According to UNESCO, 55 journalists and media workers were killed in 2021 around the world.
While that number represents the lowest annual death toll in over a decade, UNESCO says that impunity for the crimes remains “alarmingly widespread.” Eighty-seven percent of all killings of journalists since 2006 remain unresolved.
Other forms of violence, such as imprisonment, physical attacks and intimidation, pose additional threats to the press around the world, the organization said.
“Once again in 2021, far too many journalists paid the ultimate price to bring truth to light. Right now, the world needs independent, factual information more than ever,” said Audrey Azoulay, the UNESCO director general, about the findings. “We must do more to ensure that those who work tirelessly to provide this can do so without fear.”
Two global regions were especially dangerous for journalists, accounting for the majority of deaths. The Asia-Pacific region alone accounted for 23 killings, and Latin America and the Caribbean together recorded 14 killings.
The UNESCO Observatory of Killed Journalists also recorded two cases in the European Union. The killing of Greek journalist George Karaivaz in Athens last April and the murder of Dutch journalist Peter R. de Vries who was shot in Amsterdam last July.
The organization noted too that women journalists also face a “shocking prevalence” of harassment online.
