On the eve of World Press Freedom Day, UN leaders warn of a “decay of freedom” as nearly 300 journalists have been killed in conflict zones since late 2023, with hundreds more facing detention and surveillance.
NEW YORK – Ahead of World Press Freedom Day on May 3, the United Nations has issued a grave warning regarding the escalating violence, legal intimidation, and systemic targeting of media workers globally.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, stated that the normalization of attacks on the media is leading to a decay of freedom that threatens the foundations of global peace and sustainable development. According to the latest UN reports, the profession has reached a state of extreme insecurity, with approximately 330 media workers currently detained worldwide alongside 500 citizen journalists and human rights bloggers.
High Commissioner Türk highlighted that covering armed conflict remains the most lethal assignment for journalists, specifically pointing to the war in Gaza as a death trap for the media. His office has verified the killing of nearly 300 journalists since October 2023, with many more injured.
He also noted the extreme brutality faced by reporters in Sudan, where journalists are struggling to document the crisis amidst violence and famine. Since January 2026 alone, at least 14 journalists have been killed globally, with accountability reached in only around a tenth of cases over the past two decades.
Beyond physical violence, the UN chief pointed to a disturbing trend where laws on defamation, disinformation, cybercrime, and terrorism are increasingly being used to protect the powerful.
This legal and digital warfare includes transnational repression through targeted surveillance and attacks against journalists working abroad, as well as legal bullying where costly cases are used to intimidate and silence reporters.
Furthermore, online harassment and bullying disproportionately affect women journalists, three-quarters of whom have suffered abuse such as smear campaigns and threats of sexual violence.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres echoed these concerns, noting that truth is often the first casualty of war, closely followed by the journalists who risk everything to report it. He emphasized that press freedom is under unprecedented strain from economic pressures, new technologies, and active manipulation. Guterres urged governments to prevent attacks, protect media workers from surveillance, investigate violations, and ensure accountability.
As the world observes World Press Freedom Day, the UN’s message remains clear that without the protection of those who speak truth to power, the facts required for science, governance, and human rights will continue to be obscured by a disinformation society.
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