Photo depicting a recording of deforestation. The theme for this year's World Press Freedom Day is “Press for the Planet: Journalism in the Face of the Environmental Crisis.” Image via Canva Pro courtesy of Sydney Allen.
Attacks on journalists and independent media have increased in nearly every region on earth over the last year. Amid increasing political and social stratification, journalists can face harassment, detainment, physical violence, doxing, personal attacks, and more in the course of their work. This threat only increases for women journalists who routinely face gender-based harassment and threats, as well as journalists from marginalized backgrounds, such as disabled or Indigenous reporters.
Reporters Without Borders (RSF), a global free press watchdog, has reported a global increase in pressure against media personnel and a widespread failure by governments to protect journalists and uphold the values of a free and fair press. In their annual World Press Freedom Index, which monitors global press freedom RSF says:
“Press freedom around the world is being threatened by the very people who should be its guarantors – political authorities. This is clear from the latest annual World Press Freedom Index produced by Reporters Without Borders (RSF). This finding is based on the fact that, of the five indicators used to compile the ranking, it is the political indicator that has fallen most, registering a global average fall of 7.6 points.”
This decline is no surprise considering the violent and tumultuous year that has unfolded so far in 2024. The genocide in Gaza and the ongoing war in Ukraine; the deterioration of political systems in Haiti, Sudan, Ecuador, and more; and the crackdown on independent media in countless states have all combined to produce a barren and fraught media landscape where journalists are unable to investigate or report on state actors.
It has also been an incredibly violent year for journalists. Since October 2023, at least 103 Palestinian journalists have been killed while covering the genocide in Gaza. A recent UNESCO report found that environmental journalists are particularly vulnerable to violence, a revelation that is fitting given that the theme for World Press Freedom Day 2024 is “A Press for the Planet: Journalism in the Face of the Environmental Crisis.”
Much of this increased violence can be attributed to the massive number of elections that are unfolding in 2024. Countless governments, from India and Mexico, to Azerbaijan and , have major elections this year, and have therefore been working to gain control of and consolidate the press, in order to ensure continued party control. In November 2023, five journalists and editors from Global Voices’ media partner Abzas Media, an Azerbaijan-based independent media group, were arrested on bogus smuggling charges due to a reporting investigation that revealed corruption within the ruling government.
They are not alone in this as reporters currently sit in prison awaiting trial all over the world, including in China, Hong Kong, Brazil, India, and more.
To learn more about how activists are working to restore press freedom, see our special coverage below.
Stories about Protecting the press and the environment
Southeast Asian media groups cite need for press freedom in dealing with extreme weather events
Southeast Asian media groups organized panels, protests, and pointed reports about the state of media freedoms in the region.
Pacific groups highlight role of media in addressing climate crisis
"A free press is vital to informing our communities about the environmental challenges we face and holding all accountable for protecting our precious environment."
Hong Kong ranks low on global press freedom index as watchdog cites ‘unprecedented’ setbacks
Hong Kong placed 135 out of 180 countries and territories in the Reporters Without Borders' 2024 press freedom ranking. While the city's ranking is +5, its score actually has fallen -1.8 points.
On World Press Freedom Day, the planet and Palestine are on the Caribbean's radar
Some regional statements on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day stayed on the climate crisis theme, while others focused on the crisis in the Gaza Strip.
With eyes on Gaza, violations against West Bank journalists multiply
Highlighting the myriad challenges confronting Palestinian journalists under Israeli occupation, now ranking sixth globally for jailed journalists, alongside Iran. These challenges encompass violence, movement restrictions, and psychological strain.
Reporters Without Borders releases 10 facts about media repression in Hong Kong
To commemorate World Press Freedom Day, let’s look into Reporters Without Borders' 10 facts about Hong Kong’s repressive media environment, with added local context.
Audio deepfakes and AI tricks threaten elections around the world
The rights of the people whose voices and images are being appropriated will need to be more seriously protected.
What lies behind the ‘golden opportunities’ of Malaysian Star media group's new tie with its mainland Chinese partner
The China's State Council is the sole shareholder Contemporary World Publishing Co., Ltd, the company behind Star Media Group's latest media partner, Contemporary World Magazine.
Reporters Without Borders representative denied entry to Hong Kong
RSF's representative was detained, searched and questioned for six hours at the airport on April 10, 2024 before she was deported.
Philippine media groups condemn China’s claim of ‘manipulated’ coverage of maritime tension
"The journalists who join these missions risk their lives in the face of unwanted aggression to bring the unvarnished truth to light."
In Brazil, since Bolsonaro, attacks on journalists fell while lawsuits against them increased
The data revealed that aggressions of various types against media professionals decreased to 181 last year, while, on the other hand, lawsuits targeting journalists increased by 92.31 percent last year
From discredit to censorship: When power attacks the Latin American press
With their campaigns against independent media, the governments of several Latin American countries are beginning to threaten press freedom.
Deepfakes and the risks from the growing use of video fraud
" ... [T]he truth is on the edge of "death" because, with the increase of deepfakes in circulation, it will be more and more difficult to understand what the truth is."
US-funded news outlet Radio Free Asia to withdraw from Hong Kong
US funded-news outlet Radio Free Asia (RFA), which had been accused of being “anti-China” by Beijing-backed newspapers, is set to withdraw from Hong Kong.
A decade of digital repression and resistance in Southeast Asia
Global Voices Southeast Asia editor Mong Palatino highlights the major trends, challenges, and prospects of upholding freedom of expression in the region
Silenced voices: The X and VPN ban after Pakistan’s elections
During the political uncertainty following the elections, the voices of Pakistani citizens have been stifled through Twitter and VPN bans.
New domestic security law may affect regular news reporting, says Hong Kong press group
The Journalist Association recommended the authorities to narrow the definition of offences by proving the intention of the offenders to undermine national security and that their acts cause actual damages.
