Press Releases
2025 journalist jailings remain stubbornly high; harsh prison conditions pervasive
For the fifth year in a row, more than 300 journalists were imprisoned worldwide as of the end of 2025, according to CPJ’s annual prison census. These record-setting numbers reflect growing authoritarianism and escalating numbers of armed conflicts worldwide. Often, journalists are held under cruel and life-threatening conditions – “a cemetery of the living,” as one freed Palestinian prisoner described it.
Photo Credit
(Photo: Reuters/Cristina Chiquin)
Press freedom is your freedom.
The Committee to Protect Journalists is an independent, nonprofit organization that promotes press freedom worldwide. We defend the right of journalists to report the news safely and without fear of reprisal.
CPJ’s researchers document attacks on journalists and media workers throughout the year, providing a rigorous and trusted source of information on the state of press freedom worldwide. Explore our data.
What we do
Advocacy
CPJ denounces press freedom violations and engages with governments, multilateral institutions and other coalitions to defend journalists under attack.
Awareness
CPJ’s researchers rigorously document attacks on the press, helping journalists enduring those attacks to remain in the public eye.
Assistance
CPJ supports journalists through timely safety information and emergency assistance, covering an array of physical, digital, and legal issues.
