NGO: Global Risks to Journalists Increasing

Facts

• On the eve of the 30th World Press Freedom Day, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned of a worldwide attack on media and journalists, calling for an end to the targeting of truth and stressing freedom of the press to be “the foundation of democracy and justice.”¹
• 363 journalists were imprisoned globally in 2022, a 30-year high according to the NGO Committee to Protect Journalists. Within his video message as part of a wider UN commemoration, Guterres urged the world to end the detainment and imprisonment of journalists for "doing their jobs."²
• He also said the collapse of the media industry has led to a decline in independent and diverse sources of information. He warned that increased consolidation of media "into the hands of the few" threatened freedom of expression by limiting opportunities for dialogue and debate.³
• Also speaking at the UN event was the publisher of The New York Times, A.G. Sulzberger, who warned that “when the free press erodes, democratic erosion almost always follows." Fatal attacks on reporters increased in 2022, with at least 67 journalists and media workers killed.⁴
• Furthermore, Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO, commented that digital media had also "changed the entire information landscape." While providing new forms of expression and information, he stated such platforms also provided "fertile ground" to spread disinformation and hate speech.⁵
• The commemoration by the UN was the beginning of over 60 events in 60 countries to highlight World Press Freedom Day, intending to raise awareness about the trend of declining media freedom and increasing attacks on journalists.¹

Sources: ¹Associated Press, ²Wall Street Journal, ³Metro US. ⁴New York Times, and ⁵Le Monde.fr.

Narratives

• Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by New York Times. The global state of press freedom has worryingly deteriorated in recent years. Autocratic leaders have used censorship, media repression, and attacks on journalists to consolidate power, with control of information believed to be essential in holding control of all else. This is unfortunately particularly prominent in nations like Russia, with dozens of journalists being arrested for simply running stories about the war in Ukraine. The international community must continue to bolster support for journalists to protect democracies from autocratic trends.
• Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by Truth Dig. The double standards of the US government are on full display in the lead-up to World Press Freedom Day. The Biden administration has proclaimed the centrality of press freedom globally and has expressed outrage over Russia's arrest of US journalist Evan Gershkovich for espionage. Meanwhile, despite such rhetoric, the US continues to pursue the extradition of journalist and publisher Julian Assange. America's hypocrisy on the world stage is stunning.

Predictions