GENEVA (24 June 2022) Media freedom and safety of journalists have declined dangerously around the world with grave negative impacts on human rights, democracy and development globally, a UN expert warned today.
In a climate of surging authoritarianism and backsliding of democracies, populist leaders have actively sought to demonise and discredit independent journalists and many governments have introduced restrictions on freedom of expression contravening international law, said Irene Khan, UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression.
In a report presented to the Human Rights Council, Khan examines opportunities, challenges and threats to media in the digital age. She focuses on three major concerns: online and offline attacks and killing of journalists with impunity; criminalization of journalism and legal and judicial harassment of journalists; and the erosion of independence, freedom, pluralism and viability of the media by State and corporate actors, including digital companies.
Silencing journalists by killing them is the most egregious form of censorship, Khan said as she urged the Human Rights Council to consider robust measures to address impunity, including an international taskforce on the prevention, investigation and prosecution of attacks against journalists.
The age-old practice of using the law to suppress reporting has been revived with a new ferocity in the digital age, said Khan, noting the increased use in recent years of criminal legislation and fake news laws to suppress freedom of expression online and prosecute and punish journalists with heavy fines and harsh imprisonment.
The report highlights digital technology as both enabling groundbreaking journalism and creating new threats, ranging from online gender-based attacks against women journalists and targeted digital surveillance of journalists to orchestrated online disinformation campaigns and the role of digital platforms as gatekeepers controlling the availability, accessibility, diversity and dissemination of news with no public accountability and little transparency.
The overriding problem is not of gaps in international law but of the failures of compliance and implementation, rooted in the lack of political will, Khan said.
The report recommends urgent and concrete action by States, international organizations and companies to address the multiple, complex and often interconnected physical, legal and digital threats in a holistic way in line with international human rights law.
Without concrete action backed by political will, the prognosis for media freedom and the safety of journalists is grim, said Khan. Independent, free and pluralistic news media is crucial for democracy, accountability and transparency and should be nurtured by States and the international community as a public good, she said.
The Special Rapporteur also presented a report on her country visit to Hungary that took place in November 2021.
Originally posted here:
- Opinion/Bah: Defending democracy and freedom is more important now than ever - The Providence Journal - July 31st, 2022
- Saint Augustine's University Partners with Student Freedom Initiative to Receive $1.6 Million in Software and Services - Saint Augustine's University - July 31st, 2022
- The Freedom of a Carefree, Social Retirement at Wind Crest | YourHub - The Denver Post - July 31st, 2022
- Alankrita Shrivastava writes | Bra, unhooked: For that heaven of freedom - The Indian Express - July 31st, 2022
- The Resounding Right of Mutulu Shakur to Die in Freedom - CounterPunch - July 31st, 2022
- Friday Freedom Kicks: Wayne Rooneys watch begins Sunday, Washington Spirit returns to action tonight, and mo - Black And Red United - July 31st, 2022
- Will Ohio Attorney Don Yost join the fight for freedom of speech? - Portsmouth Daily Times - July 31st, 2022
- Slavery, Captivity and Freedom the story of Batavia's 'Other Henry Clay' - The Batavian - July 31st, 2022
- Black Bird review: A thrilling story of a bargain for freedom, and a fitting farewell to Ray Liotta - The Hindu - July 31st, 2022
- Postage stamp to be released to honour freedom fighter Ondiveeran - The Hindu - July 31st, 2022
- Freedom movement 2.0: Farmers hit the final nail in Trudeaus coffin - TFI Global News - July 31st, 2022
- Wednesday Freedom Kicks: A new DP (sort of), Loudoun United return to action, and more - Black And Red United - July 31st, 2022
- Stories of freedom fighters should be taken to every household: Raj Guv - Devdiscourse - July 31st, 2022
- The world must condemn Burmas execution of freedom fighters - The Hill - July 29th, 2022
- Having freedom to recover and pursue - The Robesonian - July 29th, 2022
- Maggie Rogers: Choice is the greatest sense of freedom - NME - July 29th, 2022
- What Should Freedom of Religion Look Like in Public Schools? - Northeastern University - July 29th, 2022
- ImagineIF Libraries to be awarded with the Pat Williams Intellectual Freedom Award - Montana Right Now - July 29th, 2022
- Freedom House to open office in Taipei - Focus Taiwan - July 29th, 2022
- Increasing Assaults on Thomas Jefferson Ignore His Contributions - Daily Signal - July 29th, 2022
- Religious Freedom and the Respect for Marriage Act - Reason - July 29th, 2022
- Arizona Freedom Caucus hopes to be a force at the Capitol - Axios - July 29th, 2022
- Company exploiting post-pandemic freedom with automation solutions - Creamer Media's Mining Weekly - July 29th, 2022
- OPINION: What blinds Freedom Foundation to this gift? - Lewiston Morning Tribune - July 29th, 2022
- King: Do not insult, ridicule religions in the name of freedom of expression - The Borneo Post - July 29th, 2022
- Second Amendment has become distorted. Why do we defend it? - The Arizona Republic - July 29th, 2022
- Group behind St. Brigid's church purchase denies ties to 'Freedom Convoy', says it's about peace and love - CTV News Ottawa - July 29th, 2022
- Poilievre will need more than promises of freedom - The Globe and Mail - July 29th, 2022
- British gave India freedom to hate. We are staring at Partition violence again - ThePrint - July 29th, 2022
- Andrea Vance: How flawed freedom of information system keep the public in the dark - Stuff - July 29th, 2022
- WILL THAULT: Freedom Month Part 4: Freedom from fear | Local | albanyherald.com - The Albany Herald - July 25th, 2022
- Ohio University interim freedom of expression policy adopted to comply with new state law - Ohio University - July 25th, 2022
- Upcoming forum to explore meaning of 'freedom' - The Dispatch - The Commercial Dispatch - July 25th, 2022
- CM Punk & Jade Cargill Weigh In On Their Creative Freedom in AEW - 411mania.com - July 25th, 2022
- Burgess: Religious freedom is who we are - Chillicothe Gazette - July 25th, 2022
- Review: The Digital Republic: On Freedom and Democracy in the 21st Century, Jamie Susskind - The New York Times - July 25th, 2022
- Ethereum Freedom and Parisian Psychedelia: Reflections on EthCC[5] - Crypto Briefing - July 25th, 2022
- Luis F Salazar and Digital Art: "I love giving the freedom for the observer to interpret my art" The European Times News - The European... - July 25th, 2022
- A Crop of New Novels About Race and Racism Finds Freedom in Satire - The New York Times - July 25th, 2022
- I'm proud to be an American because I've lived without freedom - Fox News - July 25th, 2022
- AAP passes off a Bangladeshi Islamic cleric as an Indian freedom fighter. Here is what happened - OpIndia - July 25th, 2022
- Wawa Welcome America to capture expressions of freedom in storytelling event - WHYY - June 30th, 2022
- North Texas LGBTQ people say they live between fear and freedom - The Dallas Morning News - June 30th, 2022
- The frightening implications of Justice Thomas press freedom dissent - The Hill - June 30th, 2022
- What the truck? The 'freedom convoy' protesters are heading back to Ottawa - The Conversation - June 30th, 2022
- For Many Women, Roe Was About More Than Abortion. It Was About Freedom. - The New York Times - June 30th, 2022
- Why it is the best of times and the worst of times for religious freedom - The Hill - June 30th, 2022
- Flags, Family and Freedom - Bay Weekly - June 30th, 2022
- Everything Happening For the Kids at Freedom Has a Birthday! - laramielive.com - June 30th, 2022
- Snake River Landing ready to welcome thousands for Riverfest, Melaleuca Freedom Celebration - East Idaho News - June 30th, 2022
- Compelled snitching? Oklahoma Christian's attack on free speech and academic freedom is worse than we realized - Foundation for Individual Rights in... - June 30th, 2022
- Last Freedom Rock being painted in Altoona - WHO TV 13 Des Moines News & Weather - June 30th, 2022
- First Freedom Fest is Friday in Lihu'e - The Garden Island - June 30th, 2022
- 5 Things Washington: 'Commitment to Reproductive Freedom,' Q&A w/ Vince Porter, 988 launch - State of Reform - State of Reform - June 30th, 2022
- Column: A holiday of history, spirit and freedom - Hickory Daily Record - June 30th, 2022
- Winter on Fire: Ukraine's Fight for Freedom (2015) - IMDb - June 29th, 2022
- Opinion: Let's win the messaging war on the freedom of abortion - The Connecticut Mirror - June 29th, 2022
- American freedom will be on the line this November - ncpolicywatch.com - June 29th, 2022
- America's obsession with freedom is making men fat: study - New York Post - June 29th, 2022
- Giants receivers excited about freedom of Brian Daboll's offense - Giants Wire - June 29th, 2022
- What would you have done if a freedom seeker had knocked on your door? - York Daily Record - June 29th, 2022
- Meta Showcases How the Metaverse Will Enhance Freedom of Expression - Social Media Today - June 29th, 2022
- Ehrhard: Liberty, freedom score wins at the Supreme Court - Boston Herald - June 29th, 2022
- Hundreds gather at Reproductive Freedom Rally in Midland - Midland Daily News - June 29th, 2022
- The Freedom of Imagining Yourself as a Fish - The Atlantic - June 29th, 2022
- Arizonans for Reproductive Freedom looking for 356K signatures to get abortion initiative on the ballot - FOX 10 News Phoenix - June 29th, 2022
- The Homefront: Learning to love 'the sound of freedom' - Standard-Examiner - June 29th, 2022
- LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Freedom is gone - The Stanly News & Press | The Stanly News & Press - Stanly News & Press - June 29th, 2022
- Newton celebrates Juneteenth as 'a day of freedom and reflection' - The Boston Globe - June 29th, 2022
- West Coast States Launch New Multi-State Commitment to Reproductive Freedom, Standing United on Protecting Abortion Access | California Governor -... - June 29th, 2022
- Shell Freedom Over Texas Returns to In-Person Celebration - Houstonia Magazine - June 29th, 2022
- Tuesday Freedom Kicks: MLS Team of the Week, USWNT plays tonight, and more - Black And Red United - June 29th, 2022
- Freedom in the West, but not for women - The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel - June 29th, 2022
- Sophomore Wins SEJ Press Freedom Award - Newsroom | University of St. Thomas - University of St. Thomas Newsroom - June 29th, 2022
- International artist paints 'Just a Piece of Freedom' mural in Old Saybrook with local helpers - CT Insider - June 29th, 2022
- 'They made the choice for freedom': Sen. Mike Lee celebrates GOP primary win over Edwards and Isom - Salt Lake Tribune - June 29th, 2022
- Unsurprisingly, books about abortion and reproductive freedom are in high demand. - Literary Hub - June 29th, 2022
- George Michael and the High Price of Freedom - Jezebel - June 29th, 2022
- Freedom to Read Celebration, Supporting the Merritt Fund, and Featuring Banned Author David Levithan - ala.org - June 18th, 2022
- Angola Tries Out Freedom Of The Press, But Will They Go All In? Analysis - Eurasia Review - June 18th, 2022