Violence against journalists drops in first half of year, but Mexico leads lethal countries for press in Latin America

A total of 39 journalists were killed globally in the first half of 2026, marking a significant 54% decrease from the same period the previous year, according to the Press Emblem Campaign (PEC). Despite this reduction, the organization highlighted that the vast majority of these crimes go unpunished. The Middle East continues to be the most perilous region for journalists, with Latin America following closely behind. In the Middle East, 19 of the 39 deaths occurred, including nine journalists in Lebanon during Israeli military operations and seven in Gaza. Mexico once again topped the list of the deadliest countries for the press, with five journalists killed. Latin America as a second most dangerous region recorded 12 journalist deaths in total. Colombia, Haiti, and Venezuela each reported two killings, while Guatemala had one. Asia saw six journalists killed, with three in the Philippines and one each in Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan. Africa registered two deaths, in Somalia and Uganda. Europe reported no journalist fatalities, even with the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine. While the PEC noted this decrease as the first improvement after three consecutive years of record-high figures, the organization cautioned that "39 killings are still too many." They also expressed regret over the lack of progress in the fight against impunity for these crimes.

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39 killings are still too many