Jakarta (ANTARA) - UNESCO is urging governments and civil society to\nstrengthen support for independent journalism and guarantee the free\nflow of information amid a global decline in press freedom.<\/p>\n
\u201cI call on member states and all our partners to invest in journalism\nas a pillar of peace. Free and accurate information is essential for the\npublic,\u201d said UNESCO Director-General Khaled El-Enany in a press release\nfrom the UNESCO Jakarta Regional Office on Sunday.<\/p>\n
UNESCO emphasises that peace, recovery, and security policies must\ninclude the protection of information integrity as well as free and\nindependent media\u2014on a par with humanitarian, institutional, and\neconomic aspects.<\/p>\n
The UN agency also stresses the importance of sustainable financing\nto ensure media can continue to operate.<\/p>\n
\u201cNewsrooms around the world are struggling to survive financially and\nfacing existential threats. Amid the unprecedented speed and scale of\ndisinformation spread through social media and artificial intelligence,\njournalism is the last line of defence for society against manipulation\nand division,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
UNESCO\u2019s latest report on global trends in freedom of expression\nreveals that since 2012, global freedom of expression has declined by\n10%\u2014a drop that has only occurred during major crisis periods such as\nWorld War I, leading up to World War II, and the late 1970s during the\nCold War.<\/p>\n
UNESCO\u2019s analysis, based on data from Varieties of Democracy\n(V-Dem)\u2014a global database measuring democracy and civil liberties\nconditions in various countries\u2014shows that self-censorship practices\namong journalists have increased by 69% between 2012 and the end of\n2025.<\/p>\n
The most impactful form of censorship currently occurs from within\njournalists themselves, due to mounting pressures.<\/p>\n
It is noted that journalists and media are increasingly targeted by\nvarious forms of legal pressure, from defamation lawsuits to rules and\nregulations restricting journalistic work.<\/p>\n
Violence against journalists in digital spaces\u2014particularly against\nfemale journalists\u2014has also risen significantly.<\/p>\n
At least 42% of them report that such attacks escalate into\nreal-world threats or violence\u2014doubling from 20% in 2020.<\/p>\n
Nevertheless, amid these challenges, progress is evident. Of the 194\ncountries surveyed in UNESCO\u2019s 2025 global survey, nearly half now have\nlegal frameworks recognising community media.<\/p>\n
They also provide financial support that reflects a growing\ncommitment to media pluralism.<\/p>\n
Additionally, 139 UN member states have adopted legal guarantees for\nthe public\u2019s right to access information.<\/p>\n
Developments in digital tools and artificial intelligence are also\ndriving cross-border investigative journalism and international\ncollaboration.<\/p>\n
As part of this year\u2019s World Press Freedom Day commemoration, the\nUNESCO\/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize was awarded to the\nSudanese Journalists Syndicate, in recognition of the courage of\njournalists working in conditions of conflict and high risk.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/unesco-urges-protection-of-journalists-amid-declining-press-freedom-1777824571", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }