Marking International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists

On 3 November at 5.30pm, the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) will host an online event to mark International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists (IDEI).

Worldwide, journalists continue to report in difficult, hostile and dangerous environments to ensure truths are told to audiences through their journalism. Despite committing no crime, journalists continue to be targeted in online and physical attacks, in some cases leading to killings, with perpetrators too often able to evade accountability.

Records from the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) show at least 122 journalists and media professionals were killed in 2024, the deadliest since records began. At least 246 journalists have been killed during the course of the Israel-Gaza conflict, 223 of them Palestinian.

In countries including Turkey, Yemen, the Philippines, Ukraine, Colombia and Pakistan, threats against journalists for simply carrying out their professional duties still occur. Arbitrary arrests and imprisonment are also often wielded against journalists to instil fear and prevent their public interest journalism.

In Northern Ireland, we have witnessed deplorable attacks against journalists including the killings of NUJ members Lyra Mckee and Martin O’Hagan. The NUJ has campaigned tirelessly to bring about an end to the impunity enjoyed by the killers of Sunday World journalist O’Hagan, since his murder in 2001.

The union launched the online Journalists' Safety Tracker in 2024. This important tool allows journalists to capture and report the abuse they encounter as part of their work, and forms an evidence base in our campaign for improved journalists’ safety.

We also continue to urge the UK and Irish governments to play their role in condemning attacks against journalists, holding those who commit crimes to account whilst recognising the importance of journalists in upholding press freedom.

Join the webinar on 3 November to hear our expert speakers discuss the urgent need to protect journalists in the UK, Ireland, and globally, as well as the concrete steps required to ensure their safety and freedom to report. We will also come together as a community to mourn fallen colleagues and amplify our demands for accountability for their deaths.

The speakers:

Rebecca Long Bailey, MP for Salford and co-chair of the NUJ’s Parliamentary Group

Jennifer Robinson, Doughty Street Chambers human rights barrister

Anthony Bellanger, International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) general secretary

Nani Afrida, Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) chairperson and Federation of Asia Pacific Journalists (FAPaJ) president

Séamus Dooley, NUJ assistant general secretary