Free, pluralistic and independent media, a vital pillar of democracy by UNESCO, IFJ, RSF, CPJ, OHCHR 8:28am 25th Oct, 2022   UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres message on World Press Freedom Day 2023    "For three decades, on World Press Freedom Day, the international community has celebrated the work of journalists and media workers. This day highlights a basic truth: all our freedom depends on press freedom.    Freedom of the press is the foundation of democracy and justice. It gives all of us the facts we need to shape opinions and speak truth to power. And as this year’s theme reminds us, press freedom represents the very lifeblood of human rights.    But in every corner of the world, freedom of the press is under attack. Truth is threatened by disinformation and hate speech seeking to blur the lines between fact and fiction, between science and conspiracy.    The increased concentration of the media industry into the hands of a few, the financial collapse of scores of independent news organizations, and an increase of national laws and regulations that stifle journalists are further expanding censorship and threatening freedom of expression.    Meanwhile, journalists and media workers are directly targeted on and offline as they carry out their vital work. They are routinely harassed, intimidated, detained and imprisoned. At least 67 media workers were killed in 2022 — an unbelievable 50 per cent increase over the previous year. Nearly three quarters of women journalists have experienced violence online, and one in four have been threatened physically.    On this and every World Press Freedom Day, the world must speak with one voice. Stop the threats and attacks. Stop detaining and imprisoning journalists for doing their jobs. Stop the lies and disinformation. Stop targeting truth and truth-tellers. As journalists stand up for truth, the world stands with them".    May 2023    Free, pluralistic and independent media, a vital pillar of democracy, International Freedom of Expression Rapporteurs stress. (OHCHR)    (Commemorating the 30th anniversary of World Press Freedom Day and the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, freedom of expression mandate holders from the United Nations (UN), the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), the African Commission of Human Rights (ACHPR), and the Inter-American Commission for Human Rights (IACHR) issued a Joint Declaration on Media Freedom and Democracy).    “We are alarmed that in many countries around the world laws to protect media freedom are being eroded, physical and online attacks against journalists persist with impunity and the use of courts and the legal system to harass journalists and media outlets is on the rise.    Deeply disturbing trends of authoritarianism, co-optation of public power, erosion of judicial independence, and backsliding on human rights in many established and emerging democracies creates an urgency and imperative for States to reaffirm and renew their commitment to protect and promote independent, free and pluralist media as a vital pillar of democracy and an enabler of sustainable development.    Independent, free and pluralistic media play a critical role in providing reliable news and information, enabling robust public debate, and contributing to building well-informed and active citizenry. As watchdogs, the media critically scrutinise those in power, investigate and report on matters of public interest, and by doing so, contribute to strengthening democratic processes and institutions.    The 2023 Joint Declaration on Media Freedom and Democracy highlights the conditions that independent, pluralistic, and quality media need to thrive. It outlines the role of the media in enabling and sustaining democratic societies and identifies the elements for an enabling environment for media freedom and sets out clear, succinct recommendations to States, online platforms, and the media sector.    Both States and private companies have obligations and responsibilities to address the growing threats to media freedom and the safety of journalists, and to urgently reverse the decline in public trust in democratic institutions.”    May 2023    Press freedom: Another step backwards, says the International Federation of Journalists    As international organisations and media prepare to celebrate the 30th anniversary of World Press Freedom Day on 3 May, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) says press freedom has taken another step backwards and freedom of expression is not the driver for other human rights that it should be.    On 3 May 1993, the UN General Assembly proclaimed an international day for press freedom. This day is meant to remind world governments that they need to respect their commitment to press freedom. This year, UNESCO is focussing its activities on ‘Shaping a Future of Rights: Freedom of expression as a driver for all other human rights’.    However, the IFJ deplores the fact that freedom of expression is far from acting as a driver for other human rights and that press freedom is clearly taking a step backwards.    “From Peru to Iran, from Sudan to Afghanistan, governments are taking drastic measures to impede freedom of expression and prevent the public’s right to know, including internet restrictions, beating, jailing and intimidating journalists, controlling media content and introducing drastic media laws and other laws to curb the free flow of information. Since the adoption of the Windhoek Declaration in 1991, very little has been undertaken to create concrete conditions at international level to guarantee freedom and security for journalists,” said IFJ President Dominique Pradalie.    The figures speak for themselves. According to the IFJ’s latest list of media professionals killed in the course of duty, 68 media staff were killed in 2022. Very few of these cases have been investigated because impunity for killing media workers has been the rule over the years.    The IFJ also points to ongoing media crackdowns, which have led to large numbers of journalists being jailed, with at least 375 journalists and media workers behind bars in 2022. China has emerged as the world’s biggest jailer of journalists.    Ongoing wars and civil unrest in countries such as Afghanistan, Iran, Hong Kong, Myanmar, Peru, Sudan, Ukraine and Yemen have also seen journalists being deliberately targeted and killed. Thirteen journalists have been killed since Russia invaded Ukraine on 24 February 2022. And thousands of Afghan journalists and their families have had to leave Afghanistan for fear of being killed.    Digital surveillance and the widespread use of spying software have been used on hundreds of journalists in order to kill stories, putting many journalists at risk of seeing their sources and whereabouts and other personal data being publicly disclosed.    Repressive laws and Strategic Lawsuits against Public Participation (SLAPPs) have also been widely used to curb free speech and to force journalists to censor themselves all over the world.    The fragile media economy, the decline in local news reporting and poor trade union representation have led to drastic cuts in newsrooms, with massive lay-offs and increased discrimination against the most vulnerable categories of journalists.    The IFJ deplores the fact that, despite the good will expressed in the two UN resolutions (1738 and 2222) on the protection of journalists in conflict zones, no real commitment has been made to eradicate violence against journalists, to make them safer and to make any attacks against them illegal.    The IFJ calls for the urgent adoption of a binding international instrument that will strengthen press freedom by forcing governments to investigate and respond to attacks against the media.    * The IFJ represents more than 600,000 journalists in 146 countries    http://www.ohchr.org/en/statements-and-speeches/2023/05/free-pluralistic-and-independent-media-vital-pillar-democracy http://www.unesco.org/en/days/press-freedom-2023/joint-statement http://www.unesco.org/en/articles/three-imprisoned-iranian-women-journalists-awarded-2023-unesco/guillermo-cano-world-press-freedom http://www.unesco.org/en/days/press-freedom http://www.unesco.org/en/world-media-trends http://www.un.org/en/observances/press-freedom-day/resources    http://www.ifj.org/media-centre/news/detail/category/press-releases/article/press-freedom-another-step-backwards-says-ifj http://www.passblue.com/2023/05/03/vox-pop-what-press-freedom-means-for-10-journalists-worldwide/ http://rsf.org/en/2023-world-press-freedom-index-journalism-threatened-fake-content-industry http://rsf.org/en/what-it-s-be-journalist-sahel-rsf-report-threats-journalism-african-region http://taxjustice.net/2023/05/03/world-press-freedom-day/ http://www.icij.org/inside-icij/2023/05/its-a-poisonous-cocktail-how-legal-threats-are-being-leveraged-against-journalists-in-panama/ http://globalvoices.org/special/wpfd-2023/ http://www.article19.org/equally-safe/ http://cpj.org/reports/2022/11/killing-with-impunity-vast-majority-of-journalists-murderers-go-free/ http://www.accessnow.org/press-release/spyware-press-freedom-statement/ http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2023/05/un-rights-chief-issues-call-protect-and-expand-civic-space http://www.ohchr.org/en/documents/thematic-reports/ahrc5029-reinforcing-media-freedom-and-safety-journalists-digital-age http://www.ohchr.org/en/special-procedures/sr-freedom-of-opinion-and-expression http://www.ohchr.org/en/stories/2022/07/un-expert-warns-dangerous-decline-media-freedom    http://www.rappler.com/technology/social-media/full-text-maria-ressa-dmitry-muratov-10-point-plan-address-information-crisis/ http://www.kofiannanfoundation.org/articles/kofi-annan-foundation-endorses-nobel-peace-prize-laureates-call-to-address-information-crisis/ http://www.unesco.org/en/communication-information/safety-journalists/universal-periodical-review http://cpj.org/reports/2023/01/deadly-year-for-journalists-as-killings-rose-sharply-in-2022/ http://cpj.org/reports/2022/11/killing-with-impunity-vast-majority-of-journalists-murderers-go-free/ http://rsf.org/en http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2022/11/un-human-rights-chief-turk-issues-open-letter-twitters-elon-musk http://www.ohchr.org/en/statements/2023/01/freedom-speech-not-freedom-spread-racial-hatred-social-media-un-experts http://news.un.org/en/story/2023/01/1132597 http://informationdemocracy.org/ http://www.article19.org/resources/joint-declaration-on-freedom-of-expression-and-gender-justice/
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