INTRODUCTION
Arab Reporters for Investigative Journalism (ARIJ) has conducted a survey to document the losses, humanitarian conditions, and multitude of challenges faced by Palestinian journalists during the ongoing Israeli war in Gaza. This survey includes responses from 383 journalists who are either in Gaza or were there at some point during the war. While some have since evacuated the Gaza Strip, the majority remain in Gaza, working amid increasingly dire circumstances.
The survey, distributed via email and text messages between October 25 and November 7, 2024, collected both quantitative and qualitative data. It offers insights into the personal losses, working conditions, and hardships faced by journalists in Gaza. The following sections present the survey results, with charts and visualizations for a clearer understanding of the profound impact of the ongoing war on their lives and their ability to continue reporting.
“I live in a tent, which isn’t mine, of course, without the basic necessities of life—bedding, blankets, clothes, shoes, and food.”
KEY FINDINGS
based on responses from 383 surveyed journalists
SURVEY RESULTS
Total journalists who responded 383
LOSS OF FAMILY MEMBERS
84 journalists who responded to the survey—22%—lost family members.
Did you lose a family member?
INJURIES
21% of respondents reported injuries, and nearly half —49%— of those injured were hurt while in their residences, whether at home, in a camp, or in a tent.
REPORTING EQUIPMENT & PROTECTIVE GEAR
A large majority—92% or 349 journalists—reported having no protective equipment, such as flak jackets and helmets.
Do you believe protective equipment protects you?
A quarter of journalists who said they didn’t believe protective equipment helped protect them were injured while wearing it.
JOB LOSS
Among the journalists surveyed, 49% lost their jobs during the war, 31% retained their jobs and 20% found new positions after losing their initial jobs.
DETENTION
Out of the 383 journalists who responded to the survey, 13 reported being detained, including five who were detained while being displaced.
DESTRUCTION OF HOMES & OFFICES
The homes of 88% of journalists who responded to the survey were destroyed, with 71% of the homes totally destroyed.
DISPLACEMENT
An overwhelming 96% of journalists who responded to the survey—both inside and outside Gaza—were displaced from their homes.
About a third of them were displaced eight times or more.
WHERE JOURNALISTS INSIDE GAZA CURRENTLY LIVE
Combined Results from June and October/November Gaza Journalist Surveys
Total Respondents: 512
To understand the extent of losses and challenges faced by journalists in Gaza, we combined responses to seven key questions asked in both our June and October/November surveys. After removing duplicate responses, we have a total of 512 unique respondents. This combined data set provides a clearer picture of the widespread impact on Gaza’s journalists, reflecting the cumulative toll of the war.
- Journalists who had family members killed: 131
- Journalists who had children killed: 16
- Total number of children killed: 38
- Journalists displaced: 495
- Journalists whose homes were destroyed: 446
- Journalists who lost reporting equipment: 468
- Journalists injured: 115
