Coming as it does on the 75th anniversary of the UN Declaration of Human Rights, the theme of this year’s UNESCO sponsored WPFD commemoration is ‘Shaping a Future of Rights: Freedom of expression as a driver for all other human rights’.

Freedom of expression

World Press Freedom Day calls for the safety and security of working journalists while calling governments to meet their responsibility to uphold the right to freedom of expression. 

World Press Freedom Day will be celebrated at events taking place all over the world even though journalists in the free press everywhere often continue to pay a high price for their work.

At its best, high-quality independent journalism holds those in power to account for violations and abuses. Journalism is not a crime but far too often, it is treated like one. 

In the extreme cases, the ultimate sanctions of imprisonment and tragically, death, are imposed on journalists to silence them. Additionally, there are many other types of attack on press freedom including

• Intimidation - verbal and physical threats to personal and family safety.
• Trolling - social media abuse, especially of women journalists, 73% of whom have experienced sexist hate speech.
• Surveillance - covert spyware installed on journalists’ smartphones.
• Judicial harassment - targeted legal proceedings with a chilling effect such as Strategic Lawsuits against Public Participation (SLAPPs).
• Disinformation – using false narratives which undermines authentic journalism.

While technology like social media and artificial intelligence (AI) boosts reliable journalism, in the wrong hands, it is also used to undermine accountability and transparency. 

Trust in journalism

With an increasingly fragmented media landscape, where communications technology is evolving rapidly and an increasingly polarised public, the challenges facing trust in journalism are mounting. 

‘Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression,’ said the EU’s High Representative Josep Borrell in a statement for World Press Day.

The statement goes on to say that independent media is vital for healthy democracies. Josep Borrell condemns all forms of threat and violence against journalists, saying freedom of expression includes ‘Freedom to hold opinions without interference,’ and ‘to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.’

Free media

The European External Action Service (EEAS), the EU’s diplomatic service, promotes the right to the freedom of expression and a free media. EU delegations are provided with the Safety of Journalists’ Handbook which provides concrete guidance for journalists’ safety.

Other supports to freedom of expression are

• The EU’s Democracy Action Plan which is a long-term project to bolster democracy, guard freedom of expression and promote safety for journalists in Member States and across frontiers.
• In the Balkans, the EU supports Safejournalists.net, a regional platform to promote media freedom and journalists’ safety.
• The EU, with partners, also supports projects for the promotion of pluralism, freedom of expression and democratic participation in Cambodia and in Afghanistan.
• The European Union confronts disinformation and Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (FIMI), publishing its first ever FIMI report earlier this year.

There are also proposals for and to legislate for a free press in the Media Freedom Act.

Press freedom

With press freedom at stake in most parts of the world today, Josep Borrell states that in order to defend press freedom, ‘The EU will remain committed to engage with governments, the media and civil society, both in international fora as well as at the local level, to take the initiative and strengthen press freedom around the world.’

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In an era of violence and disinformation, journalists risk their lives to tell the truth. Last year, hundreds of journalists were arrested, detained and held hostage. Access to free media is a fundamental right. Press freedom must be guaranteed. Journalists must be protected. #WorldPressFreedomDay