- The Watson Institute for International Studies' Costs of War project found that since October 7, 2023, the war in Gaza has killed more journalists than all major US wars combined.
- The report warns that growing threats against journalists not only put individuals at risk but also undermine global news coverage by contributing to the creation of “news graveyards”.
LONDON: A report released on Tuesday by the US-based Watson Institute for International Studies' Costs of War project said Israel's war on Gaza is the “worst conflict in history” for journalists, with at least 208 Palestinian media workers killed since October 2023.
The study, titled “News Graveyards: How the Dangers of War Reporters Threaten the World,” examines the impact of war on journalists, as well as broader trends in the U.S. news industry that have weakened international coverage. It highlights how Gaza has seen an unprecedented number of journalistic casualties, far exceeding those of any other conflict in history.
“Attacks on journalists have exacerbated long-term socio-economic shifts that have paralysed the global news industry for decades, leading to a de-prioritisation of international news coverage and the closure of foreign news bureaus,” the report said.
“Around the world, the economics of industry, the violence of war and coordinated censorship campaigns threaten to turn more and more conflict zones into news graveyards, with Gaza being the most glaring example.”
A nonpartisan research project at Brown University that analyzes the human, financial, and political costs of the post-9/11 wars has found that “since October 7, 2023, the war in Gaza has killed more journalists than the American Civil War, World War I, World War II, Korean War, Vietnam War, and the post-9/11 war in Afghanistan combined.”
The report also found that in 2024, one media worker was killed or assassinated every three days globally, up from one every four days in 2023. This is largely due to the war in Gaza.
“Most of the injured or killed reporters, as happened in the Gaza Strip, are local journalists,” it added.
URGENT: More journalists have died in the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023 than in all world wars and other major wars combined.
Our new report details the cost of war for journalists and the journalism we all rely on. [TOPIC, 1/8] https://t.co/oeeqPqw5i2 pic.twitter.com/gSXWYjtXSl
— Costs of War Project (@CostsOfWar) April 1, 2025
In late March, Palestinian journalists Mohammad Mansour, a correspondent for Palestine Today, and Hossam Shabat, a journalist for Al-Jazeera Mubasher, became the latest media workers to be killed in Gaza in Israeli attacks. The Israeli military admitted to killing Shabat, accusing him of being a “terrorist” whom they had “eliminated.”
The report accuses Israel of a “comprehensive effort to undermine the free flow of information,” citing the “near total destruction” of media infrastructure, internet shutdowns, disinformation campaigns and restrictions preventing local journalists from leaving Gaza and barring entry to foreign journalists.
It also highlights the important role of local journalists in conflict zones, describing them as witnesses to the “realities and horrors of war.”
“Journalists are the eyes and ears of the world, seeking reliable, verifiable information amid the maelstrom of violence and chaos of rumors, manipulation, disinformation, disinformation and propaganda,” the report says.
The study also mentions the civil war in Syria, where hundreds of journalists have been killed by government forces and armed groups. The Syrian Network for Human Rights estimates that 700 journalists and media activists have been killed since the conflict began in 2011.
The Watson Institute report warns that growing threats against journalists not only put individuals at risk but also undermine global news coverage and the “global information ecosystem.”
“The decline in the number of experienced foreign correspondents in conflict zones due to long-term changes in the global news industry that have led to a de-prioritization of international news coverage and the closure of foreign news bureaus has also undermined critical expertise and contributed to the creation of news graveyards,” the report said.
