UNESCO warns of serious decline in freedom of expression and safety of journalists

New Delhi: UNESCO’s flagship report on global trends in freedom of expression and journalism points to a historic 10% decline in freedom of expression globally between 2012 and 2024. This trend is a consequence of the alarming rise in self-censorship by journalists and the attacks they face – both in real life and online.

The World Trends in Freedom of Expression and Media Development Report 2022-2025 revealed that the self-censorship increased significantly, rising 63%, at a rate of about 5% per year. During the reporting period (2022-2025), 186 journalists were killed while covering wars and conflict zones – a 67% increase compared to the previous period covered by the report (2018-2021). In 2025 alone, 93 journalists have been killed, of these 60 were killed in conflict zones.

Despite international commitments to end impunity for killing journalists, accountability is rare. While there has been modest progress – with impunity rates dropping from 95% in 2012 to 85% in 2024 – most perpetrators still go unpunished.

Today, journalists face a wide and growing range of attacks – physical, digital, legal, and threats which force them to flee their homes – since 2018, more than 900 journalists in Latin America and the Caribbean have been forced into exile. Environmental reporters now face a heightened risk: UNESCO recorded 749 attacks on journalists covering environmental issues between 2009 and 2023, with a sharp rise in recent years.

Online harassment against journalists – particularly that targeting women – has surged worldwide. New research carried out by the International Center for Journalists’ (ICFJ) for UN Women, in partnership with UNESCO revealed that 75 per cent of women journalists and media workers experienced online violence while performing their jobs in 2025, up from 73 per cent in 2020.

Despite the severity of the global decline in freedom of expression, meaningful progress is being made. Between 2020 and 2025, 1.5 billion people gained access to social media and messaging platforms, expanding opportunities for civic participation worldwide.

Collaborative investigative journalism has gained momentum during this period – leading to an increase in important cross-border investigations. Fact-checking units are growing at many media organizations.

And laws recognizing community media are increasing globally, helping to safeguard a vital source of trusted local information.