This report highlights the work IPI has carried out throughout 2019 and the first half of 2020. The period covered by this report coincides with the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic, which has witnessed unprecedented attacks on journalism and given governments an opportunity to clamp down on criticism and control the media message. From the start of the crisis, IPI has been a recognized global leader in monitoring press freedom violations under Covid-19 and defending a free press as an essential element of a successful public health response that also preserves fundamental rights and liberties.

“In this bleak landscape, the IPI network has emerged as an invaluable resource in this fight, an example of resilience and profound dedication to the best of journalism, open to discussing how the journalistic community can stand up to press freedom violations without losing sight of the boundaries of their profession, and ready to support colleagues across the world in public displays of solidarity, which have proven so valuable in discouraging repressive regimes.”