The United Nations says 85 percent of crimes targeting journalists remain unpunished worldwide. UN Secretary-General António Guterres called this an unacceptable state of impunity.
Guterres marked World Press Freedom Day on May 3 with a stark warning about threats to journalism. He stressed that press freedom forms the backbone of democratic societies.
According to him, media outlets function as crucial watchdogs over government and power. Without them, accountability crumbles.
The 1991 Windhoek Declaration cemented media freedom's importance globally. That landmark text inspired the UN to dedicate May 3 each year to defending press freedom.
Economic hardship and new technologies now threaten journalism like never before. Guterres warned that deliberate disinformation campaigns are making matters worse.
When people can't access reliable information, trust erodes rapidly. Distorted public debate weakens social bonds, he explained.
"And when journalism is undermined, crises become far more difficult to prevent and resolve," Guterres said in his message. All other freedoms depend on press freedom existing first.
Without it, human rights collapse. Sustainable development and peace become impossible.
Guterres called for tougher safeguards around journalists everywhere. He urged world leaders to build an environment where truth-tellers can work safely.
Journalists frequently become casualties during armed conflicts and crises. They risk their lives reporting from dangerous zones.
People often claim truth dies first in war, he noted. In reality, journalists—the ones reporting that truth—become casualties first.
This happens not just in battle but wherever powerful figures fear exposure and scrutiny. The threat knows no borders.
Across every continent, media workers face censorship and surveillance daily. Legal harassment and assassination have become frighteningly common.
Recent years have seen journalist killings spike dramatically. Many attacks happen in conflict regions where reporters become deliberate targets.
