, in numerous cases, targeted while wearing press vests.
CJR reports that journalists in Gaza have also faced starvation, with one reporter saying, "I used to chase the truth. Now I chase calories." RSF and CPJ have both characterised several Israeli strikes as directly targeting journalists - claims Israel denies, despite acknowledging responsibility in some cases.
The response from international institutions and Western governments, CJR notes, has often been muted, contributing to what many journalists see as the normalisation of press deaths in conflict zones.
Expanding danger zones
In analysis published by CFR, violence against journalists is described as a growing global threat, driven by conflict, authoritarianism, and the erosion of norms that once treated reporters as non-combatants.
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Sudan: Civil war has destroyed nearly 90% of the country's media infrastructure, with dozens of journalists killed or forced into exile.
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Pakistan: RSF ranks it among the world's most dangerous countries for journalists, with killings often linked to corruption reporting and political unrest.
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Mexico: Journalists covering crime and corruption continue to face lethal threats from organised crime and collusion with local power structures.
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Ukraine: At least sixteen journalists have been killed since Russia's 2022 invasion, alongside widespread detentions and attacks on media infrastructure.
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Syria: Persistent instability, airstrikes, and repression keep the country near the bottom of RSF's Press Freedom Index.
CFR also highlights a worrying trend in countries traditionally seen as safer for journalists.
Rising threats in democracies, including the US
CJR and CFR both document a sharp rise in attacks on journalists in the United States, particularly during protests. In 2025 alone, dozens of journalists were arrested or assaulted, with police and federal agents using force against reporters covering demonstrations.
CJR further reports on institutional pressure: restrictions on press access, bans on news agencies, new accreditation rules, and deportations of media figures. These developments, analysts warn, mirror tactics long used in more openly repressive states.
Bangladesh in a global frame
The attacks on Prothom Alo and The Daily Star must be understood within this global pattern of escalating hostility toward independent media. RSF, CJR, and CFR all emphasise that violence against journalists, whether through bombs, bullets, arrests, or intimidation, is rarely confined to one country. What is tolerated in one place soon becomes acceptable elsewhere.
As press freedom erodes quietly, the consequences extend far beyond newsrooms. History shows that where journalists are silenced, other rights soon follow.
