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.

Credit: Frederic de Bellaing

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 killedin 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.

IFJ General Secretary Anthony Bellanger stated:

"Every attack on a media professional is an attack aimed at silencing a story intended to inform citizens. The deplorable state of press freedom across the world must mobilise each and every one of us. Through journalists, it is our readers, our listeners who are being targeted - prevented from making informed decisions. Our journalistic right to inform is also the public's right to be informed. It is equally up to citizens to mobilise to protect this right by holding their governments to account. We need laws that protect the right to information, guarantee the independence and pluralism of the media, ban the use of spyware and all forms of surveillance, regulate the use of artificial intelligence and combat the systemic impunity of those who violate press freedom. It is time to act. Together."

On 3 May, the IFJ and its affiliates will gather at Place de l'Hôtel de Ville in Paris at 6pm to reaffirm their shared commitment to a free and independent press. An exhibition tracing the history of the IFJ will also be open to the public, displayed on the railings of the Hôtel de Ville.

From 4 to 7 May, the IFJ will hold its Centenary World Congress in Paris, bringing together hundreds of delegates from around the world to chart the future of journalism and press freedom.

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) represents more than 600,000 journalists and media professionals worldwide, through 187 unions and associations in more than 148 countries.