Paris, 3 May 2026 — On the occasion of World Press Freedom Day, UNESCO today published its World Trends in Freedom of Expression and Media Development 2025/2026 report. The findings reveal a deeply concerning global landscape in which the safety of journalists and the conditions for independent media continue to deteriorate.
Journalist Killings and Impunity
Over the five-year period covered by the report, UNESCO documented the killings of more than 450 journalists worldwide, with an impunity rate exceeding 89 per cent. The vast majority of cases remain unresolved, sending a chilling message to working journalists globally.
The report notes that targeted killings, while the most extreme manifestation of threats to press freedom, represent only a fraction of the violence and coercion that journalists face. Physical assaults, arbitrary detention, legal harassment, and surveillance are commonplace in numerous countries.
Online Harassment and Gender Dimensions
Online harassment of journalists has reached crisis proportions. Women journalists are disproportionately targeted, facing coordinated campaigns of sexualised abuse, death threats, and doxxing. The report documents how such harassment drives women from public platforms and accelerates the feminisation of attrition in the journalism profession.
UNESCO's #HerVoice campaign, launched in 2023, has engaged more than 80 national partners and reached millions of beneficiaries. The Organization urges technology companies to implement stronger enforcement mechanisms and calls on Member States to enact targeted legislation.
Legal Harassment and SLAPP Suits
Strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs) have emerged as a particularly insidious tool for silencing investigative journalism. UNESCO documents a sharp increase in the use of defamation suits, anti-terrorism legislation, and national security provisions against journalists investigating corruption, environmental crimes, and human rights abuses.
Recommendations
UNESCO calls on Member States to: - Establish or strengthen independent media regulators shielded from political interference; - Adopt and implement the UN Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists; - Ensure full and transparent investigation of all crimes against journalists; - Engage constructively with UNESCO's Global Media Defence Fund.
The theme of World Press Freedom Day 2026, "Reporting Under Fire: Journalism in Conflict Zones," underscores the particular vulnerabilities of journalists operating in armed conflict, where deliberate targeting of media workers in violation of international humanitarian law is on the rise.
