Journalists under attack around the world

2014 was a particularly dangerous year for media professionals, with the number of attacks and kidnappings soaring.

The past year was a difficult one for journalists. The number of attacks and kidnappings of media workers soared. Carefully staged murders of reporters became all too common. And governments around the world increasingly used national security as an excuse to detain journalists and stifle criticism of their actions.

Some countries were more dangerous for journalists than others. The Middle East, and Syria in particular, was the worst place to be a journalist. China, Iran and Eritrea were among the countries that imprisoned the most journalists.

Freedom House says press freedom around the world is at its lowest level in a decade.