World Press Freedom Day: Alarming surge in media worker fatalities

New Delhi: During the World Press Freedom Day program organized by UNESCO, the UN Secretary-General António Guterres revealed shocking statistics about media workers' safety. According to the report, there was a 50% increase in media worker fatalities in 2022, with at least 67 workers killed.

Moreover, almost three-quarters of women journalists have faced online violence, and one in four have received physical threats. These alarming trends highlight the urgent need for greater protection of journalists and media workers worldwide.

Secretary-General said May 3, World Press Freedom Day highlights a fundamental truth: all our freedom depends on press freedom. "Freedom of the press is the foundation of democracy and justice. It gives all of us the facts we need to shape opinions and speak truth to power."

He admitted that “journalists and media workers are directly targeted on and offline as they carry out their vital work. They are routinely harassed, intimidated, detained, and imprisoned.”

Ten years ago, the United Nations established a Plan of Action for the Safety of Journalists to protect media workers and end impunity for crimes committed against them. However, journalists are still looking for safety at work and impunity, so they are not called witnesses while covering the incidents.

The UN Secretary-General agreed that “Truth is threatened by disinformation and hate speech seeking to blur the lines between fact and fiction, between science and conspiracy. ”

He also showed worry about the increasing concentration of the media industry into the hands of a few, the financial collapse of scores of independent news organizations, and an increase of national laws and regulations that stifle journalists, which he added "are further expanding censorship and threatening freedom of expression."

World Press Freedom Day was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in December 1993, following the recommendation of UNESCO's General Conference. Since then, May 3, the anniversary of the Declaration of Windhoek, has been celebrated worldwide as World Press Freedom Day.