This year’s World Press Freedom Day, being commemorated this week in Brussels, comes at an especially perilous moment for the media – and as journalists face unprecedented pressure and attack in every part of the globe.
It also comes at a time of great uncertainty for the world – as the first 100 days of the Trump administration have triggered a chaotic upending of the global order that is challenging existing geopolitical and security alliances, and bringing brazen challenges to the rule of law and democratic norms at the global level. At the same time, the Trump administration’s abrupt retraction of millions in U.S. foreign aid has weakened or silenced independent media in many countries in the world, especially those operating in restricted or closed information spaces.
These developments have opened new doors for authoritarian governments to expand their influence in key countries and regions around the world. And autocrats everywhere — who fear a free press and the public exposure and accountability it provides — have been emboldened to unleash fresh attacks on the media and independent institutions in deeply alarming and dangerous ways.
As we write today, it is clear we are at a critical turning point for the future of freedom of the press — and for the free world. In this moment, it is imperative for those global leaders who believe in the rights-based world order — a world based on the rule of law, universal rights, and norms of international cooperation — to step up to vigorously defend these rights and freedoms. For freedom of the press not only strengthens democracy; it is also essential to ensuring peace, security, and a rights-respecting global order.
This was understood by those global leaders who came together at the close of the Second World War to create a set of shared agreements that enshrined freedom of expression and the right to share and receive ideas and opinions — and the right to know — as a fundamental right, as the birthright of every human being that is not for governments to dole out or deny as they see fit.
These leaders did so, too, in the recognition that independent media has a critical role to play in ensuring free and peaceful societies and a stable, rules-based world order. Indeed, as a check on power, independent media is a bulwark against tyranny and its consequences. As IPI’s founders in 1950 knew, too, the free flow of independent, fact-based news and information is essential for countering propaganda and dispelling the “fog of war”, and for fostering dialogue, trust, and understanding both within and between countries.
Ample empirical evidence bears this out. Research shows that societies with higher levels of media freedom – and therefore higher quality democracy – are less prone to internal and external armed conflict and state violence, and are less prone to escalate violence once it starts. This is because independent media can provide the public with accurate and timely information about the risks of armed conflict and about the horrors and realities of war.
Evidence also shows state violence is more likely to escalate in places where media freedom is limited. Independent local and community media — and in particular, local radio — can also contribute to peace building in post-conflict settings. For populations on the brink of or emerging from conflict and violence, independent local media has been found to strengthen social cohesion by fostering empathy and trust in fellow citizens, which in turn helps reduce conflict.
The recognition of this important role of independent media in helping foster peaceful, secure, rights-respecting societies was embedded within the post-Second World War multilateral frameworks that have grounded international relations and engagements between states for the past 80 years. But today, these principles and frameworks are facing grave challenges. And everywhere we look, journalists are facing alarming and escalating attacks, including physical attacks, legal harassment, censorship, surveillance, and coordinated campaigns to discredit their work. The ability for journalists to investigate and document and expose the truth is under threat.
At this moment of geopolitical instability and change, the work of journalists has never been more important. This year’s World Press Freedom Day must serve as an urgent reminder to global leaders of the critical role that press freedom plays in helping ensure a freer, more secure, and more peaceful world.