Palestinian Territories — The Palestinian Journalists’ Protection Center (PJPC) has conducted an online survey to identify the critical needs of journalists in the Gaza Strip, highlighting the harsh professional and humanitarian conditions endured after two years of the Israeli genocide.
The report states that the Israeli genocide has directly targeted the journalistic sector, resulting in long-term consequences for the media landscape. This includes the destruction of infrastructure and worsening psychological and financial burdens on media workers.
Completed by 130 journalists across the Gaza Strip, the survey aims to document the real challenges hindering journalistic work. The Center seeks to move from a general description of violations to identifying concrete needs based on field data, thereby contributing to more precise and effective advocacy.
According to the survey, Gaza’s journalistic sector is comprised of seasoned professionals, with 92.5% reporting more than three years of experience. However, job stability is fragile; only 61.3% work full-time. Freelance work is the most common employment pattern (50.4%), followed by permanent contracts (29.8%) and temporary contracts (19.8%).
The work environment is equally dire. The Center reports that 74.8% of journalists lack designated workspaces, forcing them to rely on paid co-working spaces or homes that lack basic necessities. Logistical pressures are exacerbated by ongoing power outages and weak internet services.
Regarding power sources, 51.1% of journalists rely on commercial generator networks, while 35% depend on solar panels. Furthermore, work requirements consume a large portion of income; 33.3% of participants spend between 20% and 30% of their salaries on work expenses, while this figure exceeds 30% for nearly a third of the sample.
The survey also revealed a clear desire among journalists to develop skills to confront these challenges. Top professional needs include communicating with outlets for freelance work, digital content production, and building a professional identity on social media, in addition to mobile journalism, fact-checking, and first aid.
The PJPC stresses that the situation in Gaza goes beyond a professional crisis; it is a human rights and humanitarian issue requiring serious international action. The Center calls on the international community and UN institutions to assume their responsibilities to protect journalists, hold those responsible for targeting them accountable, and ensure an end to impunity.
The Center underscores the importance of integrating psychological support into international humanitarian programs. It also advocates for sustainable programs that provide a minimum level of safety, enabling journalists to continue protecting media pluralism amid attempts to silence the Palestinian voice.
The PJPC affirms that meeting the logistical and psychological needs of Gaza’s journalists is an urgent necessity to ensure the continuity of reporting, especially following the heavy loss of life and expertise within the sector during the genocide.
Finally, the Center emphasizes that empowering Palestinian journalists is a fundamental pillar in confronting systematic policies aimed at erasing the Palestinian narrative. Supporting these journalists is decisive in protecting the world’s right to know and ensuring the voice of the besieged Gaza Strip continues to be heard.
In the concluding remarks of its statement, the PJPC urged media institutions and relevant organizations to respond immediately through the following measures:
-Providing essential work equipment and establishing workspaces equipped with reliable power and internet access, in order to reduce journalists’ operational costs as part of logistical support efforts.
-Launching specialized, long-term psychological support programs for journalists and their families to improve their mental well-being.
-Delivering specialized training in independent journalism and digital security to ensure the continued, safe, and professional transmission of the Palestinian narrative, and to strengthen journalists’ professional capacity.
