World Press Freedom Day: Together for Information!

As World Press Freedom Day approaches on 3 May, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is sounding the alarm over the "deplorable" state of press freedom worldwide and calling for a citizens' mobilisation to defend the right to information, a cornerstone of democracies.

, a cornerstone of democracies.

According to the UNESCO World Trends Report on Freedom of Expression and Media Development (2022-2025), freedom of expression has declined by 10% since 2012, a figure the IFJ describes as "alarming," and one whose scale "is comparable to that observed during the most troubled periods of the 20th century (World War I, World War II, the Cold War),"UNESCO recalls.

The IFJ has recorded 128 journalists killed in the line of duty in 2025, and 9 have already lost their lives this year.

The IFJ specifically condemns armed conflicts in which being identified as "press" has become a reason to be targeted rather than protected. In Ukraine, Palestine, Lebanon and Sudan, for example, reporters are being arrested, forced into exile or killed because of their work.

Beyond war zones, threats are multiplying in other forms.

In itslatest global Surveillance report published on 28 April, the IFJ highlights the systemic and unprecedented surveillance carried out against journalists, where classic phishing emails and fake websites now coexist with state-level spyware, compromising journalists' security and the protection of their sources with no meaningful legislative or regulatory oversight.

The IFJ also expresses concern over the rise of artificial intelligence, which poses a threat to democracies: large-scale disinformation, identity theft, the replacement of journalists by automated tools with no regard for ethical standards, and the use of journalists' work by platforms without agreement or remuneration.

The IFJ condemns these new forms of attack as so many opportunities to silence journalists and prevent them from informing the public.