Protecting the Press and the Environment · Global Voices

Photo of a recording of deforestation. The theme of 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 almost every region of the world over the past year. Amid increasing political and social stratification, journalists may face intimidation, detention, physical violence, doxen, personal attacks and more during their work. This threat only increases for female journalists who routinely encounter it gender-based harassment and threats, as well as journalists from marginalized backgrounds, such as disabled or indigenous reporters.

Reporters without borders (RSF), a global watchdog for the free press, has reported a global increase in pressure on media workers and a widespread failure of governments to protect journalists and uphold the values ​​of a free and fair press. In their annual World Press Freedom Indexwhich monitors global press freedom RSF says:

“Press freedom around the world is under threat from the very people who should be its guarantors: the political authorities. This is evident in the latest annual World Press Freedom Index, compiled by Reporters Without Borders (RSF). This finding is based on the fact that of the five indicators used to compile the rankings, this is the political indicator that has fallen the most, with a global average decline of 7.6 points.”

This decline is no surprise given the violent and tumultuous year that has unfolded so far in 2024. genocide in Gaza and the ongoing war in Ukraine; the deterioration of political systems Haiti, Sudan, Ecuador, and more; and the crackdown on independent media in numerous states have all served to create a barren and fraught media landscape where journalists cannot investigate or report on state actors.

It was also an incredibly violent year for journalists. Since October 2023, at least 103 Palestinian journalists have been killed while reporting on 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 sheer number of elections taking place in 2024. Numerous governments, from India and Mexico to Azerbaijan, have held major elections this year and have therefore worked to gain control of the situation and consolidate it. press, to ensure continued control of the party. In November 2023, five journalists and editors from Global Voices’ media partner Abzas Mediaan Azerbaijan-based independent media group, was arrested on false smuggling charges as a result of a reporting investigation that exposed corruption within the ruling government.

They are not alone in this, as reporters are currently in jail awaiting trial around the world, including in China, Hong Kong, Brazil, India and more.

For more on how activists are working to restore press freedom, see our special coverage below.