Tonight’s attack on Italian investigative journalist Sigfrido Ranucci, whose car was destroyed by an explosive device, is a stark reminder of the growing threats faced by journalists – even in Western Europe. Ranucci, who hosts RAI’s investigative programme Report and is a long-time exposer of corruption and organised crime, has previously received many threats because of his work. That the attack occurred on the anniversary of Daphne Caruana Galizia’s murder adds a chilling dimension, reminding us of the persistent dangers that investigative journalists face in Europe.
This incident also illustrates the broader patterns already documented in the 2025 Media Pluralism Monitor report (MPM2025). The MPM2025 results signalled that journalists across Europe are facing growing threats: online harassment (including deepfakes and AI-driven smear campaigns), vexatious lawsuits (SLAPPs), surveillance on journalists and physical intimidation are increasing, including in Western EU Member States, which are typically considered low-risk. Of particular concern were the numerous death threats received by journalists in 2024, across the EU.
Physical attacks on journalists were frequently linked to their reporting on public protests and elections, as well as environmental issues, war-related topics (especially Gaza and Ukraine), and corruption.
Demonstrations have become flashpoints for physical attacks. Reporting on highly sensitive topics like corruption, migration, environmental issues, elections (2024 was a super-election year, when tensions were heightened by far-right mobilisation), and war (especially Ukraine and Gaza) puts journalists at growing risk of severe harassment.
Precautionary arrests of journalists took place in 2024, including in France, Greece, and Poland.
When considering threats to press freedom in Europe, our attention often turns eastward, toward states with more overt control of the media. However, the MPM2025 data paint a more complex picture, showing that risks are rising even in Western democracies.
 Physical safety of journalists – map of risks per country
 
As shown in the map above, Western European democracies are showing troubling signs of erosion in press freedom (CMPF, 2025). Seven countries were identified as having a high risk regarding the physical safety of journalists, including France, Germany, Italy, Sweden, and the Netherlands. Six countries scored a medium-low risk; among them were Belgium and Spain. Greece scored a very-high risk. 
In Italy, the attack to Ranucci adds to a series of similar incidents that occurred in 2024. On 24 November 2024, the car of journalist Gaetano Fioretti — known for reporting on illicit waste trafficking and illegal construction — was vandalised outside his home in Casalnuovo di Napoli, in what he described as an act of intimidation. Other concerning physical attacks include the assault on journalist Alberto Dandolo on 25 May 2024 at his home in Milan by unidentified perpetrators, which left him injured and prompted a police report and widespread condemnation. In addition, an attack on Andrea Joly, a reporter for La Stampa, on 20 July 2024 in Turin by CasaPound neo-fascists resulted in injuries requiring hospital treatment. 
Italy also became the centre of a major surveillance controversy in early 2025, when it was revealed that the Israeli spyware “Graphite,” developed by Paragon Solutions, had been used to target journalists and human rights activists. Among the confirmed targets were Francesco Cancellato, editor-in-chief of Fanpage.it, and Luca Casarini, founder of the NGO Mediterranea Saving Humans. Both are known for their critical reporting on government policies, particularly concerning migration and humanitarian issues. The Italian government acknowledged its contractual relationship with Paragon Solutions but denied any involvement in the unauthorised surveillance activities. Following these revelations, Paragon Solutions terminated its contract with Italy, and various civil society organisations called for transparency regarding the Italian government’s relationship with the company. The incident led the National Press Federation and the National Council of Journalists to file a criminal complaint against unknown persons with the Rome Prosecutor’s Office. Italy thus joins the growing list of European countries that have been accused of carrying out unlawful surveillance of journalists with spyware. 
In Belgium, the Belgian MPM team (Wauters & Kuczerawy, 2025) reports that in October 2024, the Flemish Journalists’ Association (VVJ) published its annual report based on cases submitted through its platform for reporting incidents, Persveilig.be. The findings revealed a concerning number of attacks against journalists throughout the year. Mapping Media Freedom also reported a notable increase in incidents, with 22 cases reported in 2024 compared to the 8 reported in 2023. Reporters covering protests were not only attacked with objects but also had their equipment forcibly seized, and in at least one case, a journalist for ZIN TV was violently arrested by police during the protest, which led her to file a complaint for illegal detention and mistreatment. The situation further deteriorated following far-right victories in the local elections
In France, during the summer of 2024, three journalists (Mohamed Bouhafsi, Karim Rissouli and Nassira El Moaddem) revealed how they have been targeted by racists insults and threats on both social media and also at their personal homes. The far-right website Réseau Libre published a list of 180 personalities, including journalists, whom it stated deserved “a bullet in the neck”. Repeated acts of vandalism against the studio of Radio Bip, a local radio based in Besançon, demonstrate how far-right intimidation operations do not only target mainstream media figures but are, in fact, generalised all over the territory. Environmental journalists also face growing intimidation, exemplified by the recurring threats against journalists specialised in the agro-industrial complex Morgan Large. Some journalists were held in police custody in 2024 in France, such as Disclose journalist Ariane Lavrilleux, who was spied on, arrested and held for 39 hours, as well as having her home, social media profiles and phone searched.
In Germany, Kalbhenn (2025) reports that most of the physical attacks against journalists in Germany in 2024 occurred during public demonstrations. Freelance journalist Kili Weber was attacked twice: once in January by Querdenken activists and again in April during a far-right rally in Freiberg. Welt TV reporter Steffen Schwarzkopf was assaulted live on air while covering the Thuringia elections. In Berlin, Iman Sefati from Bild was beaten and threatened while reporting on a pro-Palestinian protest. 
In Spain, police forces physically assaulted journalist Fermín Grodira while he was covering a protest against the Generalitat’s management during the DANA storm. Protesters also attacked an RTVE news team during a farmers’ demonstration.
Taken together, these cases expose the alarming fact that tonight’s attack should not be dismissed as an isolated incident. Rather, we are observing a disturbing, continent-wide trend: journalists in Europe are facing growing risks simply for doing their jobs. Violence, intimidation, and unlawful surveillance are symptoms of a broader erosion of press freedom across the continent. The recent attack on Sigfrido Ranucci — coming amid an already troubling year of threats, assaults and unlawful monitoring — makes this reality painfully concrete.
Ensuring that journalists can work safely and independently must become a political priority. Governments and institutions must ensure effective protection measures, conduct prompt and transparent investigations, and pursue accountability for those who threaten, harass, or surveil members of the press. Legal safeguards against SLAPPs, stronger protections for journalistic sources, robust digital-security provisions, and clear protocols for the safety of reporters at demonstrations are all urgent elements of a comprehensive response. Civil-society organisations, media outlets and professional associations also have a role to play in documenting abuses, supporting targets, and pressuring authorities to act.
A democracy cannot function when truth-telling becomes a dangerous act. If Europe is to live up to its democratic ideals, protecting the people who hold power to account must be treated as non-negotiable.
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The MPM “Journalistic profession, standards and protection” indicator comprises six sub-indicators, which describe the risks resulting from: (i) journalists’ working conditions; (ii) physical safety; (iii) life safety; (iv) digital safety; (v) the protection of journalistic sources and related issues due to the illegitimate surveillance of journalists; and (vi) impunity for crimes against journalists. You can navigate these results here.
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