NEW YORK: In a speech ahead of World Press Freedom Day, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres emphasized the importance of press freedom as the “foundation of democracy and justice” and the “lifeblood of human rights.”
He also highlighted the alarming trend of the targeting of journalists and the spread of disinformation worldwide, calling it a threat to truth and democracy.
Guterres did not name any specific countries or individuals, but other speakers at the event highlighted individual cases, such as that of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who is detained in Russia on espionage charges. Other
journalists spoke about the dangers of their profession, with one Iranian-American journalist noting that being a journalist is a crime in Iran and can result in imprisonment, torture, or death.
According to Reporters Without Borders, 55 journalists and four media workers were killed in the line of duty in 2022.
The head of UNESCO also spoke out against harassment and intimidation of journalists, stating that the digital age is making professional, free, and independent journalism more necessary than ever.
Meanwhile, New York Times publisher A.G. Sulzberger warned the internet has unleashed an avalanche of misinformation, propaganda, and clickbait that is overwhelming the information ecosystem and accelerating the decline in societal trust.
Finally, the secretary-general of Amnesty International, Agnes Callamard, noted that censorship has become the default position of many governments in controlling the knowledge of their societies.
